Old South Methodist Church (2C) - Rose

Church membership increased across New England during the early to mid 18th century due to the Great Awakening, an evangelical movement that inspired religious revivals. As for Reading’s Black and enslaved people, many may have joined the church because of the Great Awakening or as a result of the demands of their owners. We might also presume that they may have chosen to belong, whether because of their own faith or because they could see the benefits that church membership might provide.

As we listened to the church records, you may have recognized the names of some of Reading’s prominent men, including Justice B. Pools, Timothy Nicolls, and Captain Eaton. Not only were many of Reading’s prominent men enslavers, but church leaders were as well.

One such church leader was Deacon Benjamin Brown. Married in 1724, he, his wife Susannah and their nine children lived in the church parsonage, which was located on Common Street in Wakefield. Their enslaved woman Rose, who in 1738 owned the covenant and was baptized, would almost certainly have lived inside the parsonage with them.

Similar to other enslaved women in the North, Rose would have performed chores suited to the home including cooking, washing, spinning, weaving, and caring for children. With nine children and a busy household, Rose would have always been toiling to feed, clothe, and wait on Deacon Brown’s family.

Despite the endless tasks required of the Brown homestead, Rose found time to form a relationship. As recorded in town marriage records, on June 23, 1737 she married Jack, the slave of Kendall Boutell of Reading. Upon entering their union, Rose and Jack would have had to face the demands of both enslavers.

While Rose was able to form a family, the hardships and limitations she must have faced became too much of a burden for her to bear. Lilley Eaton reports in his 19th century history of the town that in 1740 according to church records “Dea. Benj. Brown’s negro woman, Rose, committed suicide by hanging.”

Many questions remain regarding Rose’s reported death by suicide. Did something happen to her in 1740? A childbirth? The death of a child? A threat of sale? An act of violence? Did something happen to Jack? Or could Rose no longer bear the devastating circumstances of a life in slavery where she faced incessant toil, days apart from her husband, and limited hope for the future?

Historian Jared Hardesty declares that “suicide was rampant” for slaves living in “an unstable world full of social, economic, and cultural pressures.” While we can never be sure exactly what factors drove Rose to this act, her life in a state of unfreedom can be viewed as a major contributing factor.

With no death record since the deaths of enslaved people were not recorded by the town, nor a gravestone, Rose’s life was easily forgotten by succeeding generations. Let us take a moment of silence to remember Rose now.

Thank you for listening. As you proceed to the next stop on the tour, we encourage you to think about this question: How might Reading’s churches grapple with past connections to slavery and how might they recognize and remember the enslaved persons who were part of their congregations?