(Hinsdale), Mescheck

Mescheck (Hinsdale)

Hinsdale, NH

Mescheck (Hinsdale) was an enslaved man from Deerfield, Massachusetts who spent time in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, in the 1740s.  The earlier years of Mecheck’s life were spent enslaved to Reverend John Williams of Deerfield, MA, and later to his daughter Sarah.  In 1737, Sarah Williams died and bequeathed Mecheck to her sister Abigail (Williams) Hinsdale, wife of Col. Ebenezer Hinsdale.  At the time, Hinsdale had established a fort in New Hampshire in the town that would be named for him– Hinsdale, NH.  Mescheck was put in charge of running Hinsdale’s estate in Deerfield and/or Hinsdale when his enslaver was away on business.

Church records and court records provide us with some clues about his life.  In 1847/48 Mescheck was baptized in the Congregational church in Deerfield.  That same year, he was called to court by Peter Evans, who accused Mescheck of stealing and killing Evans’ horse. He was found guilty and ordered to pay 15 pounds in damages.  

In all records, Mescheck is described as ‘mulatto.’

SOURCE MATERIALS

Romer, Robert H. Slavery in the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts. Levellers Press, 2009.