Bessy of Top Hill Pen


The 1817 slave register for John Tharp's Top Hill Pen includes a 13-year-old girl called Keaty whose mother was Bessy.

There was only one woman called Bessy on this small estate, and she was estimated to be 42 years old, though no-one could be sure how old she was when she was brought from Africa.

The 1826 return for Top Hill Pen records the birth of Bella (b. 1824) to Katey. No Katey, Kate or Catherine was listed in 1817, and the nearest name is Keaty. It's therefore possible that Bella was Bessy's granddaughter.

However, Katey could also have been short for Catalina (b. 1788), whose family tree is discussed in 'Catalina of Top Hill Pen'.


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