Sally Cottrell Cole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sally Cottrell Cole
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | Sally Cottrell c. 1800 Albemarle County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | February 17, 1875 (aged 74–75) |
| Spouse(s) |
Reuben Cole
(m. 1846) |
Sally Cottrell Cole lived from about 1800 to 1875. She was an enslaved woman who worked as a maid and seamstress. She worked at two important places: Monticello (the home of US President Thomas Jefferson) and the University of Virginia.
Contents
Early Life and Work
Sally Cottrell was born into slavery around the year 1800. When she was about 13 years old, she lived at Monticello. This was the large farm, called a plantation, owned by US President Thomas Jefferson.
In 1809, Sally started working as a maid. She worked for Ellen Wayles Randolph, who was Jefferson's granddaughter.
Moving to the University of Virginia
In 1825, Ellen Randolph married a merchant named Joseph Coolidge. They moved to Boston. Joseph Coolidge then arranged for Sally Cottrell to work for Thomas Hewitt Key. Key was a professor at the University of Virginia.
Sally worked for Professor Key and his wife. She was their maid and also helped as a nurse. Professor Key lived in a building called Pavilion VI on the university campus.
Steps Towards Freedom
In 1827, Professor Key bought Sally Cottrell from Joseph Coolidge for $400. Key wanted to free Sally. However, a law in Virginia at that time said that enslaved people who were freed had to leave the state within one year. If they didn't, they could be enslaved again.
Key gave legal power to John A. G. Davis, a law professor at the University of Virginia. This power allowed Davis to handle Sally's freedom. Sadly, John A. G. Davis passed away in 1840. The responsibility then went to his son, Eugene Davis.
Living as a Free Woman
It seems Sally Cottrell was not officially freed by law. But she lived and acted as if she were a free woman. In 1850, there were questions about the legal status of some free Black people in Virginia. Sally testified in court that she was still enslaved by Key. The court seemed to accept this, and she continued to live and work freely in the Charlottesville area for the rest of her life.
In 1841, Sally was baptized at the First Baptist Church in Charlottesville. In 1846, she married Reuben Cole, who was a free Black man.
Sally Cottrell Cole passed away on February 17, 1875. She was buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Charlottesville.
Images for kids
-
Pavilion VI at the University of Virginia, where Sally Cottrell Cole worked.
