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    John Stewart

    Birth: unknown

    Death: unknown

    Nickname: Old Mr Stewart

Biography

Mentioned in 18640520FMS_WSJ, Frances says "Old Mr Stewart was here yesterday and wishes me to state his grievances to you." These grievences involved the recent sale and farming of a plot of land by John Farmer. Farmer's plot was located next to Stewart. According to Stewart, Farmer had put up fencing on the plot of land that Stewart typically used for pasturage. 

 

 

From http://www.cayugacounty.us/portals/0/history/ugrr/report/PDF/5k.pdf "About to be sold, three of Harriet Tubman’s brothers escaped with her help on Christmas Eve, 1854. One of them, John Stewart, born Robert Ross, lived first with Harriet Tubman and then on South Street, where the First Methodist Church now stands. John Stewart had been forced to leave his first wife, Mary Manokey Ross, and two toddler sons, John Henry Ross, born in 1851, and Moses Ross, born in 1853. Mary Manokey Ross was in childbed with their third child, Harriet, when he escaped. Although ostensibly freed by the Civil War, these sons found themselves placed as indentured servants in Talbot County, Maryland, on the farm of Thomas Haddaway. (Maryland slaveholders indentured formerly enslaved children after Maryland's Emancipation Act in Nov. 1864.) Their uncle John Bowley managed to rescue them about 1868 and bring them to Auburn. By 1870, John, age 53 and a teamster; Millie, age 53, keeping house; John Henry, age 18 and a laborer; and Moses, age 15 and a laborer, all born in Maryland, were living together in one household in Auburn. Millie Hollis Stewart was also from Dorchester County. Whether she was born free or enslaved is not known, nor do we know whether she had known John Stewart before their escape to Canada. They married in Auburn in 1863 or 1864."

Letter References

Citations

Biography and Citation Information:
Biography: 
Mentioned in 18640520FMS_WSJ, Frances says "Old Mr Stewart was here yesterday and wishes me to state his grievances to you." These grievences involved the recent sale and farming of a plot of land by John Farmer. Farmer's plot was located next to Stewart. According to Stewart, Farmer had put up fencing on the plot of land that Stewart typically used for pasturage.      From http://www.cayugacounty.us/portals/0/history/ugrr/report/PDF/5k.pdf "About to be sold, three of Harriet Tubman’s brothers escaped with her help on Christmas Eve, 1854. One of them, John Stewart, born Robert Ross, lived first with Harriet Tubman and then on South Street, where the First Methodist Church now stands. John Stewart had been forced to leave his first wife, Mary Manokey Ross, and two toddler sons, John Henry Ross, born in 1851, and Moses Ross, born in 1853. Mary Manokey Ross was in childbed with their third child, Harriet, when he escaped. Although ostensibly freed by the Civil War, these sons found themselves placed as indentured servants in Talbot County, Maryland, on the farm of Thomas Haddaway. (Maryland slaveholders indentured formerly enslaved children after Maryland's Emancipation Act in Nov. 1864.) Their uncle John Bowley managed to rescue them about 1868 and bring them to Auburn. By 1870, John, age 53 and a teamster; Millie, age 53, keeping house; John Henry, age 18 and a laborer; and Moses, age 15 and a laborer, all born in Maryland, were living together in one household in Auburn. Millie Hollis Stewart was also from Dorchester County. Whether she was born free or enslaved is not known, nor do we know whether she had known John Stewart before their escape to Canada. They married in Auburn in 1863 or 1864."
Citation Notes: 
http://www.cayugacounty.us/portals/0/history/ugrr/report/PDF/5k.pdf
Citation for Birth Info:
Citation Notes: 
http://www.cayugacounty.us/portals/0/history/ugrr/report/PDF/5k.pdf
Citation for Death Info:
Citation Notes: 
http://www.cayugacounty.us/portals/0/history/ugrr/report/PDF/5k.pdf