Nancy Weston (1810 - 1895)

Born 1810 in South Carolina, United States

Descendants

Died 1895 at about age 85 in Washington City, District Of Columbia, District of Columbia, United States

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Biography

Nancy Weston and her twin brother John Furman Weston were born in 1812 in Charleston, South Carolina, their father, John Weston was a Slave owner and their mother, Pheobe, was his Slave. She was a slave owned by Henry Watson Grimke they had three children together. She died on February 23, 1895, in Washington, District of Columbia.

Slavery

After the death of his wife Selina Sarah Simmons, Henry Grimke began a relationship with his Slave Nancy Weston. He moved with her out of the city to his plantation, where their family would have more privacy. She was his official domestic partner in the house. Both Henry and Nancy gave Francis and his brothers -- Archibald and John—their first lessons in reading and writing.

As he was dying, Henry told Nancy he could not leave you free "but I leave you better than free, I leave you to be taken care of, I shall leave you in the hands of my son Montegue in whom I can place confidence."

After Henry Grimkés death

Nancy, now pregnant with their third child, and their two sons Archibald and Francis were willed to his son and heir Montague Grimké, who's mother was Selina Sarah Simmons. Henry directed that they "be treated as members of the family

Henry's sister Eliza Grimké, executor of his will, brought the family to Charleston, but she did not aid them financially. Nancy Weston took in laundry and did other work. In 1860 Montague "claimed them as slaves," moved the boys to his home and made them servants. He would later hire Archibald and Francis out during the American Civil War. Francis ran away and worked at [Castle PInckney Jail]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Pinckney as a a valet for a Confederate Army Officer. Francis was found and jailed for a time before being returned to Montague Grimké, who sold him to another Confederate officer. Archibald ran away and hid for two years with relatives until after the end of the Civil War.

Nancy would leave after the Emancipation Proclamation and end up in Washington, DC where she would later die.

^[1]

Slave owners

• Henry W. Grimké until 1852
• Montague Grimké 1852-1864

Census

1880 - 1419 Pierce Place NW, Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia, USA^[2]

• Francis J. Grimke 28 (born SC) Clergyman
• Charlotte L. Grimke 42 (born Pennsylvania), wife of Francis
• Theodora Grimke 4/12 (born in January 1880 in Washington DC) daughter of Francis
• Nancy Grimke 70, widow, Mulatto, born in SC, parents born in SC, mother of Francis

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia: Archibald Grimke https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Grimk%C3%A9
2. ↑ Year: 1880; Census Place: Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia; Roll: 121; Page: 146B; Enumeration District: 018, http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1880usfedcen&h=26874235&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt

• "Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1925", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHQF-7JG : 28 December 2022), Nancy in entry for Archibald H. Grimke, 1879.

• "Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1925", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCWH-VJS : 28 December 2022), Nancy in entry for Archibald H. Grimke, 1879.

• "Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1925", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N43Y-F5C : 9 November 2022), Nancy in entry for Archibald H. Grimké and Sarah E. Stanley, 1879.

• "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WHK-K1Y : 3 June 2020), Nancy Weston in entry for John Grincke, 21 Mar 1915; citing Death, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,322,371.

• "District of Columbia Deaths, 1874-1961", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7TK-4J7 : Sat Mar 09 06:14:05 UTC 2024), Entry for Archibald Henry Grinke and Henry Grinke, 1930.

• "Find a Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:68JQ-DFZR : 20 October 2022), Nancy Weston Grimke, ; Burial, Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia, United States of America, Columbian Harmony Cemetery Defunct; citing record ID 229911469, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.