The Remarkable Zedekiah Husbands

In February 1813, the Orange County Court brought in three free children of color, the sons and daughter of William Husbands. The Court bound them as apprentices: Alexander Husbands (age 14) to John Whithed, Zedekiah Husbands (11) to Joseph Woody and Patsy Husbands (9) to William Johnston.[1] While William Johnston’s residence is not clear to me, the names Whitted and Woody are clearly related to the vicinity of Marys Creek in Alamance County.

But by 1817, Joseph Woody had moved out of Orange County and Zedekiah was re-bound to John Crawford, who also lived in the Marys Creek area. As before Zedekiah’s master was to teach him the art & mystery of farming, but it appears that Zedekiah grew up to become a millwright.[2]

In November 1828, Daniel Burnett a free boy of color was bound as an apprentice to Thomas Woody,[3] but like Joseph Woody, Thomas decided to leave Orange County in 1832 and Zedekiah agreed to take the boy under his wing if Thomas would get the County Court to approve of Husbands as Burnett’s master. But apparently Thomas Woody never followed up on the matter with the Court.[4]

About this same time on 24 Mar 1832, Zedekiah Husbands married Polley Burnett in Orange County. It seems likely that Polley was some relation of Daniel Burnett. In Feb 1833, Husbands went to the County Court to get Daniel formally bound to him as his apprentice, but the Court decided that Husbands could not be given this responsibility because he was a man of color. [5]

In May 1833, the County Court ordered the Sheriff to bring Daniel Burnett who was then living with Zedekiah Husbands to be bound as an apprentice.[6] Unbeknownst to Zedekiah, Daniel was then bound as an apprentice to John Jones, rather than to Zedekiah.[7] According to John Jones, he gave Daniel permission to go to Zedekiah’s house three miles from Hillsborough to get his clothes, but while there Zedekiah convinced Daniel to stay. When Jones came to Husbands place to look for his apprentice, Zedekiah hid him away. Daniel Burnett never returned to John Jones.[8]

Upset by this turn of events, Zedekiah took the matter up to the Superior Court and won. [9] In August 1834, when Zedekiah was just 21 or 22 years old, he was made the master of Daniel Burnet and was to teach Burnett the art & mystery of a millwright.[10] By Mar 1837, Zedekiah Husbands was in litigation with John Jones again. It is unclear what became of this suit.

Sometime in 1834 or 1835, Husbands purchased 48 acres on the Eno River from John A Faucett.[11] While Husbands only owned these 48 acres for a few years, he evidently prospered considerably during this time and afterwards, as by 1839 he took out a loan for which he posted his personal possessions as collateral, including six horses, a wagon, seven cows, five hogs, a feather bed, a sideboard, a clock, a cupboard, a chest, eight chairs, two saddles, three pots, a skillet, an oven, five barrels, a table, a water pail, a small table, a coffee mill, two dozen earthen plates, small pans, earthen balls, a set of cups & saucers, a case of knives & forks, a coffee pot, a set of flat irons, a decanter, six tumblers, a dozen bottles, a sugar box, four earthen dishes, a looking glass, a funnel, two quart pots, a paint pot, four cutting knives, an assortment of old iron, a set of old wagon wheels, an iron square, a compass, a candle mold, an iron shovel, a half dozen boxes, three flat tubs, a meat tub, 2000 feet of wooden plank, a curry comb and brush, as well as a half ton of bacon, and a half barrel of fish.[12]

In August 1835, Zedekiah Husbands sued Chesley F Faucett in the County Court. While it is not clear what the subject of this suit was, it is notable that Husbands prevailed before an all white jury and was awarded a judgment for $58.22.[13]

 

[Apprentice Bonds, image 555] 31 May 1816 Trecy Husbands coloured child age 14 apprenticed to John Marshall to learn art & mistery of a spinster.

[Apprentice Bonds, image 565] 28 May 1817 Alexander Husbands an Orphan boy of Colour age [not stated] apprenticed to James O'Daniel to learn art & mistery of a [not stated].

[Apprentice Bonds, image 567] 28 May 1817 Alexander Husbands age 18 years 12 April last apprenticed to James O'Daniel to learn art & mistery of a farmer.

[Apprentice Bonds, image 751] 13 Mar 1839 Riley Husbands free boy of color age [not stated] apprenticed to William Bradshaw to learn art & mistery of a [not stated].

[Apprentice Bonds, image 1033] 25 Aug 1845 Martha Ann Husband a Girl of Color age [not stated] apprenticed to David Holt Jr to learn art & mistery of a [not stated].

 

[OCPQS 13/207 – Aug 1832]

Ordered that Aaron Polecat alias Husbands a boy of Color supposed to be about Nine years of age be bound to David Holt to learn the art & mistery of a farmer & enters into Bond with William Holt Junr. [See Apprentice Bonds, image 756.]

Ordered that Enos Polecat alias Husbands a boy of Color about 4 years old be bound to Wm Holt of Nicholas to learn the art & mistery of a farmer & enters into bond with John Cate Sec[urit]y. [See Apprentice Bonds, image 831.]

 

 

OCPQS 13/343: “Ordered that the Sheriff bring to the next Court a colored boy named Riley Husbands Son of Parthenia Husband for the purpose of binding him out.” Nov 1833.

OCPQS 13/395: “Riley Husbands a colored boy of the age 6 years is bound to Jesse Crutchfield to learn the art & mystery of a farmer who enters into bond in the sum of $1000 with John Steel & Andrew Steel as security.” May 1834.

OCPQS 14/293: “Ordered that the Sheriff being to next Court the Children of Lucretia Husbands about four years old in order that they be bound out.” [Not specifically cited as persons of color.]

OCPQS 17/339: “Ordered that the County Trustee pay Jeremiah Loy a state witness vs Aaron Husbands in County Court per ticket filed the sum of $2.90 cents.” Feb 1849.

OCPQS 10/274: “James McDaniel to whom an apprentice by the name of Alexander Husbands was bound heretofore produced said Husbands before the Court. On motion ordered that said McDaniel be discharged from the condition of the bond which he gave at the time said apprentice was bound.” May 1820. Note that the race of Alexander Husbands is not given here, but based on the last name I believe he was likely a person of color. It appears that Alexander and Zedekiah Husbands both lived in what is now southern Alamance County on the west side of the Haw River (because the men to whom they were at various points bound (McDaniel, Woody and Crawford) were all members of families that lived in the vicinity of Marys Creek.

 

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[1] OCPQS 8/434-435 (Feb 1813).

[2] OCPQS 9/358 (May 1817).

[3] Orange County Apprentice Bonds, image 720.

[4] Orange County Apprentice Bonds, images 778-779.

[5] Orange County Apprentice Bonds, images 780-781.

[6] OCPQS 13/290 (May 1833).

[7] OCPQS 13/293 (May 1833); Orange County Apprentice Bonds, image 811 & 814.

[8] Orange County Apprentice Bonds, images 778-779.

[9] Orange County Apprentice Bonds, images 778-779.

[10] OCPQS 13/419 (Aug 1834). This minute refers to Daniel as the son of Janey Burnett.

[11] This deed was apparently not recorded, but it must have been after ODB 25/445 (25 Nov 1833) and before ODB 27/53 (4 Jun 1836).

[12] ODB 28/284 (10 Apr 1839).

[13] OCPQS 13/525 (Aug 1835). It is also interesting to note that Chesley F Faucett was reputed to be the father of Wyatt Outlaw, Alamance County’s first public office of color, who was lynched by the KKK in 1870.