One surviving aspect of African custom and culture in early America is the custom of funeral and burying rituals. In Newport, both the enslaved and free African community, largely coming from what is today Ghana, would provide elaborate funerals for their dearly departed. The funeral was as much a celebration of life as it is a bid farewell to the dead. Most importantly it signified the departure of souls in their next journey to join their ancestors.
On May 18th, 1770, 70 year old Quash Dunbar died. In his diary on May 20th of that same year, Rev. Ezra Stiles wrote:
“A Negro Burying, the Church bell tolled (all our Bells sometimes toll for Negroes), a procession of Two Hundred Men and One Hundred & Thirty Women Negroes.”
The funeral often included dancing, singing and public recognition of the relevance of the life of the departed. In an African funeral in Newport, the leaders of the community would lead a procession with the body on a wagon from the center of the town to the burying grounds. The procession would be organized by a ceremonial undertaker, a well-respected position within the African community.
Click here to learn about Mintus the “Last Colored Undertaker” of Newport and how he presided over 18th century burials in God’s Little Acre.
Burial Markers in God’s Little Acre
Scott, Susannah
In Memory
of
Susannah
daughter of
Pompey & Violet Scott
died 11 May 1779
Aged 10 years
Seixas, Ann
Ann Seixas
daughter of Peter and
Sarah Seixas
died 18 September 1881
age 85 years
Sherburn, Prince
In Memory of Prince
Sherburn
died Nov???
Sherman, Dick
Dick Sherman
died March 21st
1767
age 6 years 4 months 17 days
Sisson, Dinah
In Memory of
Dinah
wife of
Neptune
an industrious virtuous
Black Woman
who departed life about age 75
4 Dec 179(?)5
*Deep gouge
prevents clear reading of date*
**This marker stands out because of the use of the word "Black" for an African.
The word is a rare description for that time where the more common description of someone of African heritage would have
been "Negro, African, Ethiopian or Colored." **
Sisson, Neptune
In Memory of
NEPTUNE
SISSON
Who died October 9, 1794
Age About 65 Years
*Sisson is an active free African within Colonial Newport.
*
Sisson, Syphax
In Memory of
Syphax
Sisson
who died
November 4th, 1800
age 63 years
Slocum, Jack
In Memory of Jack Slocum who died March 6, 1761 Age 64 years.
"Giles Slocum gave an article of manumission to a negro slave Jack and a negro woman Heleno they paying him therefor one hundred and fifty pounds in good currant bills of publick credit of the Colony." April 1, 1745
A Short History of the Slocums of Rhode Island - RI Historical Tracts
Smith, Mary
In Memory of
Mary R.
Smith
Died July 18, 1843
age 75 years
Spooner, Desire
Desire Spooner
1774
no
headstone
Stevens, Elizabeth
In Memory
of
Elizabeth
Wife of Zingo Stevens
who died Feb 3rd 1779 in the 38 year of her age.
Also of their
daughter
stillborn Jan 2nd, 1779
Stevens, Phillis and Prince
In Memory
of
Phillis
a late faithful servant to Josias Lyndon esq.
and wife of Zingo Stevens
who died March 9 A.D. 1773
aged about 27 years
Also Prince thier son who died March 22, 1773
age 2 months 27 days
Life how short,
eternity how long
*Records indicated Phillis came to Newport from Guinea about 1759, age about 13.*
Stevens, Princ
In Memory of
Princ son
of
Pompe Stevens & Silva Gould
who died July 14 1759
age 1 year
Stevens, Prince
In Memory of
Prince
Servant of John Stevens
died January 21 1748
age about 32 years
Stevens, Violet
In Memory
of
Violet
wife of Zingo Stevens
January 1st, 1803
aged 61
Violet is the third wife of Zingo Stevens.
He outlives his three wives, all of whom are buried under a cherry tree.
