Bessy of Lansquinet

The 1817 slave register for John Tharp's Lansquinet plantation includes three individuals with a mother named Bessy: Quashiba (1791-1825), Damsel (b. 1799) and Isaac (b. 1803). The 1826 return records the birth and death of Phama Neilson (f), whose mother was also called Bessy.

Four women called Bessy were listed as being on Lansquinet in 1817:

1. Bessy Cook (b. 1744) (see 'Bessy Cook of Lansquinet')
2. Bessy (b. 1764)
3. Bessy Smart (b. 1789), who was described as Mulatto and whose mother's name was Phillis (see 'Three women called Phillis on Lansquinet') 
4. Bessy (b. 1800), whose mother was Rosalinda. Because of her age, this Bessy could only have been the mother of Phama Neilson. Since none of other other women could have been (the first two were too old and Bessy Smart could not have had a daughter described as Negro), Phama is included in the family tree in 'Rosalinda of Lansquinet'.

Assuming the age estimates are accurate, Bessy Cook would have been about 47 when Quashiba was born, which makes her a possible mother, and 55 when Damsel was, which is unlikely. Bessy Cook's daughter, Rose was born in 1769, and although the gap between Rose and Quashiba isn't impossible, it seems more likely than that she was Damsel's older sister than Rose's younger.


The Bessy born in 1764 would have been 27 when Quashiba was born, 35 when Damsel as and 39 when Isaac was, making her a possible mother for all three. 

Bessy Smart was too young to be the mother of Quashiba or Damsel, but she could have given birth to Isaac at the age of 14. However, he was described as being of wholly African heritage, so Bessy Smart is unlikely to have been his mother.

The family tree therefore shows that Bessy (b. 1764) was the mother of Damsel and Isaac and that she may also have been Quashiba's mother.

Going down a generation, Damsel gave birth to a son called Ned on the 10th of October 1819 who died on the 19th of November in the same year. Ned's short life was recorded in the 1820 return of 'increases' and 'decreases', which is the only one that gives dates.

 

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