George Chester

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• Name	George Chester  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
  Birth	1784 San Domingo, Isabela, Philippines [4]
  Birth	1784 Africa [6]
  Born	1785 Maryland, USA [2, 7]
  Gender	Male
  Enslaved	Yes
  Underground Railroad	1826 Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Maryland, USA [10]  –  Operated Underground Railroad station in Harrisburg
  Residence	1830 Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA [1]
  Residence	1840 North Ward, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA [8]
  Residence	1850 East Ward, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA [2, 7]  –  Age: 65; Occupation: Oysterman; AttendedSchool: 3; Industry: Fisheries
  Died	17 Oct 1859 Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA [3, 4]
  Prominent Colored People	4 Dec 1886 Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA [11]  –  -Nathans-Dorsey-Brown-Chester-Dorris-Smith-Hooper-
  Race	Black [2, 7]
  Name	James Chester [12]
  Buried	​ 201 South 30th, Penbrook, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA
  	Lincoln Cemetery
  Notes	Jane Marie Chester was born a slave in Virginia. In her early life she worked for Judge George Pressbury in Baltimore, Maryland . He sold her remaining “slave time” to a Dennis A. Smith. It is believed that around 1825, before the establishment of the Underground Railroad, Chester escaped from Smith to York, Pennsylvania , spending only a short time there before coming to Harrisburg. It was in Harrisburg that she met oysterman George Chester. They were married in April 1826. George owned and operated the Washington Restaurant on Market Street near the town courthouse. He was the town’s only agent of William Lloyd Garrison’s abolitionist newspaper “Liberator,” for sale at the restaurant that became a popular eating place for abolitionists and prominent citizens. After George’s death in 1859, Jane took over the restaurant business and became the town’s major caterer for parties, weddings and banquets. “Auntie Jane,” as local people fondly called her, was noted for her homemade taffy. After the Civil War, she moved to Chestnut Street in #Harrisburg where she operated the restaurant out of the State Capital Hotel. The Chesters had 12 children, seven of whom survived to adulthood. Of the seven, the most famous was Major Thomas Morris Chester, teacher, lawyer, Colored Troops recruiter and Civil War journalist.
  Person ID	I12 SOALsearch
  Last Modified	1 Nov 2024

  
  
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  Family 1	Jane Marie Morris (Age 92 years) b. 5 Jul 1801, 38 North Gay street, Baltimore, Independent Cities, Maryland, USA d. 19 Mar 1894, 305 Chestnut, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA (Age 92 years)
  Married	1826 Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA [5, 13]
  Children	1. Moses S Chester (Age 19 years) b. 1830, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA d. Oct 1849, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA (Age 19 years)  [natural]   2. Eliza Chester (Age 72 years) b. Mar 1846, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA d. 30 Oct 1918, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA (Age 72 years)  [natural]   3. Thomas Morris Chester, I (Age 58 years) b. 11 May 1834, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA d. 30 Sep 1892, 305 Chestnut, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA (Age 58 years)  [natural]   4. David R Chester (Age 54 years) b. 11 Aug 1835, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA d. 10 Dec 1889, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA (Age 54 years)  [natural]   5. Harriet Jane Chester (Age 93 years) b. 1835, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA d. 24 Apr 1928, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA (Age 93 years)  [natural]   6. Agnes Chester (Age 1 years) b. Abt 1849, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA d. Feb 1850, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA (Age 1 years)  [natural]   7. Maria Chester (Age 72 years) b. 14 Sep 1841, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA d. 9 Jun 1914, New York, New York, USA (Age 72 years)  [natural]   8. Charlotte Elizabeth Chester (Age 52 years) b. 14 Aug 1829, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA d. 8 Jul 1882, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA (Age 52 years)  [natural]
  Last Modified	1 Nov 2024
  Family ID	F3 Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Hanna Wilson b. Abt 1790
  Married	Jul 1818 Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA [9]
  Children	1. Child Unknown Chester b. Abt 1818, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA  [natural]
  Last Modified	1 Nov 2024
  Family ID	F6791 Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Sources

  [S7] 1830 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;), Year: 1830; Census Place: Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania; Series: M19; Roll: 151; Page: 67; Family History Library Film: 0020625. [S8] 1850 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2009;), Year: 1850; Census Place: Harrisburg East Ward, Dauphin, Pennsylvania; Roll: 774; Page: 89a. [S86] Biography & Genealogy Master Index (BGMI), Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2009;), Source: The Underground Railroad. An encyclopedia of people, places, and operations. Two volumes. By Mary Ellen Snodgrass. Armonk, NY: Sharpe Reference, 2008. (UndRail). Gale Research Company; Detroit, Michigan; Accession Number: 224727. Record for George Chester. https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=4394&h=11058822&indiv=try [S1] Ancestry Family Trees, (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.;), Ancestry Family Tree. [S74] U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2019;), Harrisburg Telegraph; Publication Date: 19 Mar 1894; Publication Place: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/44262632/?article=8adbf3a8-c81a-47a1-9b1d-e6b20045a6a5&focus=0.24806304,0.58390576,0.34999308,0.7791614&xid=3355. [S2] Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1967, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2014;), Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, PA; Pennsylvania (State). Death Certificates, 1906-1968; Certificate Number Range: 032501-035500. [S8] 1850 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2009;), Year: 1850; Census Place: Harrisburg East Ward, Dauphin, Pennsylvania; Roll: 774; Page: 89a. Record for George Chester https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=8054&h=305305&indiv=try [S244] 1840 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;), Year: 1840; Census Place: Harrisburg North Ward, Dauphin, Pennsylvania; Roll: 456; Page: 214; Family History Library Film: 0020543. [S78] Pennsylvania and New Jersey, U.S., Church and Town Records, 1669-2013, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2011;), Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records; Reel: 691. [S485] Newspapers.com - Harrisburg Daily Independent - 19 Mar 1894 - Page 1, (Name: Harrisburg Daily Independent; Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Date: 19 Mar 1894;), Self-Emancipation-Life+Death of Mrs Jane M Chester-Oldest Former Slave_19 Mar 1894 19 Mar 1894. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89034364/self-emancipation-lifedeath-of-mrs/?xid=637 [S2964] Newspapers.com - Harrisburg Telegraph - 4 Dec 1886 - Page 4, (Name: Harrisburg Telegraph; Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Date: 4 Dec 1886;), Prominent Colored People-Nathans-Dorsey-Brown-Chesyer-Dorris-Smith-Hooper-Telegraph 4 Dec 1886. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110651637/prominent-colored/?xid=637 [S2] Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1967, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2014;), Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, PA; Pennsylvania (State). Death Certificates, 1906-1968; Certificate Number Range: 117501-120750. [S485] Newspapers.com - Harrisburg Daily Independent - 19 Mar 1894 - Page 1, (Name: Harrisburg Daily Independent; Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Date: 19 Mar 1894;), Self-Emancipation-Life+Death of Mrs Jane M Chester-Oldest Former Slave_19 Mar 1894. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89034364/self-emancipation-lifedeath-of-mrs/?xid=637