The Deceased (8)

Alms_House_Birch's_Views_Plate_25
The Philadelphia Alms House circa 1799,1 where an unnamed Ganges African died on January 14, 1801 after a confinement of about three months.

We know very little about the Africans who did not live long enough to be indentured. According to the records of the Board of Health’s marine hospital located on State Island — aka the “pest house”, “quarantine hospital;” or “Lazaretto” — six of the Ganges Africans died there and were provided with a coffin and burial. Costs were billed to the Federal District Marshall, John Hall.2 One, identified only as “Negro Ganges” was admitted to the Philadelphia Alms House on October 29, 1800 and died there a few months later.3  The fate of the eighth person is entirely unknown.

First NameSurnamePlace of DeathDate of Death
UnknownGangesMarine HospitalAugust 9, 1800
UnknownGangesMarine HospitalAugust 21, 1800
UnknownGangesMarine HospitalAugust 25, 1800
UnknownGangesMarine HospitalAugust 29, 1800
UnknownGangesMarine HospitalSeptember 8, 1800
UnknownGangesMarine HospitalSeptember 15, 1800
NegroGangesPhiladelphia Alms HouseJanuary 14,1801
UnknownGangesUnknownUnknown

References

  1. Alms House in Spruce Street Philadelphia.” Plate 25 from The City of Philadelphia as it appeared in the Year 1800. Published by W. Birch, Springland Cot. near Neshaminy Bridge on the Bristol Road; Pennsylvania. Decr. 31st 1800, (Philadelphia, W. Birch & Son, 1799), plate 25; online, ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Alms_House_Birch%27s_Views_Plate_25.jpg : accessed 7 Mar 2021. ↩︎
  2. Philadelphia Bureau of Health, Accounts, Lazaretto Steward 1794-1801, Philadelphia City Archives, RG 37, item 37.13, account of John Hall Esqr. Marshall of the District of Pennsylvania, p 103 (pencil). ↩︎
  3. Philadelphia Guardians of the Poor,Alms House Admissions and Discharges 1785-1805 (digital image, familysearch.com), p 99. Original at Philadelphia City Archives. ↩︎