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THE WAY IT WAS ~ BUYING AND SELLING CHILDREN

VENEY, Bethany.  THE NARRATIVE OF BETHANY VENEY A SLAVE WOMAN (AUNT BETTY'S STORY). Worcester, MA: (A. P. Bicknell) 1890. Second edition. With Introduction by Rev. Bishop Mallalieu, and Commendatory Notices from Rev. V. A. Cooper ... and Rev. Erastus Spaulding. 47 pp. 8vo., tectured yellow wrappers printed in dark blue, with unmarked black cloth spine. Light soil to covers, vertical tear to front cover carefully repaired. Pencil ownership to first blank page, ink biographical annotation on title page. Several closed tears to first few pages have also been repaired. B/w frontispiece portrait. Light soil and repaired tears in the text; overall in good condition, complete. Bethany Veney was born a slave in Luray Page County, Virginia in 1815. Bethany never met her father and her mother died when she was nine years old. Her master, James Fletcher, died soon afterwards and Bethany became the property of his daughter, Lucy Fletcher. Bethany married Jerry, a fellow slave, but after a year he managed to escape. In December, 1858, Bethany and her son Joe were sold for $775 to a man in Rhode Island. However, after the Civil War she obtained her freedom and in 1889 published her autobiography.  There is an ink note on the title page thus: "Aunt Betty died No. 16,1915 in Worcester, Mass., age 103 years and 8 months/Born March 19-1812".. 

"Master Fletcher died. I must have been about nine years old at that time. Master's children consisted of five daughters and two sons. As usual in such cases, an inventory was taken of his property (all of which nearly was in slaves), and, being apportioned in shares, lots were drawn, and, as might chance, we fell to our several masters and mistresses. My sister Matilda and myself were drawn by the eldest daughter, Miss Lucy. My grandmother had begged hard to be reckoned with me, but she and Uncle Peter fell to Miss Nasenath. I was put out with an old woman, who gave me my food and clothes for whatever work I could do for her. She was kind to me, as I then counted kindness, never whipping me or starving me; but it was not what a free-born white child would have found comforting or needful." Rare. $1500.00
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