Mary Welsh (1665)

Born 1665 in England

Wife of Bannaka Banneker — married 1696 in Maryland

Died [date unknown] in Maryland

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Biography

Molly was born in 1665. Molly Welsh ... ^[1]

Molly was born in 1665.

Whatever the source for that date is, and even if it were too early by several years, she would probably be too old to be the Mary Welch found guilty of miscegenation in 1728 and sentenced to a seven-year extension of her servitude.

"Although it is evident that Mary Welsh was the wife of a white man named John Welsh, it is still quite possible that she was Benjamin Banneker's grandmother and the mother of Robert Banneker's wife. On 27 February 1757 Mary Welsh assigned to (her daughter?) Mary Banicker (wife of Robert Banneker) her right to "a mealato servant called Samuel Morter" and recorded the assignment in Prince George's County [Land Records PP:104]. She called Benjamin and her other servants "my people" when she discharged them from service. And there were other cases of white women having mixed-race children by slaves and then marrying or having children by white men. Mary Vincent of Accomack County, Virginia, had a child by Southy Littleton's "Negro" slave Aminidab Hanser before 1665 and married a white man named John Okey in October 1666 [DW 1663-66, fol. 91; 1664-71, fol. 20; Torrence, Old Somerset, 399-400, 453, 474]. Elizabeth Phillips of Talbot County, Maryland, had a child by a slave in 1725 and another in 1726, and then had a child by a white man in 1731 [Judgment Record, 1725-6, 64-5, 285-6; 1731-3, 463]." -- Untitled document at http://www.freeafricanamericans.com/Adams-Butler.htm

In December 2006 George Russell published an article in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly based on his research of the original records of adjoining counties. He found the 24 February 1748 Prince George's County will of John Welsh by which he left his estate to "Mary my wife," directed that all his "negroes" were to be freed and bequeathed to his "mulatto Samuel Molton" all his moveable estate after the death of his wife Mary. His widow Mary Welsh made a 7 January 1752 Prince George's County will by which she set free "my molatto Samuel Molton," gave him all her estate and made him executor of the will, appointed trustees to "see that my people have their right of freedom" and set free and discharged "Negroes Benjn and Aleck." On 27 February 1757 Mary Welsh assigned to Mary Banicker her right to "a mealato servant called Samuel Morter" and recorded the assignment in Prince George's County on 31 March 1757. And on 3 December 1773 she made releases of servitude to "negro Ben, born free, age 43; negro Alik, born free, age 45; Moses Adams, age 27; Robert Adams, age 29; Jane Adams, age 21; Henry Adams, age 32, Juday Adams, age 4; and Solemon Adams age 22 months." And she bound herself "for 200 pounds sterling to be paid to Ben." Mary Welsh died before before 25 September 1775 when her executor Samuel Molton entered bond of 500 pounds to administer the estate of Mary Welsh "of Baltimore County." -- Untitled document at http://www.freeafricanamericans.com/Adams-Butler.htm citing Russell, George Ely. "Molly Welsh: Alleged Grandmother of Benjamin Banneker." National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 94, No. 4 (December 2006):305-314

Sources

1. ↑ A source for this information is needed.

Benjamin Banneker book by Bedini: pg 7 "It was in this region that our story begins, with the arrival of an Englishwoman named Molly Welsh, at about the turn of the century. There is no certainty about the correct spelling of Molly's last name inasmuch as no documents relating to her have survived. Both "Welsh" and "Walsh" have been used, but it is likely that the former is the correct version. Young Molly, a servant or milkmaid on a cattle farm, said to be in Wessex County, England, was doing her chores at milking time, when a cow knocked over a pail of milk. Her employer accused her of stealing the milk." pg 8 "The voyage from England to the New World was a terrible experience for anyone, but for the transported convicts it was almost unbearable." pg 9 "The great uncertainty about the length of the voyage invariably caused problems in providing sufficient food and water for passengers and crew. Since the food consisted chiefly of bread or ship biscuit, salt meat, peas, and cheese, the difficulty arose primarily from lack of space for storage. The passengers generally received the same rations as the sailors, consisting of a weekly allowance of seven pounds of bread, cheese and butter, and a weekly allotment of one half pound of pork, with peas on five days...Shipmasters disposed of the felons and indentured servants as their vessels moved up the Chesapeake Bay to the river landings, their planned arrival duly announced in the local newspapers...their contracts were sold, and they became indentured servants. Molly Welsh arrived in the province of Maryland around 1683...which may have been Providence (later renamed Annapolis) or Londontown...Purchased by a tobacco planter with a plantation on the Patapsco River." pg 11 "Molly worked out the period of her indenture faithfully and without incident. She was reasonably well treated by her master, and she made use of her time by learning as much as she could about this new country, so different from her own...Finally, around 1690, Molly won her freedom...She had neither money nor other forms of legal tender...Her only prospect was to rent a small farm for a modest fee, to be paid annually in tobacco...Her new home was in the midst of wilderness...At first she worked alone...She had no friends...She was evidently very industrious, and became a successful farmer." Molly was against slavery but had no alternative. pg 13 "She finally selected two young male Negroes from those offered. One of them looked particularly healthy and strong, and she quickly visualized his usefulness on the farm. The other lacked those characteristics, but there were qualities about him that she could not identify but which appealed to her...Molly's hopes were quickly realized in her first choice, and her fears were confirmed with the second...The strong slave, whose name has not survived, proved to be extremely energetic and willing to work...The other slave was otherwise inclined...he was not disposed to work willingly." pg 16 "After several years had passed, Molly Welsh gave her two slaves their freedom." pg 17 "Molly Welsh's unnamed diligent slave joined the Christian faith, but Bannaka held to the beliefs of his African ancestors, as well as his name, which eventually was changed by popular usage to "Banneky". Soon after Molly's slaves became free, she married Banneky, probably in about 1696. She did so at considerable risk to her own freedom." They have 4 children and then Bannaka dies at a young age. This leaves Molly with raising her 4 young children alone. pg 24 "According to the testimony of one of her grandsons, Molly Welsh was not only a white woman, but also had a very fair complexion and blonde hair. Yet every member of her family, including children and grandchildren, were of black complexion, some of the darkest hue." Bannaka was described as "a man of bright intelligence, fine temper, with a very agreeable presence, dignified manners and contemplative habits," Molly took her husband’s name as her surname, which eventually became Banneker. The couple had four daughters; the oldest of whom was named Mary. Information on Molly Welsh, Bannaka, Mary Banneker, Robert Banneker and Benjamin Banneker is taken form "A Sketch Of The Life Of Benjamin Banneker", from notes taken in 1836, "read" by J. Saurin Norris, before the Maryland Historical Society, (Thursday) October 5, 1854, from a Lett Family Article written by Charles Henry Lett, which is included in "Oak Grove - A Pioneer Community, Page 109 published in November 1983 and from "Baltimore County Families 1659 - 1759, written by Robert W. Barnes and published in 1989. Further information is taken from, The Life of Benjamin Banneker, by Silvio Bedini (Chapter I - Page 17 & Chapter 11- Page 25, published in 1972 from THE LIFE OF BENJAMIN BANNEKER - THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAN OF SCIENCE; (revised and expanded by Silvio A. Bedini and published 1999). Additional information is taken from oral history recorded and thereafter researched by George Simpson in the early 1900's. This oral history was passed on in manuscript form to Amanda Lett who in turn passed the documents on to Charles Henry Lett, son of Judson Lett and a descendant of Aquilla Lett Sr.

Untitled document at http://www.freeafricanamericans.com/Adams-Butler.htm

24 February 1748 Prince George's County will of John Welsh

Russell, George Ely. "Molly Welsh: Alleged Grandmother of Benjamin Banneker." National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 94, No. 4 (December 2006):305-314

Sandra Perot, RECONSTRUCTING MOLLY WELSH: RACE, MEMORY AND THE STORY OF BENJAMIN BANNEKER’S GRANDMOTHER. Master's thesis, U. Mass. Amherst, 2008. At https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1215&context=theses

Perot, "The dairymaid and the prince: race, memory, and the story of Benjamin Banneker’s grandmother." Slavery & Abolition, Volume 38, 2017 - Issue 3. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0144039X.2017.1327094?scroll=top&needAccess=true

"In 1728 in Maryland, Mary Welch admitted she had given birth to a mulatto child. The court added seven years to her original servitude to Thomas Harwood." -- Tim Hashaw, Children of Perdition: Melungeons and the Struggle of Mixed America, Mercer University Press, 2007