Plaything of Good Hope

The 1817 slave register for John Tharp's Good Hope plantation lists a woman called Plaything who was born in Africa in about 1771. The name cannot have been the one she was born with, and would have been imposed upon her by a man on board ship or by one of the men who sold or bought her. She had at least six children, who were all daughters: Jenny Menzies (b. 1791), who was described as Mulatto, Molly (b. 1801), Eve (1802-1823), Mary (b. 1806), Charlotte (b. 1816) and Ruthy (b. 26th of April 1819).*




Plaything's eldest daughter, Jenny Menzies, was named as the mother of five children: Eliza Menzies (b. 1810), Jane Menzies (b. 1813), Robert (b. 1816), Alexander Menzies (b. 25th of December 1818)* and Georgina (b. 1824). Eliza, Jane, Robert and Alexander were all described as Quadroon and Georgina as Mustee, which suggests that the labels were sometimes used impressionistically. Menzies could have been the last name of the children's father, though Jenny is also listed with that last name in the 1817 register. It's possible that Robert and Georgina also used the name.

Jenny's daughter, Jane Menzies, was named as the mother of Thomas Hill (b. 1829), who was described as Quadroon. This may be an impressionistic description of his skin tone rather than an informed account of his heritage, but if the terms were being used with precision, Thomas Hill's father would also have been described as Quadroon. None of the enslaved men listed in the 1817 register for this estate were recorded with that last name.

Plaything's second daughter, Molly, was named as the mother of Maria (b. 1822) and Margaret Forbes (b. 1826).


* These births were recorded in the 1820 return of 'increases' and 'decreases', which is the only one that gives dates.


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