Tom was enslaved by Joseph Hill, then by his widow Sarah Hill, and then likely by Capt. James Littlefield.

On Oct 19, 1741, Joseph and Sarah Hill brought "Tom, a Negro" and "Will, a Negro" to be baptized as infants "in the Church at Wells."

Joseph Hill "had three slaves, Sharper, Plato, and the 'negro boy Tom.' In his will, he gave the first and the last to his wife, Plato to his son Nathaniel, and to the church and the minister each ten pounds." - Bourne, p.356

In his 1742 will, Joseph Hill left "my Negro Boy Tom" to his wife Sarah. He also left to Sarah "the service of my Negro man Sharper ... to be for her use during her Widowhood. He left "my Negro man Plato" to his son Nathaniel, and also "after ye term is Ended which my Negro Sharper is to serve my Wife, my Will is that the said Negro shall be ye servant of my said Son Nathaniel."

The 1743 probate abstract states: "1 Negro man named Sharper at £37/10/0, a Negro named Plato at £37/10/0, a Negro boy named Tom at £20" An additional abstract record from 1750 states: "Legacies ment[ion] relations: Sarah Hill, wid, who receives Negro boy and Negro man named Will, Nathaniel Hill, s[on], receives a Negro Man."

While Joseph specified that Sharper would become Nathaniel's "servant" after Sarah's death, no such instruction was provided regarding his "Negro Boy Tom." Did Tom become Nathaniel's "servant" as well? Also, Will was omitted entirely from Joseph's will, but is included in the 1750 probate record. Did he also become a "servant" for Nathaniel after Sarah's death?

Bourne (p. 409): "Capt. James Littlefield had several slaves: Scipio, Sharper, Dinah and Tom. Tom married Phillis, but soon after died. She then married Prime. Prime died. She then took Old Tom."

Bourne, p. 409 states that "Capt. James Littlefield had several slaves: Scipio, Sharper, Dinah and Tom. Tom married Phillis, but soon after died. She then married Prime. Prime died. She then took Old Tom." It is presumed in this database that these 4 enslaved individuals are the same as the four individuals with the same names that were previously enslaved by Joseph and Sarah Hill.

"Tom and Phillis, both of Wells, Negro Servants to Capt James Littlefield their intention of marriage was entered the 13 Day of January 1776." - Town of Wells marriage records

< !-- #### Images --/>

< !-- Record of Tom's 1741 baptism is on p. 189 of Volume LXXVI of the New England Historical and Genealogical Register --/>

< !-- Will of Joseph Hill - transcript and original (4 pages) --/>

< !-- probate abstract on p. 238 of Frost Vol. I --/>

< !-- estate inventory of Joseph Hill (4 pp) --/>

< !-- record of intention of marriage --/>

Bibliography:

The History of Wells and Kennebunk from the Earliest Settlement to the Year 1820 - by Edward Bourne (1875)

Maine Probate Abstracts Vol I 1687-1775 - John Eldridge Frost (1991)

Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921

Records of the First Church of Wells, as transcribed in 6 issues of the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol 75-76, 1921-22

York County Registry of Probate