Hugh Gwyn
Hugh Gwyn | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses | |
| In office 1652 | |
| In office 1646 | |
| In office 1639 | |
Hugh Gwyn was a British colonist who owned the first document slave in the Colony of Virginia, John Punch, and who served several terms in the Virginia House of Burgesses.
Biography[edit]
Gwyn immigrated to Jamestown around 1610 and he claimed to discover Gwynn's Island the following year. In 1635, he petitioned King Charles I for ownership of the island and in 1640 he was given 1,000 acres of the island. He was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses representing Charles River County in 1639, York County in 1646, and Gloucester County in 1652. He died around 1654.[1]
First slave in Virginia[edit]
In 1640, indentured servants John Punch, Victor, and James Gregory fled their master Gwyn. The three were captured and returned to Gwyn.[2] The General Court of Virginia ruled that Punch would be Gwyn's slave for life as punishment for escaping.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ "A History of Gwynn's Island". gwynnsislandmuseum.org. The Gwynn's Island Museum. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ Bly, Antonio T. (July 13, 2023). "Indentured Servant and Slave Patrols in Virginia". encyclopediavirginia.org. Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "General Court Responds to Runaway Servants and Slaves (1640)". Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved 7 June 2024.