Amos Fortune was a prominent African-American citizen of Jaffrey

Jaffrey, New Hampshire

Jaffrey is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,457 at the 2010 census.The primary settlement in town, where 2,757 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined as the Jaffrey census-designated place and is located along the Contoocook River at the...

, New Hampshire

New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...

 in the 18th century. Born free in Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

 and brought to America as a slave, Fortune purchased his freedom at the age of sixty and moved to Jaffrey to start a tanning business. Documents now archived at the Jaffrey Public Library testify to his literacy, community position, and financial success.

Purchase of freedom

The first record of Amos Fortune is an unsigned "freedom paper" dated December 30, 1763. In it Fortune's owner, Ichabod Richardson, a "tanner of Woburn

Woburn, Massachusetts

Woburn is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 38,120 at the 2010 census. Woburn is located north of Boston, Massachusetts, and just south of the intersection of I-93 and I-95.- History :...

, in the province of Massachusetts-bay

Province of Massachusetts Bay

The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a crown colony in North America. It was chartered on October 7, 1691 by William and Mary, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of England and Scotland...

 in New England" outlines an agreement with Fortune that at the end of four years Amos would be "Discharged, Freed, and Set at Liberty from my service power & Command for ever…." When Richardson died unexpectedly in 1768 his will contained no mention of Fortune's freedom. Fortune then negotiated with Richardson's heirs to “pay off his bond." He made the last payment in 1770 and became a free man at the age 60.

After purchasing his freedom, Fortune continued to live and work in Woburn. He bought land and built a house with help from his first mistress's family. His wife, Lily Twombly – whom he purchased for twenty pounds from Josiah Bowers of Billerica

Billerica, Massachusetts

Billerica is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,243 at the 2010 census. It is the only town named Billerica in the United States and borrows its name from the town of Billericay in Essex, England.- History :...

 – died within that year, 1775. Soon afterwards, he bought a second wife, Lydia Somerset, on June 23, 1778. It took him three years to save up enough money to buy her. Sadly, also died within the year. On November 9, 1779, Fortune purchased the freedom of a woman named Violet (also spelled Violate, including on her tombstone) from James Baldwin. They were married the next day in Woburn.

Life in Jaffrey

In 1781 Amos Fortune moved to Jaffrey to establish himself as a tanner. His first home and tannery were at the foot of a hill west of what is now the Jaffrey Center Common on land set aside for a yet-to-be-named minister. A year later Laban Ainsworth was called to be Jaffrey's first minister. Fortune remained on the property and the two men appear to have become friends.

In 1789 Fortune purchased 25 acres (100,000 m2) at another location on Tyler Brook. The house and barn which he built are still standing in their original location. The road the house is on is now called Amos Fortune Road.

Fortune's tannery appears to have prospered. He took on at least two apprentices and served clients in Massachusetts in addition to nearby New Hampshire towns. He became a full member of the First Church and helped found the Jaffrey Social Library.

Death

Fortune died in November 1801 at the age of 91. He is buried behind the Jaffrey Meetinghouse in the Old Burying Ground. The inventory of his estate testifies to his prosperity. Among the items listed are silver shoe buckles, a silver watch, and a fur coat. Fortune instructed his executor, Eleazer , to have "hand stones" erected to his wife and himself and to make a "handsome present" to the church. The remaining monies were given to the town to support Schoolhouse Number 7. This last bequest has evolved into the Amos Fortune Fund and has supported diverse projects including public speaking contests and special publications. The Jaffrey Public Library now administers the Fund, using the income to develop and distribute educational materials on Amos Fortune.

Violet Fortune died in 1802, one year after her husband, and was buried next to him. Their epitaphs were written by the Reverend Laban Ainsworth:

Legacy

Elizabeth Yates wrote an award winning

Newbery Medal

The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association . The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. ...

 biographical novel

Amos Fortune, Free Man

Amos Fortune, Free Man is a biographical novel by Elizabeth Yates that won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1951. It is about a young African prince, who when people come and attack his tribe, is captured and taken to America as a slave...

 about Fortune in 1950.

A 1997 short film, Amos Fortune Road, meditates on the scantness and fragility of the surviving historical record regarding Amos Fortune.