Hannah Godfrey

Hannah is the wife of Ely Godfrey. Ely and Hannah are the parents of Petter/Peter Godfrey who can be found in the Book of Negroes traveling with his grandmother Bridget and other relations on the ship Ranger. In Birchtown Petter is reunited with his parents. Ely and Hannah are not in the Book of Negroes so we do not have a great deal of information about them, although it is probable that both Ely and Hannah were formerly owned by Matthew Godfrey (also the owner of the other Godfrey family members mentioned above including Bridget and Petter). It is not possible to identify Ely by that name in Matthew Godfrey's tithables in the Norfolk area, although he may be listed under another. In 1778 for the first and only time Godfrey lists a 'Hannah'. This is probably Petter's mother. She is not listed in 1780 as by this time all of the Godfrey slaves who will run have done so. Hannah is later included amongst the slaves Godfrey claims to have lost to the British. What little information we have about Ely and Hannah's journey comes from the Birchtown Muster where it is recorded that they arrived on board the Clinton with Savage's Company.

Timeline

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7/ Nov
1775

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See Original

Lord Dunmore's Proclamation - Norfolk

  • John Murray, Lord Dunmore -

    John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore (1732 – 25 February 1809), was the  colonial governor of Virginia at the outbreak of the American Revolution.
Source for this event: Lord Dunmore's Proclamation

June
1778

Tithables for the South Side of Tanners Creek to Willie Care's -1778 - South Side of Tanners Creek to Willies Care

Source for this event: Norfolk County Virginia Tithables, Volume 3, 1766 - 1780
Name Owner
Hannah Matthew Godfrey - Norfolk

1782

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See Original

Treaty of Paris - Paris France

  • Treaty of Paris -

    In November 1782 a provisional peace treaty was hammered out between the British and the Americans in Paris.
Source for this event: Treaty of Paris

1784

Birchtown Muster - Birchtown

Source for this event: Birchtown Muster of Free Blacks
Name Age Occupation Families they lived with Companies they belong to Remarks Company They Are Now With
Hannah Godfrey 22 W. Weir Savage's Company Has lived in his family and came in The Clinton with Savage's Co. has drawn 3mths from the first coming of the Co. Captain Thomas Francis' Company
Hannah Godfrey's Relationships

1785

Patriot claims for losses to the British

Source for this event: Patriot claims for losses to the British
[We have assumed that Matthew Godfrey claimed Hannah Godfrey]