Archives of Maryland
(Biographical Series)

George Doherty(b.~1830 - d.?)
MSA SC 5496-51293
Accused accomplice to slave flight, Caroline County, 1853

Biography:

    On August 10, 1852, Captain John Allen's slave, merely referred to as "negro boy Tom", fled from his owner. George Doherty was one of two individuals accused of enticing and aiding the flight of the 16 year old slave. William Wix was first accused and found not guilty in October 1852.1 Not satisfied with that outcome, Allen continued to search for the responsible party. His next target for retribution was given a formal indictment, and The State of Maryland vs. George Dorty was filed in the county court docket in March, 1853.2 This most likely a mispelling, as no "Dorty" appears in the 1850 Federal Census for Maryland, or any adjacent states. He may be the George Doherty who lived in nearby Delaware in 1850, or the George Dorrity living in Baltimore that same year. Both men were common laborers and originally from Ireland, born in 1831 and 1829, respectively.3,4

    It is unclear what connection Doherty had to John Allen or Tom, as there are no newspaper accounts or other records to provide further detail. The docket indicates that the indictment was "non est", meaning that the court was unable to serve the papers.5 County officials were probably unable to find Doherty, who did not live on the Eastern Shore and may have even heard about the impending case. In the polarized political environment of 1850's Maryland, suspected accomplices to slave flight could be sentenced to years in jail regardless of whether there was definitive proof. While Doherty may or may not have supported Tom's pursuit of freedom, he knew enough not to tempt a justice system that was often skewed in favor of slaveholder's rights. 

 Footnotes - 

1. CAROLINE COUNTY COURT (Minutes), The State of Maryland vs. William Wix, 12 October, 1852.

2. CAROLINE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT (Docket), Criminal Appearances, March 1853, The State of Maryland vs. George Dorty.

3. Ancestry.com, 1850, United States Federal Census, Baltimore, Ward 5, Maryland, p. 36.

4. Ancestry.com, 1850, United States Federal Census, Christiana Hundred, New Castle, Delaware  p. 48.

5. State of Maryland vs. George Dorty. 

Researched and Written by David Armenti, 2011.

Return to George Doherty's Introductory Page
 
 
 
 


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