Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Dean Herrin's Research

The following information has been generously shared by Dean Herrin, the National Park Service Coordinator of the Catoctin Center for Regional Studeies at Frederick Community College in Frederick Maryland.

Basil Dorsey Chronology as it Relates to Maryland

c. 1808- Ephraim Costly born, presumably on Sabrett Sollers’ farm in Libertytown, MD.

- date estimated from Ephraim’s age listed in the 1834 inventory of Sabrett

Sollers’ estate, and from age given in Dorsey’s manumission by George Griscom in 1851.

- parents were supposedly slaves of Sabrett Sollers; according to the National Enquirer, Aug. 17, 1837, in a letter from “W.H.J.” about Dorsey’s court hearing in Doylestown, the writer says that the lawyer for Dorsey’s former owner, Thomas E. Sollers, said in his opening statement to the judge that he would prove, among other things, that “the father and mother of the prisoner [Dorsey] were the slaves of old Captain Solders [sic.].”

1834, July 17 – Sabrett Sollers (1772-1834) dies.

Source: Obituary in Fredericktown Herald, Aug. 2, 1834.

1834, August 16 – Inventory of Sabrett Sollers’ estate; the 23 slaves listed included an Ephraim, age 26, and a Louisa, age 22. Both were valued at $300 each.

Source: Maryland State Archives [I have to find the exact source, which I have misplaced.]

1834, Sept. 9 – Account of sale of Sabrett Sollers’ estate; 18 slaves were sold to 10 different purchasers:

Thomas E. Sollers (Sabrett’s son) purchased Ephraim (for $300) and three others

Richard Coale purchased Louisa (for $300), and one other (a boy, Jack)

[Among the 18 slaves listed, no one else had the names Ephraim or Louisa]

Source: Maryland State Archives, MSA C745, Frederick County Register of Wills (Accounts of Sale), [volume for 1833-35], p.410.

1836 – Basil and three brothers escape and eventually find their way to Philadelphia and Robert Purvis.


1837, July - Sollers and slave-catchers hear of the Dorsey brothers whereabouts from a brother-in-law of Basil’s, and capture Thomas in Phil., and Basil on Purvis’ farm in Bensalem. Purvis is able to take the other two to his brother’s house, who drives them to a safe house in NJ, and from there the brothers are transported to Canada.

1837, Aug. 1 – Dorsey released from custody based on claimants’ inability to prove that slavery was legal in Maryland.

1838, Nov. 7 – Louisa dies in Charlemont, MA

1851, May 14 – Deed of Sale (for $150) from Thomas E. Sollers, selling Basil Dorsey to George Griscom, a lawyer from Philadelphia, who then manumits Dorsey.

Source: Northampton Courier, May 20 and Aug. 5, 1851.

Some Questions:

Who were Dorsey’s parents?

- Ephraim and his brothers were “reputed to be the children of their master,” Sabrett Sollers, according to Purvis in Smedley, 1883, p. 356; Dorsey’s deed of sale in 1851 referred to him as “mulatto”

In The National Enquirer, Aug. 17, 1837, in a letter from “W.H.J.” about Dorsey’s court hearing in Doylestown, the writer says that the lawyer for Dorsey’s former owner, Thomas E. Sollers, said in his opening statement to the judge that he would prove, among other things, that “the father and mother of the prisoner [Dorsey] were the slaves of old Captain Solders [sic.],” and that Thomas E. Sollers had purchased Dorsey from his father’s estate. This was part of the lawyer’s case to prove that Dorsey was indeed a slave of Thomas E. Sollers.

Hampshire Gazette, April 2, 1867 – in a story on Basil Dorsey, the writer states that Dorsey’s “grandfather was an Englishman, who married a colored woman in Maryland.”

When did Dorsey escape from Maryland?

In Davis (1876 & 1905), he states that Dorsey had escaped from Sollers three years before his capture and hearing in 1837 (which would place the escape in 1834).

In the administration accounts for Sabrett Sollers’ estate, dated Sept. 21, 1835, and with Thomas E. Sollers as the administrator, among the entries are the following:

“For [current money] paid Jas. L. Wagner for going after runaway

slaves, belonging to the estate per [acct. & rect.] appears 10.00

“For [current money] pd. Daniel Sweadner for searching after runaway

slaves & for crying (?) sale 3 days per [acct. & rect.] appears 30.00

These “runaway slaves” may have been slaves other than Dorsey and his brothers, of course. It is also possible that these are debts of the estate incurred before Sabrett Sollers death.

Hampshire Gazette, April 2, 1867 – this bio of Dorsey places the escape as May 14, 1836.


Robert Purvis, in his account published in Smedley in 1883, says that Basil and his three brothers “arrived in Philadelphia in the summer of 1836.” (p.356)

Why did he escape?

Hampshire Gazette, April 2, 1867 – according to this biography of Dorsey, Thomas Sollers agreed to sell Dorsey his freedom for $350. Richard Cole (sic) agreed to be Dorsey’s “bondsman” for the $350. But Sollers refused, “declaring that he could get $500.” “This act of treachery so enraged Cole that he advised Dorsey to his legs and try their virtue.” [This is the same Richard Coale, a neighboring farmer, who purchased “Louisa” from the Sabrett Sollers’ estate in 1834.]

Purvis in Smedley, 1883, p. 356, says that Dorsey and his brothers had been promised their freedom [supposedly by Sabrett Sollers], but this not being the case after Sabrett died, they fled.

What do we know about his wife, Louisa?

A “Louisa” was purchased from Sabrett Sollers’ estate in 1834 by neighboring farmer Richard Coale, the same man who tried to help Dorsey obtain his freedom and who ultimately advised Dorsey to escape. “Louisa” was also earlier listed on the estate’s inventory, age 22 in 1834. [see above]

Grave marker in MA states that Louisa died Nov. 7, 1838, age 24 years

Davis (1876 & 1905) states that Louisa and Dorsey’s “two small children” were present for his hearing in Doylestown.

Hampshire Gazette, April 2, 1867 – also states that Louisa and the children joined Dorsey in PA in August 1837 and that Louisa was “a free woman.”

Purvis in Smedley, 1883, p. 356 – Basil was married, with two children. Louisa was a free woman. After Purvis took Basil to work on his farm in Bucks County, Purvis writes that “by a previous arrangement with her brother-in-law, likewise free, they [Louisa and the children] were brought to Philadelphia, where I met them and took them to my house.” [his house in Philadelphia or Bucks County?]


Why did Ephraim Costly adopt the name Basil Dorsey?

For what it’s worth, Costly’s owner, Sabrett Sollers, was married to Mary Dorsey, and Sabrett’s mother’s maiden name was also Dorsey. Sabrett also had a brother named Basil Sollers.

No comments: