Judith
(b. ? - d. 1741)
MSA SC 5496-51572
Slave in Queen Anne's County, Maryland
Biography:
Negro Judith, as she was referred to in
colonial terminology, was the victim of a hanging. Edward Harris,
of St. Paul's Parrish, Queen Anne's County, Maryland, was the owner of
Judith. 1 Harris was murdered on October 26, 1740 and she was the main suspect, along with Negro Peter. 2
During the institution of slavery, it was common for slaves to rebel
against their owners. Many slaves were subjected to harsh
treatment from their slave owners, causing many to rebel and/or
flee. In turn, slave owners became increasingly aware of
rebellious activity from their slaves. The penalty - if found
guilty - for slaves who rebelled against their owners was severe.
The case involving Negro Judith and Negro Peter is an example of the
severe penalty many slaves faced for similar crimes.
According to the Queen Anne’s County Judgment Record documenting the
case, Judith and Peter were considered co-conspirators. 3
The court record states that both were “not having God before their
eyes but being moved and seduced by the instigation of the Devil in and
upon the said Edward Harris thou their Master.” 4 The
record shows that Negro Peter had acquired a “Club,” which had the
value of “one shilling current money," and he took the club and
delivered a fatal wound to the “back part of the head” of Harris. 5
Negro Judith was accused of “feloniously, voluntarily, traitorously,
and of her malice forethought was present aiding, abetting, comforting,
assisting, and maintaining the aforementioned Negro Peter” in the
murder plot. 6 In November of 1740, Negro Judith was
convicted for the murder of Edward Harris. On March 9, 1741, a
death warrant was issued for Negro Judith and four days later, on a
Friday, she was hanged. 7
Both, Negro Judith and Negro Peter proclaimed their innocence, but the court ruled otherwise. 8
The court decided that, despite playing separate roles in the plot that
both should be hanged for their alleged crimes. Negro Judith was
to “have her right hand cut off, be hanged until she is dead, her head
severed from her body, her body divided into four quarters and her head
and quarters set up in the most publick places of this county.” 9
By law, quartering was practiced only on "Negroe[s], and other
Slave[s]" that committed "any Petit-Treason, or Murder, or wilfully
burning of Dwelling-Houses." 10 Negro Peter was subjected to the same punishment. 11 The punishments for these crimes were extreme and meant to dissuade other slaves from committing crimes.
Endnotes:
1. GOVERNOR AND COUNCIL (Commission Record) 1726-1786. March 9, 1741. Folio 66. MdHR Number 4010-1. MSA S1080-1.Return to Judith's Introductory Page
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