Archives of Maryland
(Biographical Series)

Townshend Mitchell
MSA SC 5496-51118
War of 1812 Refugee, Charles County, Maryland

Biography:

Townshend Mitchell was an enslaved child who was owned by Benjamin T. Fendall of Charles County, Maryland. He was born about to enslaved parents Primus Mitchell and Nancy Somerville. Townshend's father Primus was owned by John T. Stoddert and his mother was owned by Benjamin T. Fendall.

In September of 1814, Nancy Somerville escaped from Fendall’s farm in company with her husband, children and an enslaved man named James Stith. All of the slaves, including Townshend Mitchell, were carried to the Tangier Island where they stayed until peace was established between the United States and Great Britain. After peace was established many of the slaves were carried to Nova Scotia where they settled. Townshend Mitchell's parents settled the family in Dartmouth a town in Nova Scotia.

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