Thornton Blackburn
Encyclopedia
Thornton Blackburn and his wife Lucie (also Ruth or Ruthy) were escaped slaves from Louisville, Kentucky
. They had been settled in Detroit, Michigan
, for two years when, in 1833, Kentucky slave hunters located, re-captured, and arrested the couple. The Blackburns were jailed but allowed visitors, which provided the opportunity for Lucie to exchange her clothes—and her incarceration—with a Mrs. George French. Lucie was then spirited across the Detroit River
to safety in Amherstburg, in Essex County
, Upper Canada
(U.C.).
Thornton’s escape was more difficult as he was heavily guarded, bound and shackled. The day before Thornton was to be returned to Kentucky, Detroit's African American community rose up in protest. A crowd of some 400 men stormed the jail to free him. During the commotion that ensued, two individuals called Sleepy Polly and Daddy Walker helped Thornton escape, also to Essex County, U.C. The commotion turned into a two-day riot during which the local sheriff was shot and fatally wounded. It was the first race riot in Detroit, resulting in the first ever Riot Commission formed in the U.S.
Once in Essex County, Thornton was jailed briefly, while a formal request for his return was issued by the Michigan territorial governor. A reply came from the Lieutenant-Governor of U.C., Major General Sir John Colborne, who refused extradition to the United States, noting that a person could not steal himself.
Thornton eventually reunited with his wife Lucie in the newly incorporated City of Toronto
, arriving in 1834, where he worked as a waiter at Osgoode Hall
. Though illiterate, he saw the need for a taxi service, so obtained blueprints for a cab from Montreal, and commissioned its construction. By 1837, he had it: a red and yellow box cab named "The City", drawn by a single horse, and able to carry four passengers, with a driver in a box at the front, which he, himself, would operate. It became the nucleus of a taxicab
company, the city's first, a successful venture that had others soon following his example.
Some time in the late 1830s, Thornton made a daring return to Kentucky to bring his mother, Sibby (born ca. 1776 in Virginia), back with him to join another son of hers, Alfred, Thornton's brother, who may have arrived in Toronto as early as 1826. The Thorntons continued to be active in antislavery and community activities, helping to build the nearby Little Trinity Church
, now the oldest surviving one in Toronto. Thornton participated in the North American Convention of Colored Freemen at St. Lawrence Hall in September, 1851, was an associate of anti-slavery leader George Brown
, and helped former slaves settle at Toronto and Buxton
.
Thornton died February 26, 1890, leaving an estate of $18,000 and six properties, and is buried at Toronto's Necropolis Cemetery
. Lucie died five years later, on Feb. 6, 1895.
In 1999, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada designated the Blackburns "Persons of National Historic Significance" not only for their personal struggle for freedom, but because theirs was emblematic of so many similar, but typically undocumented, cases. Also important, the Blackburns' situation prompted the articulation of a legal defense against slavery. They were also designated for their important contribution to the growth of Toronto, generosity to the less fortunate, and lifelong resistance to slavery. In 2002, plaques in their honour were erected at the site of their excavated house in Toronto, Ontario, and in Louisville, Kentucky.
ISBN 978-0-374-53125-6. Winner, 2007 Governor General's Literary Award for Nonfiction; Nominee (Nonfiction), National Books Critics Circle Award 2007. See, Governor General's Award for English language non-fiction
.
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. They had been settled in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, for two years when, in 1833, Kentucky slave hunters located, re-captured, and arrested the couple. The Blackburns were jailed but allowed visitors, which provided the opportunity for Lucie to exchange her clothes—and her incarceration—with a Mrs. George French. Lucie was then spirited across the Detroit River
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
to safety in Amherstburg, in Essex County
Essex County, Ontario
Essex County is a county and census division located in Southwestern Ontario and covers an area at the southernmost tip of Canada. The administrative seat is Essex...
, Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
(U.C.).
Thornton’s escape was more difficult as he was heavily guarded, bound and shackled. The day before Thornton was to be returned to Kentucky, Detroit's African American community rose up in protest. A crowd of some 400 men stormed the jail to free him. During the commotion that ensued, two individuals called Sleepy Polly and Daddy Walker helped Thornton escape, also to Essex County, U.C. The commotion turned into a two-day riot during which the local sheriff was shot and fatally wounded. It was the first race riot in Detroit, resulting in the first ever Riot Commission formed in the U.S.
Once in Essex County, Thornton was jailed briefly, while a formal request for his return was issued by the Michigan territorial governor. A reply came from the Lieutenant-Governor of U.C., Major General Sir John Colborne, who refused extradition to the United States, noting that a person could not steal himself.
Thornton eventually reunited with his wife Lucie in the newly incorporated City of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, arriving in 1834, where he worked as a waiter at Osgoode Hall
Osgoode Hall
Osgoode Hall is a landmark building in downtown Toronto constructed between 1829 and 1832 in the late Georgian Palladian and Neoclassical styles. It houses the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Divisional Court of the Superior Court of Justice, and the Law Society of Upper Canada...
. Though illiterate, he saw the need for a taxi service, so obtained blueprints for a cab from Montreal, and commissioned its construction. By 1837, he had it: a red and yellow box cab named "The City", drawn by a single horse, and able to carry four passengers, with a driver in a box at the front, which he, himself, would operate. It became the nucleus of a taxicab
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
company, the city's first, a successful venture that had others soon following his example.
Some time in the late 1830s, Thornton made a daring return to Kentucky to bring his mother, Sibby (born ca. 1776 in Virginia), back with him to join another son of hers, Alfred, Thornton's brother, who may have arrived in Toronto as early as 1826. The Thorntons continued to be active in antislavery and community activities, helping to build the nearby Little Trinity Church
Little Trinity Anglican Church
Little Trinity Anglican Church, formally Trinity East, is a parish of the Anglican Church of Canada located at 425 King Street East in the Corktown neighbourhood just east of downtown Toronto, Ontario....
, now the oldest surviving one in Toronto. Thornton participated in the North American Convention of Colored Freemen at St. Lawrence Hall in September, 1851, was an associate of anti-slavery leader George Brown
George Brown (Canadian politician)
George Brown was a Scottish-born Canadian journalist, politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation...
, and helped former slaves settle at Toronto and Buxton
Buxton National Historic Site and Museum
The Buxton National Historic Site and Museum is a tribute to the Elgin Settlement, established in 1849 by Rev. William King and an association which included Lord Elgin, then the Governor General of Canada. King, a former slave owner turned abolitionist, purchased of crown land in Southwestern...
.
Thornton died February 26, 1890, leaving an estate of $18,000 and six properties, and is buried at Toronto's Necropolis Cemetery
Toronto Necropolis
Necropolis Cemetery is a historic cemetery in Toronto, located on the west side of the Don Valley near Riverdale Farm. Opened in 1850 to replace "Strangers' Burying Ground" , the cemetery is the resting place for many dead Torontonians including:* Joseph Bloor* William Lyon Mackenzie - Toronto's...
. Lucie died five years later, on Feb. 6, 1895.
In 1999, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada designated the Blackburns "Persons of National Historic Significance" not only for their personal struggle for freedom, but because theirs was emblematic of so many similar, but typically undocumented, cases. Also important, the Blackburns' situation prompted the articulation of a legal defense against slavery. They were also designated for their important contribution to the growth of Toronto, generosity to the less fortunate, and lifelong resistance to slavery. In 2002, plaques in their honour were erected at the site of their excavated house in Toronto, Ontario, and in Louisville, Kentucky.
External links
- Thornton and Lucie Blackburn Historic Sites and Monuments Board federal plaque, Toronto
- Thornton and Lucie Blackburn Underground Railroad plaque, Parks Canada, Toronto
- Kentucky Fugitives, Commonwealth of Kentucky plaque to the Blackburns, Louisville
- http://www.lostrivers.ca/points/blackburn.htm
- http://www.toronto.ca/torontoplan/lost.htm
- St. Lawrence Hall Underground Railroad plaque, Parks Canada, Toronto
- The Buxton Settlement National Historic Site plaque, Buxton, Ontario
- The Buxton Settlement 1849, provincial historical plaque, Buxton, Ontario
- George Brown Underground Railroad plaque, Parks Canada, Toronto
- Toronto History - Thornton Blackburn
Additional reading
- A. S. Quinn "The Detroit Riot of 1863; racial violence and internal division in Northern society during the Civil War"
- Adrienne Shadd, Afua Cooper and Karolyn Smardz Frost "The Underground Railroad: Next Stop, Toronto!"
- "A Glimpse of Toronto's History", Urban Affairs Library, Metro Hall Lobby, 55 John Street, Toronto
ISBN 978-0-374-53125-6. Winner, 2007 Governor General's Literary Award for Nonfiction; Nominee (Nonfiction), National Books Critics Circle Award 2007. See, Governor General's Award for English language non-fiction
Governor General's Award for English language non-fiction
This is a list of recipients of the Governor General's Award for English-language non-fiction.-1930s:*1936: T. B. Robertson, collected newspaper articles*1937: Stephen Leacock, My Discovery of the West*1938: John Murray Gibbon, Canadian Mosaic...
.