New Hampshire Black History Stories

NH Black History Stories

Discover Little Known Figures from Black History in the Northeast

The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, together with the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire, shares a collection of short stories about often-overlooked Black figures from New Hampshire and Maine.

These stories reveal the courage, achievements, and contributions of people whose lives have been hidden in history. By learning about them, you’ll gain a better understanding of our shared past and the important role Black Americans have played in shaping the Northeast.

Explore these stories, honor their legacies, and feel inspired by their impact.

Stories

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Anthony Clark

Warner & Sutton
c. 1756 – 1856

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Arthur L. Hilson

Portsmouth

(1936-2019)

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Belle Brinkley Williams

Portsmouth

(1878 -1960)

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Benjamin Darling

Harbor Island, Maine


1776 – 1829

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Black Will

Kittery, ME

(? – died c. 1727)

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Boston Bell

Bedford

(1746-1811)

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Caesar Bradish

Henniker

(?    -1808)

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Cato Walker

Goffstown

(?   – 1839)

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Charles Hall

Newport

(? – 1893)

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Edith Mary Green

Canterbury

(1879-1951)

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Flora Stewart

Londonderry

(17?? – 1868)

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Forever Unknowns

Throughout New England

 

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Freeman Wallace

Exeter

(c. 1824 – 1916)

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Harriet E. Wilson

First African American Published Novelist

Haywood B. Burton

Portsmouth

(1878-1954)

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Hazel Colbert and Clayton Sinclair Sr.

Kittery Point, Maine

HAZEL COLBERT SINCLAIR (1901-1995)
CLAYTON SINCLAIR SR (1906-1978)

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Hopestill Cheswell & Wentworth Cheswell

Portsmouth & Newmarket

Hopestill Cheswell (c. 1712 – ?)
Wentworth Cheswell (1746-1817)

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Inez Bishop

Manchester

(1927 – 2014)

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John G. Cutler

Exeter & Hampton

(1833-1913)

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Lot Little

Sutton

 

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Malaga Island

Malaga Island, Maine
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Marguerite (Campbell) Davis

Nashua

(1916 – 1983)

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Mel Bolden

Loudon & Concord

(1919-2000)

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Nero Prince

Henniker & Boston, MA

(?   –c. 1834)

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Ona Judge

Enslaved to the Washingtons, Escaped to Freedom

Oxford Tash

Exeter

(? – 1810)

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Prince Hastings

Warner

 (? – 1842)

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Prince Walker

Concord

(c. 1726 – 1825)

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Prince Whipple

Revolutionary Soldier, Signer of First Petition for Freedom in NH

Ransom Parker

Hopkinton & Providence, RI

(1806 – 1887)

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Rev. Jeffrey Cambell

Nashua

(1910 -1984)

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Reverend Thomas Paul

Exeter & Boston, MA

(1773-1831)

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Richard Potter

First International Celebrity

Rosary Broxay Cooper

Portsmouth 

 (1913-1997)

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Salem Colby

Newport

(1750s – 1834)

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Scipio Page

Dunbarton & Coit Mountain

 

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Simon Drock

Newport

 (1760 – c. 1835)

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The Brown Family

Portsmouth

 

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The Sankee Family

Claremont

 

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The Wentworths

Hanover

 

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Timothy Blanchard

Milford

(1791 – 1839)

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Vivian E. Washington

Hanover

(1914 – 2007)

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Wentworth Cheswill

First African American Judicial Officer & First Elected to Office

William Haskell

Warner

(1819-1896)

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Upcoming Events

May 21, 2026

Ona Judge Mural Unveiling

On Thursday, May 21, join us as artist Manuel Ramirez unveils the Ona Judge mural on the side of our building at 222 Court St in Portsmouth.

Additional Info

Many of these stories were collected as part of the Lenten Projected with the Reconciliation Commission of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire. The Reconciliation Commission encourages parish study groups to read together Living into God’s Dream: Dismantling Racism in America, edited by Catherine Meeks, to learn more about the origins and meaning of “the Beloved Community” and the many ways the Spirit draws us closer to its realization.

 

The Episcopal Church of New Hampshire

Preserve Black History in New Hampshire

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