Darker Sides of our History

Like every family, ours has had its darker side - slavery and bigamy to mention a few.  Here are the stories of some infamous ancestors.

Esther Angevine was a slave owner.  She was born about 1860 in North Castle, Westchester County, New York, British North America.  Her parents, Lewis and Phoebe, were wealthy landowners in the area  Much of the labour on their land was performed by slaves, purchased from the south.  During her teens, Esther lived through the tense times leading up to the Revolitionary War and at the age 22, she married Sgt. Gabriel Purdy of the Westchester Loyalists.  Gabriel was born on the 18th of May 1754 in White Plains, New York and served from November 1779 to the end of the war in various British Loyalist Infantry divisions, including the famous DeLancey's Cowboys.  As a Loyalist and to escape from Patriot soldiers, Gabriel hid in a barrel filled with tow, which is unwashed hemp, flax or fleece ready for processing into rope or wool. A Patriot officer thrust a sword into the barrel, cutting a gash into Gabriel's head, and he had to wear a silver tube thereafter to drain the wound.  

The couple fled to Nova Scotia in July of 1783 with many of their neighbours in Morrisania, New York and began a new life.  Esther brought two of her slaves with her.  

Esther died in October of 1803 at Westchester Station, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia and Gabriel followed her in March 1841. Both are buried in the Rose Cemetery in Westchester Station and it is noted that at the bottom end of the grave site of Esther (Angevine) Purdy, in Rose Cemetery, one finds two granite field stones that were identified in August 1998 by the caretaker of Rose Cemetery as being the gravestones for two coloured slaves of Esther.

John Teed  UE was the son of Daniel Teed our Loyalist ancestor who died behind British Lines in the middle of the Revolutionary War. His wife was Hannah Covert  from Westchester County, New York, British North America.  The two also fled New York in 1783 and after a brief stay in Nova Scotia, finally settled in New Brunswick.  Below is an excerpt of his claim to the Loyalist Claims commission in St. John, New Brunswick some years after the war:

Daniel Teed. United Empire Loyalist Claims, Report of the Bureau of Archives, Ontario Vol 2. Isaac Teed p-783-784 - 

New Claim of John Teed and wife Hannah late of N.Y Nov 2 1786. Sent Claim to Col. Delancy.Lived in Westchester.

Joined British in 1777, joined Maj. Holland.Served all of the war except when Prisoner. 

Then served with Col. Delancy. 

Now settled at Ramsback(Remsheg) 

Lost a Negro who was given to wife by her uncle Isaac Covert, 

Claimant lived in Cortland Manor had 2 horses, 1 yoke of Oxen,4 Cows, 4 Cattle,16 Sheep. Left all these behind when he went away. They were taken by the Americans because he went into the British Lines. They sent his wife after him. 

Isaac Teed, 

Witness. John Teed Claimant

Henry Burnett Teed is probably more of a tragic than infamous character.  Born in 1850 in St. Stephen, New Brunswick to Peter Bigney Teed and Lucy Brown, he married Emma J. Broadstreet at the age of 20.  Emma died in 1879 and the following year, he married Bertha Martha Dumphy of Shubenachadie in Colchester County, Nova Scotia.  Unfortunately, some 22 years later, he married again - without benefit of divorce or the death of his spouse.  Here is how the Boston Journal tells the story:

Item from Boston Journal 1902-03-26 

 Mrs. Teed No. 1 Forgives Her Recreant Husband for Having Married His Niece - 

Henry Burnett Teed who was arrested Monday for polygamy in marrying his niece, Jennie A. Richards, was forgiven by Mrs. Teed No. 1 yesterday morning and the charge against him was not processed. The case against Miss Richards was disposed of in the same manner, but the girl was sent to the House of the Good Shepherd. Mr. and Mrs. Teed left for their home in Dartmouth, opposite Halifax, N. S.

This, however, was not the end of trouble for Henry and on the 21st of February - just one year later, he committed suicide in Halifax.  His death certificate states: Committed Suicide while temporarily insane.