A RICH NEGRESS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1094, 7 November 1883, Page 4

A RICH NEGRESS.

The American papers record the death of Mrs Elizabeth A. Gloucester, Who is believed to have been the Wealthiest negress in the United States. The life of one who was born a slave and died a free woman in the possession of property popularly valued at Lioo,ooo must be acknowledged to be Out of the ordinary course. It is satisfactory to know that her experiences in the house of servitude were of a pleasanter nature than fell to the lot of Frederick Douglas or Josiah Henson. Her mother was the cook for a family resident in Richmond, and her Virginian owner—Mr Parkhill—emancipated both the mother and her children. Mr Parkhill also arranged that Elizabeth

should be placed under the care of the Rev. Mr Gloucester, of Philadelphia, who was the first negro ever admitted as a clergyman of the Presbyterian Church. When he died his ten children in search of a living scattered in various directions. One of them went to the college founded by Gerrit Smith, and a renewal, after some years’ absence, of his acquaintance with his old playfellow Elizabeth led to their marriage. She in the meantime had supported herself as a servant. It was her good fortune to have as mistress a shrewd but kindly member of the Society of Friends. “What does thee do with thy money, daughter ?” said the Quakeress to the young girl after a few months. “ I spend it,” was, the reply. “ Well, thee ought to savC it. I would advise thee to get a bank-book and put thy money in the 'bank.’' The girl was then earning ios • a-week, but she put a part of that into the bank every month. She always kept the bank-book, and at her death there was a balance to her credit still in the same bank. She married in

i 853» and her husband, the Rev J. N. Gloucester, after some years’ work as a teacher, was ordained as a Congregational minister. His wife had made judicious purchases of house property ;aind land in New York, and she found 'the money for the building of Shiloh Church, Brooklyn, of which he was the first minister. In the days of her prosperity she did not forget her own people. She was a steady friend of John Brown, of Harper’s Ferry, to whom she gave both money and sympathy. Three of her daughters were graduates of the Oberlin College, which was always a centre of hope for the enslaved race. The feature of the American negro is still a matter of grave importance, and at this moment the story of the life of Elizabeth Gloucester will not be read without interest.