Amos Newport

Bio

Amos was born around 1710 on the west coast of Africa, was captured from his homeland circa 1715, and brought to Newport, Rhode Island. He decided to adopt the name of his new city as his surname. In 1729, he was sold by David Ingersoll of Springfield, Massachusetts, to Joseph Billings, an original proprietor of Hatfield, Massachusetts, for £50. An excerpt from the bill of sale appears below.

These present witness that I David Ingersoll of Springfield in the County of Hampshire in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, shopkeeper, have sold, set over & delivered in Plain St. Green Market a certain young Negro Boy named Teo alias Newport for consideration of fifty pounds to Joseph Billings of Hatfield in sd. County aforesaid, yeoman. 

Amos had two sons- Dan, born ca. 1740-1741, and Peter, born ca. 1742-1745.

In 1766, Amos demanded his freedom and sued Billings for causing him to suffer greatly. He testified that on December 1, 1765, Billings made "an assault upon him...and...falsely imprisoned and restrained [him] of his lawfull liberty, continuing the aforesaid trespass...for...six months...and many other wrongs and injuries to...Amos...contrary to law & against our peace [,] to the sd. Amos one hundred pounds." ("'His Own Proper Negro Slave': Amos Newport & his Descendants in Hatfield, Williamsburg & Amherst", Eric W. Weber, 2014) Unfortunately, Amos lost the case. Although Billings claimed that he had assaulted Newport, he said he had the right to do so because Amos was his legal property and the bill of sale proved it. Amos was ordered to pay Joseph £16, 6 shillings. He eventually gained his freedom and was given a farm in Whately, Massachusetts.