Here you will find descriptions, photographs and other resources pertaining to the early history of Mamaroneck Town and its two villages, Larchmont and Mamaroneck. The site is maintained by residents who aim to discover and share what they have learned. The research is led by Ned Benton, a member of the Larchmont Historical Society, the…
How to Donate to the REALM Memorial Now!
Since 2018, we at REALM (Recognizing Enslaved Africans of Larchmont-Mamaroneck) have been striving to fulfill our mission to honor the history, humanity and contributions of the 147 Africans enslaved in Mamaroneck Township from 1698 to 1817. We researched the relevant background (see Slavery in Mamaroneck), studied similar efforts from across the country and opted…
REALM Request for Expressions of Interest from Artists
The Project in Brief: Call for Artists The community-based group known as REALM (Recognizing Enslaved Africans of Larchmont and Mamaroneck) is looking for artists to submit proposals for a memorial honoring the contributions of the 147 enslaved persons who resided in Mamaroneck Township from 1698 to 1817. The memorial will be placed in front of the…
Small Family Memories
Small Family Memories Susan Fenimore Cooper (daughter of James Fenimore Cooper) ©1922 by James Fenimore Cooper. Posted by the James Fenimore Cooper Society Website with the authorization of the Cooper family, providing that the essay may be downloaded and reproduced for personal or instructional use, or by libraries. It was originally published in James Fenimore…
Historical Society Finds More Slaves From Heathcote Hill
by Ned Benton While the community commemorates the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dream of equality this month (original publication date, January 17, 2008), recent investigations have uncovered additional evidence of slavery in Mamaroneck’s past. Five new names have been added to the list of known slaves, which now numbers more than…
Two Local Slaves Recaptured
by Ned Benton How did John Cox and Andrew Cole escape from slavery in Mamaroneck Township during the 1770s and end up on Nova Scotia? The story of these two men, whose connection to Mamaroneck had been lost for more than 200 years, may be traced through documents compiled for the Slavery in Mamaroneck Township project. Census…
Slavery Documentation
Publications Local slavery records are from Mary O’Connor English: Early Town Records of Mamaroneck, 1697-1881. (Town of Mamaroneck, 1979) The story of Ginny and Banjo Billy – the Mott’s slaves – is further explained in Thomas C. Cornell: Adam and Anne Mott, Their Ancestors and Their Descendants.(Poughkeepsie, NY, 1890) Slavery in Mamaroneck Articles First Published…
Mamaroneck Slaves Found in Canada
by Ned Benton We’ve known there were slaves in Mamaroneck Township in the late 1700s. We’ve known that two local slaves, John Cox and Andrew Cole, escaped to side with the British during the Revolutionary War and were rewarded with their freedom and passage to Nova Scotia. But until this month (January 17, 2011), we…
Slaveholders and Slaves in Mamaroneck Township
Revised: January 31, 2021 Slaveholder Slaves What We Know Captain James Mott Male, name unknown The 1698 census of Mamaroneck lists a male slave of Captain Mott. Captain Mott lived in Mamaroneck prior to 1711. (Spikes 1991, p. 21a) Samuel Palmer Female, name unknown The 1698 census lists a female slave of Samuel Palmer. The Palmer…
Slavery in Mamaroneck: Remembering Bet, Phelby, Candice, Jack, Hannibal, Telemaque…
by Ned Benton In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in Larchmont and Mamaroneck, the community reflects on freedom and human rights and recalls their antithesis, slavery. As we reflect this year (2005), let’s remember Bet, Phelby, Candice, Nelly, Charlot, Jack, Hannibal, Telemaque, George, Lewis and Dorathea. They were slaves – not on a…