A Negro Man Jeff, an “Heirloom” to Several Generations of the Wells Family
Thomas Wells (1672-1737) and John Wells (1670-1748) were brothers, and the sons of John Wells. They were prominent citizens of the town of Wells. They both enslaved “servants” and passed this “property” to their heirs. The story of Jeff is particularly notable as it involved several generations of the Wells family.
Thomas Wells “was chosen Deacon of the church at Wells, March 3, 1718.”1 Later that year, on October 21st, he purchased “a negro boy named Jeffy” from Nathan Hale for £55. 2 In his 1737 will, Thomas stated “I give & bequeath unto my Dearly beloved Wife Lydia Wells all my Household stuff of every sort & kind, [and] my Negro man Jeff.” Edward Bourne wrote “Deacon Thomas Wells owned one [an enslaved person] by the name of Jeff, who came down as an heir-loom to several successive generations.”3
Lydia died in 1746 and Jeff was inherited by Thomas and Lydia’s son Nathaniel (known as Town Clerk Nathaniel Wells) (1705-1776). Nathaniel left “my Negro servant” [who was not named in the will, but apparently Jeff] to his wife Dorothy. She died and apparently left Jeff to her son Nathaniel (known as Judge Nathaniel Wells) (1740-1816), the son of Nathaniel and Dorothy.
In 1874, Charles K. Wells, a descendant, published Genealogy of the Wells Family of Wells, Maine. In his account, he notes that “The original deed or bill of sale of that date, from Nathan Hale to Thomas Wells, of a ‘negro boy named Jeffy,’ for £55, was in the possession of Abigail Wells, daughter of Judge Wells, at the time of her death a few years ago. That deed, with other ancient deeds and documents, had been handed down for several generations, and had been carefully kept by her after her father’s death. After her death these papers fell into the hands of those who felt little interest in ‘ancient documents,’ and unfortunately they were consigned to the ‘rag-bag.’ The ‘negro man Jeff’ continued in the family for four generations. I have often heard my father, Daniel, relate the sayings and doings of ‘old Jeff.’”4
While Charles K. Wells referred to Jeff continuing in the family for four generations, only three are clear from the available record:
1) The first was Thomas (1672-1737), who purchased a “Negro boy named Jeffy” in 1718 when Jeff was about 10 years old. Thomas left Jeff to his wife Lydia. Lydia was, of course, the same generation as Thomas. Thomas and Lydia had three children: Nathaniel, Joshua and Lydia. Lydia died in 1746 leaving Jeff to her son:
2) (Town Clerk) Nathaniel (1705-1776). He and his wife Dorothy had two children: Nathaniel and Dorothy. Nathaniel the father left Jeff to his wife Dorothy, who in turn left Jeff to their son:
3) (Judge) Nathaniel (1740-1816), who was presumably the last to enslave Jeff, as slavery was effectively ended in Massachusetts by the courts in 1783.
Thomas’ older brother John died in 1748. “His estate inventoried £2000, a large sum for that time, including one [unnamed] negro, inventoried at £100. He left three children: John, Jr., Mary and Hannah.”5
One footnote: Charles K. Wells also wrote “I find no evidence that the Town of Wells received its name from the [this] family. On the contrary, it was called Wells in Thomas Gorges’ deed to the Rev. John Wheelwright, made in 1643, which was long before any person of that name had his residence there. It probably received its name from the old town of Wells, in Norfolk County, England.”6 Then in a correction, he added “I am of the opinion that the town of Wells, Me., took its name from the city of Wells, in Somerset County, England, instead of the town of Wells, in Norfolk County; as in the neighborhood of that city Sir Ferdinand Gorges and his associates resided, under whose government the town of Wells, Me., first organized about 1642.”7
1 Charles K. Wells, Genealogy of the Wells Family of Wells, Maine (Milwaukee: Burdick and Armitage, 1874), 16
2 Note that this Nathan Hale lived several decades before the famous patriot Nathan Hale (1755-1776), but may have been an ancestor of his.
3 Edward Bourne, The History of Wells and Kennebunk from the Earliest Settlement to the Year 1820 (Portland: B. Thurston & Company, 1875), 408
4 Charles K. Wells, 16
5 Charles K. Wells, 13
6 Charles K. Wells, 10
7 Charles K. Wells, 38