Esther of Lansquinet


The 1817 slave register for John Tharp's Lansquinet estate lists seven children with a mother called Esther: Nelly (b. 1787), Nelly aka Priscilla (b. 1806), Prue (b. 1809), Betty (b. 1811), Phillis (b. 1813), Hagar (1814-7th of November 1819)* and Sandy (b. 1816). Later returns for the estate add Priscilla (b. 2nd of March 1819)* and Louisa (b. 1822).

Only one woman called Esther is listed (b. 1786), but she cannot have been the mother of Nelly (b. 1787), so there must have been at least one other woman called Esther who had died before the register was compiled or who was listed under another name. 

The Esther who was listed was aged 20-35 when the other children were born, so she could have been the mother of all eight. It seems unlikely that the older Esther would have called another child Nelly in 1806, but also that Priscilla (b. 1819) would have been given a name that an older sister was already using. 


For possible children for both of the daughters called Nelly see 'Several women called Nelly on Lansquinet'.


* Hagar's death and Priscilla's birth were recorded in the 1820 return of 'increases' and 'decreases', which is the only one that gives dates.


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