Found bill of sale links slave to man’s family

Found bill of sale links
slave to man’s family
Unique document
discovered in Vermont
antique store
BY TARA PETERSEN
Staff Writer

MONROE — When David Tyson Nutt researched his ancestry years ago, he had no idea it would one day help make a family connection to slavery.

David’s brother, Robert, recognized a family name and a Staten Island, N.Y., address on an 1809 bill of sale for a slave named simply "Tom." Robert had been browsing in a Norwich, Vt., antique shop near his home when he stumbled upon the rare document.

Knowing of his brother’s extensive research regarding family history, he telephoned him immediately.

David confirmed what his brother already suspected — the slave owner selling Tom was their great-great-great-grandfather, William B. Gifford, a native of Ireland.

"It was quite an amazing set of circumstances," David said on Monday.

David, now 80, said he grew up in Staten Island before moving to Scotch Plains in 1959. He and his wife, Grace, moved to the Greens at Forsgate in Monroe more than 12 years ago.

After confirming the document’s connection to the family, the brothers purchased it and donated it to the Staten Island Historical Society. According to the society, the document is unique because it is a printed form rather than hand-written.

"It reminds us that the sale of an enslaved person was common enough in New York to merit a pre-printed form," society Executive Director John W. Guild said.

Gifford was the seller, and John Bullus of New York City was the buyer. Tom was sold for $375 at the age of 26, according to the document.

David said he first became interested in his ancestry when he happened to notice Gifford’s name listed on a war veterans monument in front of a golf course near his Scotch Plains home years ago. He had seen the monument many times before deciding to take a closer look.

"It was about a mile from where we lived," David said.

David researched and discovered that Gifford emigrated from Ireland in 1775 when he was 25 years of age. Gifford joined the 3rd New Jersey regiment and fought as an officer under Gen. George Washington during the Revolutionary War, including the Battle of Monmouth.

David said Gifford settled in Staten Island in 1799 and purchased the well-known Rose and Crown tavern, which was a former headquarters for a British Revolutionary War general.

"When he bought the tavern, the slave probably came with it," David said. "That was common then. Slaves were treated as property."

David said he was not as surprised as his brother at the idea of an ancestor owning a slave.

"He was very shocked that this ancestor of ours had and sold a slave," David said. "I said, ‘Washington had a lot of slaves. So did Jefferson.’ "

According to the society, the bill of sale has been incorporated into the exhibit titled "From Slavery to Freedom: African-Americans on Staten Island," which has been extended through March 14 to feature the addition of the document.