Phinney, Jerry
Item
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Title
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Phinney, Jerry
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Gender
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Male
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Biography
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Jerry Phinney was the center of a 15-year-long escape-turned-trial event. His mother, Rose, was enslaved by Sarah Long and her first husband. After his death, Sarah remarried to Hezekiah Brown in 1786. That same year, Rose gave birth to Jerry.
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Around 1831, Sarah hired Jerry out to a man named Allgaier, who said he would work on his farm in Woodford County, Ky. Allgaier ended up taking Jerry to Ohio. When Sarah found out, she insisted he return Jerry to her. Jerry did return to Sarah. However, he asked permission to return to Ohio to retrieve some belongings. He was granted this request. Jerry took this opportunity to escape. A $150 reward for his capture was placed, but he was never caught until 15 years later.
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In 1846, Jerry had been living in Columbus, OH, with his wife and children when two men named A.C. Forbes and Jacob Armitage found him and forced him back to Kentucky. His original enslaver, Sarah Long, had passed. His ownership transferred to her son Thomas Long, who had also passed away. Now Thomas' widow, Bathsheba Long, was the enslaver.
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A trial ensued to debate whether Jerry was still an enslaved person or free at the time of his kidnapping. The courts decided he was free, and Jerry was released. Sadly, he passed away shortly after due to consumption.
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Member
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Phinney family
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Birth date
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circa 1786
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Death date
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circa 1848
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Relationship
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Enslaver(s): Brown, Sarah; Long, Thomas; Long, Bathsheba