Prince Mortimer
1730; a 6 year old child is captured in Guinea, brought to New England by ship amongst excrement and filth, causing him to acquire a chronic bacterial disease called Yaws. He would suffer through the pain of walnut-sized sores and disfigurement for the rest of his life. He was given the name Prince.
In the late 1750’s, Prince was purchased by Philip Mortimer, a wealthy Irishman starting a rope making business. Prince became a skilled Spinner.
In 1780, the Revolutionary War not going well, Congress put out a plea for men. Phillip Mortimer sent Prince, now age 56. He was servant to officers including George Washington. Slaves were promised freedom on return, but due to his value, Phillip Mortimer persisted Prince's enslavement.
In 1794, Phillip Mortimer died; his will granting Prince (now 70) and other slaves their freedom. But his son-in-law George Starr would lose money, property and access to these slaves with this will; so he contested it and won. After 64 years in bondage and two reneged promises of freedom, Prince remained enslaved, now servant to George Starr.
In 1811, at age 87, Prince was sentenced to life in prison, accused of attempting to murder George Starr by placing arsenic in his morning chocolate. America’s ironic morality would have him spend the first 16 years at Newgate prison (considered the worst in America).
In 1827 at age 103, Prince was taken 20 miles to the new Wethersfield prison. He would die there in 1834 at age 110.
The prison is long gone, now the location of Wethersfield Department of Motor Vehicles. All that remains is a small plaque in far right field of a softball diamond denoting the location of the prison's cemetery.
In 1824, Connecticut passed a law allowing prison’s to send unclaimed remains to medical institutions for dissection and study. Since Prince had no known family, it’s possible his remains were sent to Yale University for study. We are currently investigating this possibility.
A mile away from the former location of Wethersfield prison is Wethersfield cemetery; revolutionary war vets still honored. In Middletown, George Starr has an impressive headstone, also still honored. Considering the ironic nature of American morality that would allow and persist this, we are determined to find a way to have Prince receive similar honor as those that enslaved him.
His life mattered; if not to you, to us.
