Sarah Young

Sarah Young was an important person to the history of East New Market. She was also an important person to Henry Nicols. She rose from slavery when she was freed by his Will in 1832. It is unusual in this Will, Sarah Young was not only given her freedom, but was also bequeathed her son, Clem, a 7 acre lot with a small house, a 35 acre lot, and $100.

1 THH 27 - 15 March 1832 / 21 March 1832 - Will of Henry Nicols
In the name of God, Amen, I, Henry Nicols of Dorchester County in the State of Maryland being sick and weak in body, but of sound and disposing mind, memory, and understanding considering the certainty of death, and the uncertainty of the time thereof, and being desirous to settle my worldly affairs and thereby be the better prepared to leave this world when it shall please God to call one hence, do therefore make and publish this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say first and principally I commit my soul unto the hands of Almighty God and my body to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executor hereinafter named and after my just debts and funeral expenses are paid I devise and bequeath as follows.
Item - I give and bequeath unto my wife Margaret A. Nicols during her lifetime and no longer All that lot or parcel of land upon which my dwelling house stands, and which I purchased of Mrs. Elizabeth Berkhead, containing about 47 acres of land more or less.
Item - I give also and bequeath unto my wife, Margaret A. Nicols all the negroes I got of her by marriage viz. Daniel, Daniel Johnson, Job, Tom and Anne.
Item - I give and bequeath unto Emily A. Green, daughter of Nathanial E. Green, negro girl Maria to serve her until the first day of January 1841, who shall then be free.
Item I give and bequeath to my wife, Margaret A. Nicols, negro boy George to serve her until the fifteenth day of March 1842, who shall then be free.
Item - It is my will and desire that my negro woman called Sarah and negro girl Rosette be free at my death which I do hereby manumit and set free.
Item - I give and bequeath unto my woman Sarah, who I have herein set free, negro boy Clem aged 13 years to serve her until he is twenty-five years old, who shall then be free.
Item - I give and bequeath unto my said negro woman Sarah, all that lot of ground with a small house thereon and containing about seven acres of land and lying back of the Methodist Meeting House, and I also give and bequeath unto said negro Sarah, a lot or parcel of land which I purchased of Jeremiah Bramble and adjoining the lands of Morris Roach, Henry Bradley and Daniel Sullivan, containing about 35 acres of land more or less. All of the said parcels of land I give and bequeath unto Sarah during her lifetime and after her decease I give and bequeath the same to negro girl Rosette who I here herein set free during her lifetime and after her death I give and bequeath the same to my negro Clem and negro George, children of the said negro Sarah, or the survivor of them and their heirs forever.
Item - I give and bequeath unto Emily A. Greene, daughter of Nathanial E. Greene, all that lot of land lying between the Methodist Church and lot formerly belonging to Thos. Troth, the graveyard excepted, which I purchased of Hy Hicks & the Kings, let the quantity be what it may to her and her heirs forever.
Item - I give and bequeath unto Kesiah Hurlock, fifty dollars in money.
Item - I give and bequeath unto said negro woman Sarah, the sum of one hundred dollars to be paid hereby my Executors hereinafter named.
It is my will and desire that my negro man Sam Green, be sold for a term of five years and my negro man Daniel for a term of ten years, and to have the liberty to choose Masters, and after the expiration of said terms I do hereby manumit and set them free. It is my will and desire that my Executor hereinafter named, do sell and dispose of to the best advantage the balance of my real estate, consisting of a lot lying opposite the Tan Yard in New Market and adjoining the lands of Stephen LeCompte, Henry Dickinsons' Hs, and Doct. T. Handy. Also one hundred and eighty-two acres of land adjoining the lands of Elijah Stevens and others, which I purchased at Sheriffs sale, and convey the same by a deed of Bargain and Sale to the purchaser or purchasers.
Item - I give and bequeath to my wife, Margaret A. Nicols, my gig and horse called Charley, and her choice of the best bed and furniture, and after all just debts and funeral expenses are paid I give and bequeath all the remaining balance of my personal estate to my wife, Margaret A. Nicols.
Item - I give and bequeath unto Nathaniel E. Greene my sulky carriage. And lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint Joseph K. Traverse and Nathaniel E. Greene executors of this my last Will and Testament, revoking and annulling all former Wills by me heretofore made ratifying and confirming this and none other to be my last Will and Testament. In Testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this fifteenth day of March in the year of anno Eighteen hundred and thirty two. Henry Nicols (seal)
Signed, sealed, published, and declared by Henry Nicols the above named Testator, as and for his last Will and Testament, in the presence of us who at his request, in his presence, and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto:
Thomas Henry Handy, John B. Leckie, James LeCompte Jr.
Codicil:
Whereas I, Henry Nicols, of Dorchester County, have made and duly executed my last Will and Testament in writing bearing date, this fifteenth day of March, Eighteen hundred and thirty two, which said last Will and Testament and every clause bequest and devise therein contained I do hereby ratify and confirm and being desirous of making some addition thereto, do therefore hereby make this my codicil, which I will and direct shall be taken and held as part of my said last Will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say:
Item -it is my Will and desire that the parcel of land upon which my dwelling house stands containing about 50 acres of which I purchased of Mrs. Elizabeth Berkhead and which I have bequeathed, to wife Margaret A. Nicols during her natural life and after her deceased, I give and bequeath unto Emily C. Greene, daughter of Nathaniel E. Greene to her and her heirs forever. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and my seal this fifteenth day of March, Eighteen hundred and thirty two. Henry Nicols (seal)
Signed, sealed, published, and declared by Henry Nicols the above named testator, as and for his Codicil to his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names at witnesses thereto. Jos. K. Travers, Thomas H. Handy, Andrew S. Gootee
On the 26 day of March Anno Domini 1832, then came (witnesses regarding) Henry Nicols, late of Dorchester County, deceased...

In a newspaper item from 1828, we learn that Sarah was the slave of Roger Hooper at the time of his death. Roger Hooper married Susan Marshall on 17 June 1814. When Roger Hooper's estate was settled, as was customary at the time, his wife Susan was devised a widow's third of the estate. After Roger's death, Susan married St. George E. Roberts, who ran the New Market Academy and lived in a house between the New Market House and the Old Brick Hotel. This marriage took place on 31 January 1825. Evidently St. George E. Roberts and his wife Susan, owed money to Thomas R. Brooks and John Randell. Brooks and Randell filed suit against Mr. Roberts. The court ordered that Robert's 1/3 right to negro girl Sarah was to be sold to pay the judgment. Brooks and Randell assigned their right to the judgment to Henry Nicols.

Cambridge Chronicle – 21 June 1828 – Sheriff's Sale –
Sheriff's sale at suit of Thomas R. Brooks and John Randell, use of Henry Nicols, against St. George E. Roberts at the house of said Roberts in New Market, his right to 1/3 of real estate of Roger Hooper, deceased, negro girl Sarah.

Henry Nicols likely already owned or soon thereafter acquired the other 2/3 right to Sarah. He may have purchased this right from the estate or he may have been an heir to Roger Hooper.

The first mention of Sarah discovered is in a newspaper item from 1825.

Republican Star - 18 October 1825 - Public Sale -
By virtue of an order of the Orphans' Court for Dorchester county, will be offered at public sale, on Tuesday, the 25th day of October at the tavern of Mr. Charles LeCompte, a part of the Negroes of Roger Hooper, deceased, as follows: Negroes Rachel, Joseph, Will, John, Sarah, Jane, Polly, & Ned. The terms of sale cash. John Newton, Administrator of Roger Hooper, deceased.

Roger Hooper was a Justice of the Peace and a member of the House of Delegates. Susan Marshall was likely his second wife, as a marriage to Polly Newton on 9 June 1800 is also recorded in Dorchester County. Hooper died on 28 June 1824 at age 49 in Dorchester County.

The Sarah mentioned in the following newspaper article from 1815 may also possibly be our subject because the Hooper family is mentioned.

Republican Star - 7 March 1815 - Notice
Will be offered at public sale on Wednesday, 15th of March inst. at Buck Town, by virtue of four rend. e&p to me directed, to wit: 1 negro man Jack; 1 girl Lewey, 1 girl Sarah, and 1 girl Beck - late property of James K. Hodson, taken in execution to satisfy 3 claims at the suit of the State of Maryland, use of Henry Morain, and also one at the suit of Sarah Hooper, executrix of Samuel Hooper. Sale to commence at 12 o'clock, for cash only. John Newton, late sheriff, Dorchester County.

Sarah Young is likely one of the slaves listed in the 1820 Census record for Roger Hooper and would have been between age 14 to 26 in 1820. She may have also been one of the slaves listed with Roger Hooper or James Hodson in 1800 and 1810. There were people named Young listed as head of households in the 1820 Census. All three were free colored people. Two lived in district 2 of Dorchester County. Peter Young and his likely wife were both over 45 in one entry. Charity Young appears to be a young widow with children in another entry. These people may have been related to Sarah Young.

1800 Census - Roger Hooper - 1 male 16-26, 1 female 16-26, 1 female 26-45,
   1 female 45 & up, 5 slaves
1800 Census - James Hodson Sr. - 1 male 16-26, 1 male 26-45, 1 female 10-16,
   1 female 45 & up, 6 slaves
1810 Census - Roger Hooper - 1 male 16-26, 1 male 26-45, 1 male 45 & up,
   1 female 26-45, 1 female 45 & up, 1 free other, 13 slaves
1820 Census - Roger Hooper - 2 males under 10, 1 male 10-16, 1 male 26-45,
   1 female 16-26, 4 male slaves under 14, 3 male slaves 14-26, 3 male slaves 26-45,
   1 male slave 45 & up, 1 female slave under 14, 2 female slaves 14-26
1830 Census - Henry Nicols - 1 male 15-19, 1 male 30-39, 1 male 50-59,
   1 female 20-29, 1 male slave 0-9, 2 male slaves 10-23, 2 male slaves 24-35,
   1 male slave 36-54, 1 female slave 0-9, 1 female slave 10-23, 1 female slave 36-54
1830 Census - Sally Young - 2 free colored males under 10,
   2 free colored females under 10, 1 free colored female 24-36

The 1830 Census provides us with different possibilities. Sally is a nickname for Sarah. The household of free colored woman Sally Young matches what we know about Sarah Young. She would be age 24-36 and had two sons around 9 or 10 years old. The household of Henry Nicols also appears to also match what we would expect for Sarah Young. She could be the female slave age 36-54 and the 2 males age 0-9 could be her sons. I would suspect she was around 36 years old in 1830. One record or the other or both could be for our subject.

One possibility was that when the Census Taker visited the house of Henry Nicols, the respondent included Sarah Young and her sons Clem and George as slaves. Later when the Census Taker visited the house Sarah Young lived in, the respondent considered Sarah and her sons to be free. Maybe Henry Nicols bequeathed land to Sarah Young that she already owned. Maybe he had previously sold or given the land to her without a deed. The same applies to her freedom. By the time Henry Nicols wrote his Will, maybe Sarah was already considered free, but Henry Nicols included her freedom in his Will to document her freedom.

Henry Nicols married Margaret Ann Greene on 29 April 1831 in Dorchester County. She was the widow of Hembleton Bell, who she married on 7 December 1830. There is also a marriage recorded for a Henry Nicols in 1814 to Celia Pritchard and one in 1807 to Rebecca Whealton.

The 35 acre lot that Sarah Young inherited from Henry Nicols is located southwest of Route 392 at the intersection with Route 14 in East New Market. In 1844 Sarah Young, Rossette Dodson & her husband Peter Dodson, Clem Young & his wife Rossette Young, and George Young sold a small part of the lot to become the location of the first Colored People's Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1845 George Young sold his right to the lot to Peter Dodson. By 1847 Clement & Rosette Young had obtained half of the 35 acre tract and Peter & Rosette Dodson had obtained the other half. In 1847 & 1848 Clement Young and Peter Dodson exchanged land. In 1849, Peter & Rossette Dodson sold their 17 1/2 acres to John Webster. In 1859 Clement & Rossette Young sold their 17 1/2 acres to William V.M. Edmonson.

Since Sarah Young is not a party to the deeds in 1845, 1847, 1848, or 1849, she likely died during the early part of 1845. Per Henry Nicols will, at Sarah Young's death her land was to pass to Rossette, who married Peter Dodson, with survivors rights to Clement Young and George Young. If Sarah Young did not die in 1845, the following 1850 and 1860 Census records could be our subject.

1850 Census, 13th Ward, Baltimore City, pg 383, 20 Sep 1850
Mary P. Emack  age 62, white,          born in Maryland
William Emack  age 37, white, grocer,  born in Maryland
Margaret Emack age 25, white,          born in Maryland
William Emack  age  1, white,          born in Maryland
Mary E. Emack  age 30, white,          born in Maryland
Sarah Young    age 56, mulatto,        born in Maryland

1860 Census, Dist. 11, Dorchester Co., pg 130, 5 July 1860, Drawbridge
Alms House
Sarah Young age 66, black, born in Maryland, blind pauper

These two records were the only two Census records that included a black or mulatto Sarah Young in Maryland who was born in the 1790s. Both the 1850 and 1860 Census records for this Sarah Young indicate a birth year of 1794. This is the exact same year of birth approximated for the East New Market Sarah Young in the Census records from 1820 and 1830. Searching further, I could not find another black or mulatto Sarah Young in earlier or later Maryland Census records. If Sarah Young had not died in 1845, but had abandoned her right to her land, these Census listings could very well be our subject. Peter & Rossette Dodson lived in Baltimore, so Sarah Young could have moved to Baltimore in 1850.

Sarah Young's 7 acre lot is located behind and to the west of the East New Market High School Senior Apartments. The school parking lots and baseball fields were Sarah Young's land. In 1845 George Young sold his right to the land to Peter Dodson. In 1848 Clement Young sold his right to the land to Peter Dodson. At the time the small house on the property was occupied by Elisha Hollyday. Dodson continued to own the land until 1866.

Sarah Young had at least two children. Clement Young and George Young were mentioned as her children in the Will of Henry Nicols. Sarah may also be related to Rosette and/or Maria, who were mentioned in the Will of Henry Nicols. Maria was given a period of time to remain a slave and then be freed in an item very similar to and immediately proceeding the item regarding the same freedom granted to George Young. Could Maria have been a daughter to Sarah? Rosette was born around 1807 and likely would not have been a daughter to Sarah who was born around 1794. Although the possibility of a mother/daughter relationship exists, if they are related it is more likely in another way. Other slaves mentioned in the will of Henry Nicols were acquired through marriage to Margaret Anne Green and not as likely to be related to Sarah Young. These slaves include Daniel Johnson, Daniel, Job, Tom, and Anne. Because of his last name, Samuel Green is likely connected with Margaret Ann Green's family and not as likely to be related to Sarah Young. Sarah Young could be related to Rachel, Joseph, Will, John, Jane, Polly, or Ned, who were slaves owned by Roger Hooper at the time of his death.

East New Market

Notable People and Families

Sarah Young