Zebulon was one of seven children of Arthur and Joan Prutt, who were enslaved by Isaac Chauncey (1670-1745) of Hadley, Massachusetts. He was born on August 15, 1731. A bill of sale in the Porter-Phelps-Huntington family papers, shows that soon after Isaac's death in 1745, Zebulon, then 14, was sold to Moses Porter of Hadley for £150. Porter died in 1755, and the "Negro man" who appears in his probate inventory is Zebulon, who was then valued at £53, 6 shillings, 8 pence.
In August of 1766, Zebulon ran away and the following ad appeared in the Connecticut Courant newspaper on September 8. Oliver Warner, who placed the ad, would become Zebulon's next enslaver.
Run away from the Widow Elizabeth Porter of Hadley, a Negro Man named Zebulon Prut, about 30 years old, about five Feet high, a whitish Complexion, suppos'd to have a Squaw in Company; Carried away with him, a light brown Camblet Coat, lin'd and trimm'd with the same Colour- a blue plain Cloth Coat, with Metal Buttons, without lining- a new redish brown plain Cloth Coat, with Plate Buttons, no Lining- a light brown Waistcoat, and a dark brown ditto, both without Sleves- a Pair of Check'd, and a Pair of Tow Trowsers- a Pair of blue Yarn Stockings, and a Pair of Thread ditto- two Pair of Shoes- two Hats- an old red Duffel Great Coat.- Whoever will take up said Negro, and bring him to Mrs. Porter, or to Oliver Warner, of said Hadley, shall have Ten Dollars Reward, and all necessasry Charges paid, by
OLIVER WARNER
Moses Porter's daughter, Elizabeth wrote in her diary that on February 7, 1768, "a Negro man that was my fathers who ran away from my mother the which she sold to Mr. Oliver Warner for fifty dollars as soon as he went away was brought back to him- his name was Zebulon Prutt."
Zebulon died in Amherst, Massachusetts on December 2, 1802.