Enslaved & Free Black Peoples Connected to the Church

According to our church records, we know that there were multiple enslaved people--and even a few free Black individuals--who were considered members / communicants and were even baptized,  married, and buried within the church. They are often denoted as "colored," and the enslaved people are mentioned as "belonging to," "living with," or being a "servant of" another individual. 

There are at least two individuals buried in Brainerd who has been previously enslaved.

• Gracie Allen (1790 - 1875) -  Our church's records note that she was "Freed Slave of Bayles Family." While her name is in our records, we have not been able to find her headstone. It is possible that she was originally given a simple wooden marker that has succumbed to elements or that a stone one was broken.

• "Aunt Jennie" (1793 - 1893) -Her headstone reads "called Aunt Jennie" and our records note she was a "servant" of Lewis Riggs. Much like with Gracie Allen, we have not been able to find her headstone. Again, it is possible that she was originally given a simple wooden marker that has succumbed to elements or that a stone one was broken.

Names of enslaved peoples who were considered members / communicants of First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury:

**written here as noted in the membership log**

• Sampson (black) - admitted 1787

• Hannah (black) - admitted 1791

• Jane (black of C Barclay) - admitted 1791

• Lydia (black) - admitted 1791

• Josiah (black man)

• Lydia (servant of William Covenhoven) 

• David (black) 

• Nancy (black) 

• Rhoda (a black woman) 

• Jane (black)

• Sampson (black) Servant of A. Anderson

• Francis Stryker (black)

• Aaron Bun (colored man of Roscarick Ayres)

• Rachel Baird (black) 

• Peter Merll (Colored)

• Peter Merle, colored

• Rebecca (colored), wife of Peter Meril

• Mary (black) of Hezekiah Mount

• Rachel Ann Baltimore (black) 

• Mary (black), daughter of Francis Stryker

• Catharine Parker (black)

• Samuel, servant of William Curran

• Thomas, servant of widow Vandyke

• Jack (colored) servant of John Duncan

Names of enslaved and free Black people baptized at First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury between 1745 and 1805: 

**written here as noted in the baptismal roll**

• Lydia, a slave of Joseph Inslees, adult, 1 Apr 1791

• Jane, a slave of Mr. Morris, adult, 24 Jul, 1791, by Mr. Monteath

• Lidia, a slave of Mrs. Schneck, adult, [no date given]

• Jane, black - 1791

• Dinah Green - 1791

• Fortune Green, black, adult, 15 Dec 1791

• Jane, a slave of Mr. Charles Barclay's, adult, 15 Dec 1791

• These are children of Perine & Jane, belonging to Mr. C. Barclay. Jane only presented them. N.B. These at Mr. Charles Barclay's on 15 Dec 1791 (baptised)

  • • John

    • Edward

    • George

    • Horace

    • Enoch

• These three at old Mr. Jos. COMBS sent to.

  • • Gilb. SNOWN, 19 Feb 1792

    • John & Elizabeth MOUNT, 19 Feb 1792

    • Elijah & Lydia MOUNT, 19 Feb 1792

    • Cornelius & Snedeker, 19 Feb 1792

• Hannah, Slave of John Bergins, adult, 15 Apr 1792

• Robert, Slave of Mc Curer's

• Anna Maria, b. 31 May 1792, daughter of James & Sarah Jenkins, 19 Aug 1792 [James is a freeman, his wife Sarah is a slave belonging to Mr. Stites]

• Richard, Rhode, a slave belonging to Mr. Max Rue, 30 Sep 1792

• David, son of Lydia, a colored woman communicant belonging to Mrs. the widow of Schneck

• Thomas & Rachel, (Black children), 3 May 1801

• Charles, a black child, Lydia, servant to William Covenhoven, 14 Jun 1801

• Catherine, a black child, 21 Nov 1802

• Virgil, b. 2 Dec, James & Sarah Jenkins, 9 Mar 1794 [He is a free Black, she belongs to D. Wites]

• Joseph, son of Lydia (a black woman), 24 May 1804

• Susan, daughter of Rhoda (a black woman), 9 Dec 1804

Names of enslaved people baptized at First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury between 1806 and 1820: 

**written here as noted in the baptismal roll**

• Samuel, b. 3 Apr 1807, son of Rhoda (black woman), 20 Aug 1807

• Ann Tight, black woman, 15 Oct 1808

• Jane, Servant of Garret Snedeker, 13 May 1809

• Effe, an adult (black servant of Joseph Dey), 30 Aug 1810

• Noah, b. 1 May 1811, son of Thomas & Lydia Baird (blacks of W. Morris & W. Barclay) 28 Dec 1811

• Rachael Ann, b. 3 Apr 1812, daughter of Rhoda Little (a black woman), 9 Aug 1812

• Lydia, an adult (black servant of C. Bergen), 1813

• Mary, daughter of Lydia (black servant to Christopher Bergen, 31 Oct 1813

• Smith, child of Lydia, (black servant to Christopher Bergen, 1813

• Zear, an adult - servant of James Barclay, 8 May 1814

• Richard Little, an adult (black), 20 May 1815

• Dinah, an adult (black), 20 May 1815

• Robert, b. 12 May 1814, son of Effey (black) 25 May 1815

• John, an adult, servant of Court Voorhees, 6 Oct 1816

• Martha, b. 18 Oct 1816, daughter of Perry & Celia Thompson (black), 20 Jul 1817

• Evelina, b. 2 Apr 1817, daughter of Edward & Nancy Ditmore (black), 20 Jul 1817

• Caroline, daughter of Horace & Fanny Ditmore (black), 20 Jul 1817

• Nancy, an adult, servant of John Merr, 27 Sep 1817

• Richard VALENTINE, adult, black, 3 Oct 1819

• Lewis Freeman, b. 26 May 1819, son of Edward & Nancy Ditmars (black) 14 Nov 1819

Names of enslaved and free Black peoples married  at First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury from 1790 to 1839:

**written here as noted in the marriage records**

• Joseph, servant to Mr. Covenhoven to Rachel, servant of John DEAN, 1 May 1803

• Horace, servant of Mr. Bradley, Fanny, servant of Mr. RUR, 18 Mar 1810

• Enoch, servant of --- & Cloe, 23 Apr 1810

• Charles, servant of James Johnson, to Peggy, servant of G. DeBois, 29 Apr 1810

• Thomas, servant of --- Duncan, [handwritten] Lydia, servant of C, BERDAY, 5 May 1810

• Nicholas, servant of William Bayes to Sally, servant of William Schneck, 21 Jul 1810

• Harvey to Jane, servants, 13 Apr 1811

• James to Tiney, black servant to William Scott, 5 Nov 1817

• Edward Layton, servant to William Dey Jewell, to Rachel Bainbridge, servant to G. Stony (Atorey?), 24 Jan 1818

• Thomas Polhemus, servant of Daniel, to Judy SLOVER, servant of Grace, 23 Feb 1818

• Aaron to Hannah, servants of M. MORRIS, 28 Mar 1818

• Samuel Stout, servant of Joseph to Hannah Rue, servant of John, 12 Sep 1818

• Lewis, Servant of John P. Bergen to Judy, servant of Peter C. Bergen, 31 Mar 1821

• A colored couple - 1821

• Abraham Cooper to Eve Voorhees, colored, 7 Oct 1821

• A Colored couple - 1822

• Adam Mooroced, to a colored woman belonging to Natt Wycoff, 22 Nov 1824

• Adam NEWELL, a colored man belonging to Tho. Mount, Phillis, belonging to William Conover, 1 Jan 1826

• Philip, a colored man belonging to G. Morris, to Betty, belonging to the Rev. S. C. HENRY 23 Feb 1826

• Jacques Skilner, black, to Mary, belonging to John P. BERGEN, 26 Nov 1828

• Jack, belonging to William Brown, to Elizabeth, belonging to Benjamin GRIGGS, 31 Dec 1828

• Hezekiah Loyd to Elizabeth Conover, free colored, 24 Aug 1831

• Samuel Little to Charlotte Conklin, colored, 14 Jan 1834

• Philip Str to Catharine Blain (colored) 5 Nov 1835

• Peter Johnson to Letty Rue (colored), 21 Nov 1835

• Pompey Henry, colored, to Clary, living with Walter Ruding, 3 Dec 1835

• Edward, colored, belonging to George Morris, to Charlotte, colored, belonging to Rev. S. C. HENRY, 24 Dec 1835

• William Johnson to Clara Green, colored, 10 Aug 1839

• Abraham Conklin to Mary Stryker, colored 24 Dec 1839