Slavery in Wayne and Ontario County

While slavery was more popular in the South of the United States, there were slaves in the Northern states as well. Quoting from the New York, Wayne County website and a paper titled, "African American Life in Wayne County, New York, 1789-1900", is an understanding of how slaves arrived in the upstate New York.  "With the arrival in 1792 of Charles Williamson, land agent for English investors, the market for the “Genesee Country” was expanded to include residents of Virginia and Maryland – specifically southerners with slaves." The article continues, speaking of how southerners wanted  the new areas of land to harvest the resources and wanted the slaves to clear the land. Between the years,  1789 and 1810 is when most African Americans, majority enslaved came to Wayne County. 

One of the largest slave owners at the time was, Captain William Helm of Prince William County. Recorded by the Wayne County Historical Website in the fourth page of the document, "Sites Relating to the Underground Railroad, Abolitionism, and African American Life in Wayne County, New York by Last Name", William Helm may have brought as many as seventy slaves with him from From Warrentown, Farquier Co., Virgina. In 1797, he brought an estimated fifty five African American men and fifteen women, them settling first on the shores of Sodus Bay and later moving to Bath, New York to work.

It was William Helm that owned Aaron and Betsey Brister, and their children as slaves.

The Bristers  (The First Freedom Seekers of Wayne County)

The Bristers, Aaron and Betsey, are considered the first freedom seekers of Wayne country. It is estimated that the Bristers started their life in Palmyra between the years 1805 through 1810. Aaron, the husband of Betsey and father of ten children, was a former soldier in the Revolutionary War.

After the Revolutionary War, Aaron and his family were imprisoned as slaves under Captain William Helm. That was until Betsey was to be sold to an owner in Bath, New York, and the two (at the time) small children of the Bristers were to be sold and transported away from their parents as well. Before the year 1810, Aaron, Betsey, and their two small children escaped to Palmyra N.Y. The family became fugitive slaves.

Aaron Brister's Story 

Aaron Brister was born approximately the year 1762 in Virginia. Within his estimated 59 years on Earth, he lived an active life with his wife, Betsey, and his ten children. 

Aaron Brister was a man loyal to his country and the idea of liberty for all. He was a former soldier of the Revolutionary War, from the years 1776 to around 1779. He was commanded under Captain Thomas Helm in the 3rd Virginia Regiment commanded by Colonel George Weedon. Later on, he continued to serve in the Corps until the expiration of the said term when he was discharged from service at Philadelphia. He served in the Battle at York Island, Battle of Harlem Heights, Manhattan Island on September 16 Sep 1776, and White Plains on October 28th, 1776.

After serving, Aaron developed problems with both his knees which affected him for the remainder of his life.

Upon returning from war, Aaron was brought back into slavery under the owner of Captain William Helm. However, Aaron did not go peacefully.

Records kept by Aaron's nephew, Austin Steward, described Aaron as going against his master. On one account, Austin tells the story about his uncle surviving a severe beating from Captain Helm,

“Aaron said that he had ever endeavored to discharge his duty, and had done so to the best of his ability; and that he thought it very hard to be treated in that manner for no offence at all. Capt. Helm was astonished at his audacity, but the reader will perceive that the slaves were not blind to the political condition of the country, and were beginning to feel that they had some rights, and meant to claim them.”

Now, what is written above and other accounts in the book, “Twenty-Two Years a Slave and Forty Years a Freeman”, (Book is available on amazon.com) pertains to Aaron’s belief in liberty and his question if this treatment was deserving to anyone. He had stood up to his master with powerful words that shook his owner. 

After being punished by his master Aaron suffered major head trauma. 

“His face, covered with blood, was so swollen that he could hardly see for some time; but what of that? Did he not belong to Capt. Helm, soul and body; and if his brutal owner chose to destroy his own property, certainly had he not a right to do so, without let or hindrance? Of course; such is the power that Slavery gives one human being over another.”

Aaron was not alone in his beliefs at the time, as many more slaves across the country were asking the same questions as Aaron.

After having recovered from an interesting and brutal horse accident that had nearly killed him, Aaron had helped his family take “French leave” from his master as well as the lawyer who was on his way to purchase Betsey.

The Brister's Life in Palmyra After Escaping

When in hiding, Aaron used various names to evade being captured. The 1810 U.S. Federal census shows Aaron, used the name Benjamin Bristol. The census states, ' Benjamin Bristol, a free person of color, with a household of four persons.' Aaron changing his name in the census would have made him and his family less noticeable since they were still considered fugitive slaves. However, Aaron still did sometimes use his real name.

In 1817, Aaron Brister was recorded in the "Palmyra, New York Highway Tax Record" to have been working on maintaining a system of roads. Between the years 1817 and 1822, according to the Tax Record,  all men in each district twenty-one years or older, no matter the skin color, were required to work on the roads. For at least one day, every year of his life, Aaron and his fellow district men participated in this mannuel labor.

In the end, Aaron Brister did live a decent life with his family in the town of Palmyra, until August 8th, 1821, the day of his death. He had secured his pension where his assets were valued at $115 and included ¾ acres of land and a small house on which he owed $100.  

The Battle for Freedom 

In the Spring of 1818, the Brister home was attacked. After many long years of searching, for their slaves, several slave owners led by William Helm, discovered the location of fugitive slaves in Palmyra. The owners planned to recapture and punish their runaway slaves who had fled to Wayne County. The following quote is from Austin Steward’s autobiography,

“The Captain planned to collect all the slaves he had once owned, many of whom had escaped to the surrounding villages, and when once in his grasp, to roll them speedily into a slave State, and there sell them for the Southern market.”

Captain Helm planned to lure all the runaway slaves into one area for capture. For this plan to work Helm hired Simon Watkins to gain the African Americans' trust and throw a party for those of color. Simon Watkins did this act for fifty dollars in 1818, or today's currency (September 2022) of 1,575.38 American dollars.

As the books,  Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith’s Ohio Revelations and Twenty-Two Years a Slave and Forty Years a Freeman written by the nephew of Aaron and Betsey Brister, Austin Steward conveyed, Simon convinced the Bristers to have the party at their house and urged specifically for the slaves of William Helm to come together. Regarding Simion Watkins manipulation for the colored-folk, In his book Austin Steward wrote,

"in great kindness and generosity, [to] give a large party to the colored people--desiring that all Capt. Helm's former slaves, in particular should be present for a joyous reunion, and celebrate their freedom in having a fine time generally."

On the night of the party, Captain Helm and his accomplices came to Palmyra in disguise. They hid in one of the nearby hotels before the festivities began. Once the slaves arrived in the Brister’s home, and the opportunity to attack was ready, Helm and his posse attacked the house and the people inside with great force. What Helm had expected to be an easy fight turned for the worst for his men. 

Within her life, Betsey faced a lot of ups and downs. After Aaron passed, she attempted to collect her widows' pension but was at first denied on account that slaves could not be married. To quote from Betsey's agent from September 11th, 1844, "The parties at the time of the marriage were slaves and no licence was issued or record made of it [the marriage], as it was never done in such cases."

A petition was created to bring justice to Mrs. Bristers' cause. Between 1843 and 1850, Betsey and his supporters worked to secure her pension. One of Betsey's main supports was a woman named, Susan Stuart. According to notes left on Aaron Brister's pension application that was transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris, later revised February 6th 2012, "Supporting her application is a deposition from Susan Stuart who had known Aaron and Betsey Brister since childhood, who stated that Betsey Brister was the mother of 10 children , the first, Aaron, having died in infancy, and four still living: Lucy Jarvis, age 55; Robert, 38; Mina, 33; and Betsey, 31 “and upwards.”

The first obstacle that needed to be overcome with Betsey collecting her pension, was the issue of her correct age on Aaron's pension. In an 1820 document, Betsy’s age was labeled as being 46; but she was actually 80 at the time; meaning in the document she was stated to be too young to have been married in 1777 or 1778 to Aaron. Multiple statements were sent to the pension office stating that Betsy Brister was 80 years old. A local physician, Dr. Alexander McIntyre, confirmed that Betsy Blister was 80 years old. 

The Doctor claimed that whatever statements may have been made by Aaron, particularly in the 1820 document that said Betsey was half the age than she was, must have been a misunderstanding. 

The second issue was the requirement by the pension office for an official document establishing the marriage between Betsey Toliver and Aaron Brister. Robert Brister, son of Aaron and Betsey made a statement for the record that his mother and father never had a record of the marriage, therefore there is no record of Betsey and Aaron’s marriage.

In 1844, a letter written to the Commission of Pensions by Thomas C. Miller was sent to advocate on behalf of Betsey and her late husband. Miller wrote how it was impossible to hold the Bristers accountable for their marriage when Aaron and Betsey were slaves when they were married. He asked the Commissions of Pension to make an exception for their need for a certified copy of the marriage bond between Aaron and Betsey as the couple could not acquire a marriage license or record because of their race and status. 

Whether or not Betsey Brister was able to acquire her widow’s pension is questionable. Several documents contradict one another in the case. There is evidence that the pension ordeal was resolved in May 1850 when Betsey acquired a certificate of being Aaron’s widow. Beginning in 1848, on March 4th Mrs. Bristers was set up to obtain $80.00 per year for the rest of her life unless she was to be wed again. 

However, to contradict what happened for Betsey in 1848 was a letter from Robert Brister dated July 2nd, 1851. Robert wrote that about eighteen months had passed since a “Mr. Southwick of Palmyra Wayne County drew my Fathers [sic] Pension for my mother Betsey Brister living at Palmyra.” Robert claims that he was never able to ascertain the amount of pension drawn by Mr. Southwick. 

Betsey's Passing

Betsey Brister died on October 19th, 1851, and was buried in the old Baptist Burying Ground (also called Bryant Cemetery), located just west of the village of Palmyra. Her headstone is no longer standing upright, but is accounted for at the Old Baptist Cemetery. More information and picture of her headstone can be found further down in the page.

In her last testament, Betsey shared her protocols about her property and dividing the land among her four surviving children, Lucy, Jemima, Betsey, and Robert. Betsey appointed her son as executor. In her will, Betsey stated her friends James Jenner and General Thomas Rogers were to be final arbitrators should any disagreements arise. 

Today the Bristers' home is still standing in Palmyra on 433 Vienna Street. In a report taken in March 2008 about the house, the home of the Bristers is a three-bay, gable-end-to-the street frame house with a porch across the total width of the façade. A back door opens into a petite back wing. In keeping with the deeds, Betsey Brister paid $300 for this quarter-acre property in 1823, suggesting she purchased a house here additionally because of the lot. After Betsey died in 1851, the family sold the property 1856 for $488.

In the end, the Brister family has left their mark on the towns of Macedon, Palmyra, Wayne County, and across America; for their story assists in understanding the cruelty one faced under slavery and the life of a fugitive slave. 

Sources for this page (Sources are not listed in order of usage)

1. https://waynecountyny.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9524/19--African-American-Life-in-Wayne-Co-NY-1789-1900-PDF 

2. https://docplayer.net/54923554-Wayne-county-ny-historian.html 

3. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8902442/betsey-brister 

4. https://wyuka.com/2020/06/19/gravestone-symbolism-one/#:~:text=Anchor%3A%20Hope%20and%20Steadfast,way%20to%20secret%20meeting%20places. 

5. https://cemeterysymbolism.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/the-anchor/ 

6. https://user.xmission.com/~research/about/highwaytax.pdf 

7. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Hearken_O_Ye_People/P39lEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=palmyra+new+york+aaron+brister&pg=PA122&printsec=frontcover 

8. https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Underground-Railroad-Experience-County/dp/0989120902 

9. https://revwarapps.org/w17341.pdf