Historians have identified at least 115 named individuals enslaved by the Philipse family at their properties in Manhattan and Westchester. Additional references to unnamed individuals increase the total to over 125. The enslaved communities living at the Philipse properties were large and diverse. With residences in Manhattan, Yonkers, and Sleepy Hollow, warehouses in all three locations, gristmills, sawmills, farmland, livestock, and sailing vessels, a large and skilled enslaved workforce was essential.
The Philipses’ fleet of ships included several fitted for the transatlantic slave trade. These vessels brought thousands of African captives from places like Elmina, M’pinda Soyo, and even Madagascar. The majority were taken to sugar plantations in Barbados and Curaçao, but some, including several individuals from the Bakongo Kingdom, came to Westchester County to help build and operate the lower and upper mills. Their names have been lost to history, but their contributions remain.
The Philipse family, like many enslavers, rarely referred to their enslaved laborers except in business and legal transactions. Because the enslaved were legally considered “chattel,” or movable property, their names were commonly listed in wills, probate inventories, and bills of sale. Historians have found the names of most members of the enslaved community through the 1702 will of Frederick Philipse I, the 1730 will of Catherine Philipse, the 1751 will of Frederick Philipse II, and the 1750 probate inventory of Adolph Philipse. These four documents account for 72% of the enslaved individuals at the Philipses’ properties.
Who were these men, women, and children? How were they related? How can we know without last names? First names can inform us of family and cultural connections. Cuffee and Amba were enslaved by Adolph Philipse. Both names are traditional Akan Kra, spiritual day-names given to children based on the day of the week that they were born. Cuffee is an Anglicized version of Kofi, a day name for male children born on a Friday. Amba is a day name for a female child born on a Saturday.
There were many names that were often used within the Philipse enslaved community across location and generations. There were five men or boys named Tom, another five named Caesar (or a variant spelling of that name), and five women or girls named Sara. There were also three each named Squier, Hannah, and Harry. There is a strong likelihood that some of these names confer a familial relationship. For example, Adolph Philipse’s 1750 probate inventory lists the ages of the enslaved children under ten years old at the Upper Mills. There was a man named Tom and a nine-year-old child named Tom, who may have been his son. The same document lists a man named Caesar and a two-year-old named Caesar. A child that young would almost certainly have been born on the property, indicating that the young Caesar and his mother were enslaved at the Upper Mills, and likely his father, too. The 1702 will of Frederick Philipse I notes that a man named Harry and his wife and child remained at the Lower Mills in Yonkers as they were all bequeathed to Philipse’s grandson, Frederick Philipse II.
Keeping family members together, however, was not a sign of kindness on the Philipses’ part. More likely, it was a way of deterring individuals from leaving to find or visit loved ones. The Philipse family did, in fact, separate family members. According to his 1751 will, Frederick Philipse II bequeathed an enslaved woman named Rose to his wife, Joanna, and an enslaved man identified as “Rose’s Cezar” to his son, Philip. A year earlier, Samson, a man enslaved at the Upper Mills, was sold to Lawrence Kortright and, six weeks later, an eight-year-old boy named Sam was sold to Abraham DePeyster at an estate auction held at the Upper Mills. It cannot be confirmed that Samson and Sam were father and son, but naming patterns and Sam’s young age strongly suggest that he was sold away from his family.
Every name and inference raises new questions about the enslaved community. When did Rose learn that she would be separated from Rose’s Cezar? Were Cuffee and Amba African-born or did Akan naming traditions continue in the colonies? Cuffee had a father and brother in New York City who weren’t enslaved by the Philipses—who were they?
Although enslavers often denied the humanity of those that they enslaved, historians are working to restore those connections. In 1702, Frederick Philipse I bequeathed to his grandson all “ye Negroes at the Jonckers plantation…a Negro man called Harry with his wife and child, a Negro man called Peter, a Negro man called Wan.” How many people were enslaved at the "Yonkers plantation?"
Adolph Philipse was bequeathed the Upper Mills in Sleepy Hollow, and the 1702 will included 16 men, women, and children at that location, of whom only three were mentioned by name. By naming only Harry, Peter and Wan in his will, Frederick Philipse I denied even the simplest recognition of humanity to the Yonkers enslaved community—their names.
Humanity, however, finds a way to assert itself. Recently, a local census from 1698 was recovered that lists 20 men and women enslaved by Frederick Philipse I. Given that this census was taken only four years before the writing of Philipse’s will, it is highly likely that some of these individuals were the same people as those listed without names in the will. Could “harre” listed in the 1698 census be the same as “Harry” from the1702 will? Were Harry’s wife and child listed by name in the census? The document raises some tantalizing questions.
Historians learn to read between the lines. Rereading old documents can reveal new information as new questions are raised. What follows is a list of every enslaved man, woman, and child who lived, labored, and possibly raised a family at one of the three Philipse family sites according to information gathered as of June 1, 2022. We wish to honor this community by naming them.
Eight unnamed Bakongo Africans* (1685 voyage of the Charles)
Jack (1694 self liberated)
Nicholas Cartagena (1695 ship's translator)
Marimita (1698 cook on slave ship voyage)
*These eight individuals do not include an additional unnamed Bakongo boy from the same voyage of the Charles, who was known to have lived in New York.
From 1698 Census—Inhabitants of Fordham and Adjacent Places [NY Genealogical & Biographical Record. 1907,Vol. xxxviii, No 3. Pp. 218-219]:
“The negers of Mr. fillips Sqier:
pottefe hanna
class Cube
tom harra
gack marget
pahange seser
moll harre
grass great
sqier mary
tom deanna
tom sare
taken be mee, Samuell hickokes, Constablee”
“Negroes and Negro Children at the Yonkers Plantation” [number unknown]
Harry, his wife and child:
Peter Wan
Rose’s Ceazar Peter
Phillis Joe
Diana Wall
Sarah Loo
Hannah Jack
Cyrus Cato
Betty Harry
Candis Abraham
John Ceazar
Perro Jenny
Squire Marcey
George Battavia
Rose Maria
Mercy Frank^^
Creat Laner
Wan Squire
Brave Boy Isabella
Little Jenny Pompey
Angevine [went with Frederick Philipse III to England—source unconfirmed]
From the 1702 will of Frederick Philipse I:
Symon Hendrick
Charles Bahynne
Touerhill Hector
Samson Peter
Claes Hannah and her child
Billy Susan the younger
Mingo Mary
Old Susan
Sarah Molly
Young Sarah Unnamed child
Caesar James
Susan* Charles*
Diamond Billy*
Sue Tom (age 9)
Sampson Charles (age 9)
Abigal Sam (age 8)
Kaiser Diamond (age 7)
Massy Hendrick (age 5)
Flip Bet (age 3)
Tom Caesar (age 2)
Venture^ Harry (age 16 months)
Dina and “suckling infant”
*Most likely the same persons listed in Frederick Philipse I's 1702 will.
John Sarah
Old Bess Molle
One unnamed Bakongo boy (not included in the group of eight unnamed Bakongo individuals from the same voyage of the Charles mentioned above under "Unknown Locations")
Amba (Enslaved by Adolph Philipse)
Cuffee (Enslaved by Adolph Philipse)
Ventour (Most likely Venture from 1750 Adolph Philipse inventory)
Frank (Most likely Frank from 1751 Frederick Philipse II will)
Recognition must also be given to those who will forever remain unnamed but not forgotten: those who were seen as cargo by the Philipse family and the crews of their ships.
