On February 8, 1752, Catherine Cornwell, a free Black woman in Boston, willed her estate to her “true and trusty friend,” Scipio Fayrweather, and her children Juby, Cornwell, Rose, Catherine, and Margreet. The will, signed with her “mark” due to her illiteracy, reflects her careful planning and offers rare insight into the life of a free Black Bostonian in the mid-18th century. Cornwell later married Fayrweather on August 28, 1754.
Creator:
Catherine Cornwell
Date Created:
8 February 1752
Materials and Measurements:
Paper; 31.1 cm x 19.4 cm
Point of Origin:
Boston, MA
Object Identifier #:
From the Mary Hartford papers in the Jeremy Belknap papers, Ms. N-1827 161.L.10
On February 8, 1752, Catherine Cornwell, a free Black woman in Boston, willed her estate to her “true and trusty friend,” Scipio Fayrweather, and her children Juby, Cornwell, Rose, Catherine, and Margreet. The will, signed with her “mark” due to her illiteracy, reflects her careful planning and offers rare insight into the life of a free Black Bostonian in the mid-18th century. Cornwell later married Fayrweather on August 28, 1754.
Creator:
Catherine Cornwell
Date Created:
8 February 1752
Materials and Measurements:
Paper; 31.1 cm x 19.4 cm
Point of Origin:
Boston, MA
Object Identifier #:
From the Mary Hartford papers in the Jeremy Belknap papers, Ms. N-1827 161.L.10