Archives of Maryland
(Biographical Series)

Jane (b. ? - d. 1751) 
MSA SC 5496-51561
Slave in Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Biography:

Jane was an enslaved African American owned by Joseph Galloway. On September 1, 1750, she, along with a woman named Grace, burned down the tobacco barn belonging to Joseph Galloway.1 

At that time, "the said Tobacco House then having therein Tobacco Fodder Corn and other Grain."2 Burning down storage facilities for tobacco was illegal according to a supplementary act to the "act for the more Effectual Punishment of Negroes & other Slaves." This act stated, "any Slave who shall Attempt to burn any Dwelling House or out House Contiguous to or used with Any Dwelling House or any other House wherein there shall be Any Person or Persons or Any Goods Merchandizes Tobacco Indian Corn or Other Grain or Fodder & shall be thereof Convict as aforesaid shall Suffer Death as a Felon without Benefit of Clergy."3

Jane and Grace set the barn on fire "between the Hours of nine and Ten in the night of the said Day came and Billetts of Wood on Fire against the Tobacco House aforesaid."4 The tobacco barn completely burned down.5 

Since "their malice aforethought voluntarily and feloniously," Jane and Grace, both in the custody of John Gassaway, the sheriff, were declared guilty by the twelve jury members.6 On March 12, 1750,* Jane and Grace were sentenced to death by hanging. "The said Negroe Grace and Negroe Jane be taken from the Bar of this Court by the Sheriff of Ann Arundel County to the prison from whence they came and from thence to the Gallows in the said County the common place of Execution of Malefactors and there by Hanged by the Neck until they be Dead."7 

However, they were not actually hung until a month later on April 12, 1751.8 An announcement of their death appeared in the April 17, 1751 issue of the Maryland Gazette: "Last Friday the two young Negro Wenches were executed here pursuant to their Sentence for burning a Tobacco House some Time ago."9

Jane and Grace were each valued at fifty pounds.10 According to the the act for "more Effectual Punishment" mentioned above, "when any Slave shall be Condemned to Suffer Death that such slave shall be Valued by the Justices of Assize or Either of them then Present or County Court according to the best of their Knowledge which said whole Value shall be paid by the Treasurer of the Respective Shoare."11 This excerpt from the act means that the slave owner would be reimbursed for the value of the slave when their slave was sentenced to death. So, according to this law, Joseph Galloway would have received 100 pounds for both Jane and Grace since they were each valued at 50 pounds. 

* Note: In 1752, England and its colonies switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. Thus, the first day of the year went from occurring on March 25 to occurring on January 1. As a result, eleven days were lost in the month of September 1752, meaning September 2, 1752 was followed by September 14, 1752. Records prior to 1752 often use a double dating system (example: 1730/1) for the months of January through March. When looking at Quaker records, the month is written as a numeral, so it is important to keep in mind that they were using the Julian calendar prior to the switch. Thus, the 6th month would be August rather than June for dates prior to 1752. For more information on this change, see a description in the January 2, 1752 edition of the Maryland Gazette, view the actual Calendar Act of 1750 passed by Parliament, or read a summary by Connecticut State Library.

1. ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY COURT (Judgment Record) Grace and Jane, Joseph Galloway, 1751, Liber ISB 1, folio 690, MSA C91-20, MdHR 879.

2. Ibid.

3. ARCHIVES OF MARYLAND ONLINE, Proceedings and Acts of the General Assembly, 1737-1740, Vol. 40, Ch. VII, pg. 93 (http://aomol.net/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/000001/000040/html/am40--92.html).

4. ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY COURT (Judgment Record) Grace and Jane, Joseph Galloway, 1751.

5. Ibid.

6. Ibid.

7. Ibid.

8. "Last Friday the two Negro Wenches," Maryland Gazette, April 17, 1751.

9. Ibid.

10. ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY COURT (Judgment Record) Grace and Jane, Joseph Galloway, 1751.

11. ARCHIVES OF MARYLAND ONLINE, Proceedings and Acts of the General Assembly, 1737-1740.


Researched and written by Sarah Hartge, 2012.

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