Cheshire’s African Burying Place

Christine PittsleyConnecticut Freedom Trail Planning

Committee9 March 2011

Hillside Cemetery

once known asCheshireBuryingPlace

Cheshire Burying Place

Established in 1726 by the

First Ecclesiastical Society

Hillside Timeline• 1726 – 1875 Congregational

Church– 1864 Town purchased small section to east– 1875 Anna March donates $500 for

beautification; turned over to town• 1875 – 1962 Town of Cheshire

– 1889-90 Road and gate built– 1958 East & Brookside sections purchased

• 1962 – Present Hillside Cemetery Association– 1970 Two additional parcels purchased

Record Keeping1726-1759 Rev.

Samuel Hall20 baptisms3 admissions

13 burials

Record Keeping

1980’s – Hillside Cemetery Association begins to sell plots in Section “I”

Freeman Family

Black Patriots

• Ruel Africa

• Enlisted January 10, 1777 • 3 years• Connecticut Line,

Seventh Regiment• Capt. Stephen

Hall’s Company

July 1778• Rual Affrica

was discharged June 3, 1778

• Unfit for service

Ruel• March 18, 1783 – Hosa child of Rue and

Osse• June 19, 1790 – Palla child of Rue and Osse• 1790 census – Rue Affrica

– 3 people in household, Rue, Hosa & either Palla or Osse

• 1800 census – Rueul Affrica– Ruel is only person in household

Ruel Africa

Jan. 7 1801 Ruel Africa dies in Cheshire at the age of 55His is buried by Rev. Foote at Hillside

Sharp LibertyPossibly the Sharp[zi]

negro who was baptised in May 1748 by Rev. Hall

Enlisted March 3, 1778 for duration of warSixth Regiment Connecticut Line

Col. Gray’s CommandCapt. Leavenworth’s Company

Sixth Regiment

Brigade Wagoner June 1779 - discharge

Served in Sixth RegimentMarch 1778 – June 1780

Fourth RegimentPaid from January 1781 to

December 1781

Roll also claims he deserted July 27, 1781

Sharp & Lucy

• Married Lucy fall 1780• First child born about

1782• Sharp had been a well

known figure in Cheshire

• Raised a family in town

Sharp & Lucy

• Sharp Liberty died at the age of 69 on January 29, 1809

• He is buried in Hillside in an unmarked grave

• Lucy Mix, the widow of Sharp Liberty died in 1842, there is no record of her death or burial

Dick Freedom• Dick Freedom

- Enlisted March 14, 1778 for duration of war- Sixth Regiment Connecticut Line- Upon his discharge moved to Massachusetts- Filed for a Bounty Warrant Land Grant in

1812 - Received 100 acres of land in New York- Died in New York

Ceasar & Job• Ceasar

– died in camp 1777 (belonged to Major Thaddeus Cook)

– May have been Cezar baptized by Rev. Hall 1744

• Job Negro- Possibly Job Hull- Nothing more is known about Job

Dick Bristol• Dick Bristol

– Enlisted Jan. 15, 1778 for three years– Service in exchange for freedom– Fifth Regiment Connecticut Line– Mustered Mar. 1781 to Oct. 1782– 1790 Census – Cheshire - head of household of 3 free

persons– 1800 Census – Cheshire – head of household of 1 free

person– 1810 Census – Cheshire – head of household of 2 free

persons– No record of Dick Bristol after 1810

Recognition

In 1976 the Daughters ofthe American Revolutionerected this Plaque toCommemorate the lives

ofthe Revolutionary Warsoldiers buried withinHillside Cemetery

- six names are missing...

Lest we not forget

In the 1980’s Hillside Cemetery Association began to resell the plots in the African Burying Place…

Lest we not forget…burials continue to this day, paying little heed to

any sign that the ground is already occupied.