New Hampshire Black History Stories
NH Black History StoriesDiscover 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
Anthony Clark
Warner & Sutton
c. 1756 – 1856
Arthur L. Hilson
Portsmouth
(1936-2019)
Belle Brinkley Williams
Portsmouth
(1878 -1960)
Benjamin Darling
Harbor Island, Maine
1776 – 1829
Black Will
Kittery, ME
(? – died c. 1727)
Boston Bell
Bedford
(1746-1811)
Caesar Bradish
Henniker
(? -1808)
Cato Walker
Goffstown
(? – 1839)
Charles Hall
Newport
(? – 1893)
Coit Mountain Families
Edith Mary Green
Canterbury
(1879-1951)
Flora Stewart
Londonderry
(17?? – 1868)
Forever Unknowns
Throughout New England
Freeman Wallace
Exeter
(c. 1824 – 1916)
Harriet E. Wilson
Haywood B. Burton
Portsmouth
(1878-1954)
Hazel Colbert and Clayton Sinclair Sr.
Kittery Point, Maine
HAZEL COLBERT SINCLAIR (1901-1995)
CLAYTON SINCLAIR SR (1906-1978)
Hopestill Cheswell & Wentworth Cheswell
Portsmouth & Newmarket
Hopestill Cheswell (c. 1712 – ?)
Wentworth Cheswell (1746-1817)
Inez Bishop
Manchester
(1927 – 2014)
John G. Cutler
Exeter & Hampton
(1833-1913)
Lot Little
Malaga Island
Marguerite (Campbell) Davis
Nashua
(1916 – 1983)
Mel Bolden
Loudon & Concord
(1919-2000)
Nero Prince
Henniker & Boston, MA
(? –c. 1834)
Ona Judge
Enslaved to the Washingtons, Escaped to Freedom
Oxford Tash
Exeter
(? – 1810)
Prince Hastings
Warner
(? – 1842)
Prince Walker
Concord
(c. 1726 – 1825)
Prince Whipple
Ransom Parker
Hopkinton & Providence, RI
(1806 – 1887)
Rev. Jeffrey Cambell
Nashua
(1910 -1984)
Reverend Thomas Paul
Exeter & Boston, MA
(1773-1831)
Richard Potter
Rosary Broxay Cooper
Portsmouth
(1913-1997)
Salem Colby
Newport
(1750s – 1834)
Scipio Page
Simon Drock
Newport
(1760 – c. 1835)
The Brown Family
Portsmouth
The Sankee Family
The Wentworths
Hanover
Timothy Blanchard
Milford
(1791 – 1839)
Vivian E. Washington
Hanover
(1914 – 2007)
Wentworth Cheswill
First African American Judicial Officer & First Elected to Office
William Haskell
Warner
(1819-1896)
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Upcoming Events
Ona Judge Mural Unveiling
Ona Judge Day Tour
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Arroyo
In 2022, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed a bill that declared May 21 st to be Ona Judge Day. The declaration honors that day in 1796 on which Ona Maria Judge Staines left the residence of President George and Martha Washington in Philadelphia, boarded a ship to Portsmouth, and lived a long and dignified life in New Hampshire, free, but a fugitive.
On this special Ona Judge Day Tour, you will hear the true story of a young woman’s quest for freedom. See the waterfront where Ona landed and visit the Portsmouth properties of some of America’s most famous families - the Langdons, Warners, and Lears - whose stories are also bound to her incredible journey.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
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.
Preserve Black History in New Hampshire