William Brinkley (Underground Railroad) facts for kids

William Brinkley (born around 1814 – died January 5, 1887) was a brave leader on the Underground Railroad. He helped more than 100 people find freedom. He guided them from Camden, Delaware, through dangerous towns like Dover and Smyrna, all the way north to Blackbird and sometimes even Wilmington. Some of his most famous rescues include the Tilly Escape in 1856, the Dover Eight in 1857, and helping 28 people, many of them children, escape from Dorchester County, Maryland. William had many secret paths, and his brother Nathaniel and Abraham Gibbs often helped him.

About William Brinkley

William was born in Delaware around 1813 or 1814. He worked as a laborer and a farmer. He was married to Ann, also known as Annie, who was born around 1820. They had two children, Malaki (born around 1835) and Henrietta (born around 1842).

The family lived in Camden, Delaware in Kent County, Delaware. His younger brother, Nathaniel Brinkley, lived next door with his wife Sarah and their children. William and Ann's granddaughter, Rebecca Warner, also lived with them in the 1870s and 1880s.

William Brinkley passed away on January 5, 1887, in Kent County, Delaware. He was about 72 years old.

The Underground Railroad Hero

William Brinkley lived in a Black community called Brinkley Hill. This area was near northeast Camden, Delaware. Camden was known as a very risky place for people trying to escape slavery. However, Brinkley Hill was a safe stop on the secret network that helped people travel north to freedom.

Brinkley guided people to different towns like Blackbird, Dover, New Castle, Odessa, Smyrna, or Wilmington.

When the famous Harriet Tubman came to the area, she often stayed at Brinkley's home. Abraham Gibbs and William's brother, Nathaniel Brinkley, also risked their lives to help people escape. Harriet Tubman said she felt "safe and comfortable" with Gibbs and the Brinkley brothers.

William Brinkley also wrote letters about his experiences helping people on the Underground Railroad. He worked with other important figures like Thomas Garrett and William Still.

The Tilly Escape Story

In the fall of 1856, Brinkley helped Harriet Tubman and a woman named Tilly escape. This event is known as the Tilly Escape. The women had traveled by steamboat from Baltimore to Seaford, Delaware. They almost got caught there but managed to reach Camden. From Camden, Brinkley safely led them to Wilmington, Delaware.

The Dover Eight Rescue

In March 1857, William Brinkley helped a group known as the Dover Eight travel to Philadelphia. Philadelphia was a free state, meaning slavery was not allowed there. A person who was supposed to help them, Thomas Otwell, betrayed them. The Dover Eight were almost captured at the Dover jail.

Six of the Dover Eight managed to return to Camden. They convinced Otwell to take them to William Brinkley, as was the original plan. Brinkley then guided them past Dover and Smyrna. With help from Thomas Garrett and other Underground Railroad helpers, they were safely led out of Delaware.

Brinkley wrote about the six people who returned to Camden:

We put them through, we have to carry them 19 miles and come back the same night which makes 38 miles. It is too much for our little horses. We must do the best we can, there is much Business done on this Road. We have to go through Dover and Smyrna, the two worst places this side of the Maryland line.

—Letter to a member of the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee from William Brinkley, March 23, 1857

Helping Dorchester Families Escape

On a rainy night, October 24, 1857, a large group of 28 people escaped from six different enslavers in Dorchester County, Maryland. Many of these people were children, including two infants. They traveled through days of heavy rain. The group grew to 28 people when Marshall Dutton, George and Solomon Light, and Silas Long joined them. They carried weapons to protect themselves from slave catchers.

This group of 28 freedom seekers, including seventeen children, met up with Brinkley and his friends. They took them north toward Centreville, Delaware near Wilmington. Brinkley drove his carriage very fast to escape, but it broke down, and the horse was hurt. The group, especially the children, were tired, cold, hungry, and sick. Some were even barefoot.

News reached Thomas Garrett that most of the group was in Centreville, and he told William Still. One 14-year-old boy got separated from the group. The others split into smaller groups and went to different safe places outside of Philadelphia. They faced heavy snowstorms in November. Most of the group eventually made it to St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, where they were truly free.

Other Delaware Helpers

Besides William Brinkley, many other brave Black people helped on the Underground Railroad in Delaware. These included Samuel Burris, Harry Craige, Joseph Hamilton, Evan Lewis, Davey Moore, Comegys Munson, Severn Johnson, Abraham Shadd, Joseph G. Walker, and George Wilmer. White helpers included John Alston, Daniel Corbit, Isaac S. Flint, Daniel Gibbons, John Hunn, Benjamin Webb, Thomas Webb, and William Webb. All of them worked under the leadership of Thomas Garrett.

Helping Build a School

William Brinkley was one of five trustees for a school built in Camden. This school was built with help from the Delaware Association and the Freedmen's Bureau. The school was located next to his brother Nathaniel's property, along the road from Camden to Dover. His brother, who was the President of the Camden Colored Lincoln Union League, asked for the school to be built in 1867. The wooden schoolhouse was finished that same year.