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FIELD TRIP

Verdmont
Visit Verdmont with your students,
study the Trott Return of Slaves
and look at the items slaves would
use while completing their daily
The Enslaved People of Verdmont chores in the house and garden.
Have each student pick one of the
slaves and write a short biography
about him or her.

Talk about the names of the slaves
and brainstorm with the students
about the origin of the names.
Ask the students what they think
about how the slaves felt about
their given names.

View the slavery artefacts at
Verdmont and talk about the daily
chores of slaves at the house.

Look at the architecture of Verdmont
and the craftsmanship that went
into the building of the house.
The house was probably built by
slaves. Highlight their skills and
their craftsmanship.

For more than 120 years, Verdmont was home to generations of men, women
and children who had no choice but to live and work there. Probably the house
was built by slaves. Alas, we do not know their names. We do, however, know
the first names of later occupants from the inventories of several of Verdmont’s
owners. Bess, who cared for builder of Verdmont John Dickinson’s sister Alice, is
mentioned in his 1714 will where he made provision for her “accommodation ...
so long as she continues serviceable in the family”. More information, such as em-
ployment, age and country of origin can be found on the Returns and Registers of
Slaves. The details were provided in 1833 by John Trott on behalf of his deceased
father Samuel Trott. Tom, a mariner, probably worked at sea remitting the bulk of
his wages to his master; Dick and Prince were listed as labourers and Nanny (or
Nancy); Emma and Geoffrey as domestics, Geoffrey, who was five years old at the
time of Emancipation on August 1, 1834, was probably the last person born into
slavery at Verdmont. We do not know what happened to him. Did he stay on at
An African Diaspora Trail marker
Verdmont with his mother Nanny while she continued to work for wages? Or did
at Verdmont.
they leave? And what surname did the family assume?

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