Charles Hale Brown

Charles Hale Brown

Picture from Anita Williams

Charles Hale Brown was Harriet Hawkins’ eldest child, fathered by John Ridgely and born into slavery. The inspiration for his name is unknown, as it doesn’t match either of his parents’ family names.

Charles was sent to Boston as an adolescent, to be educated from the ages of 14 to 17. At age 22, he was freed by his father, while the rest of his family remained enslaved until the practice itself was outlawed in 1864. He bought a home in 1854 for 250 dollars, which he would eventually expand to accommodate the birth of a grandchild. To marry his wife, Sarah, he became a Catholic, forgoing the denomination of his protestant relatives.

Charles’ granddaughter, Sarah Howard, remembered him as a tiny, quiet, and unhappy man who anticipated punishment from God for his illegitimacy. He worked managing the homes of wealthy families before becoming a doorman at the old Baltimore Club on Charles Street, where his Ridgely relatives would sometimes visit. The same granddaughter also remembered them calling him Uncle or Cousin Charlie, as his parentage was somewhat of an open secret. When Charles became too old to work, the Ridgely family gave him a pension, which they continued to send to his wife after his death in 1911, and until her own passing in 1922.

Charles Hale Brown was also a well-known figure in the Baltimore community. His family believed that he worked principally as a doorman for the Baltimore Club. His obituary in the Sun from June 1911 also states:

"Old Colored Servant Dead. Charles H. Brown, colored 88 years old died Saturday at 222 West Chase Street. He had lived 25 years in the family of Mrs. J. Hall Pleasants, also 25 years at the Baltimore Club, and was cared for in his late years by Mr. John Pleasants and members of the Baltimore Club. He leaves a widow and three children."

 

Individuals

• 

  Harriet Hawkins

  Learn about the story of Hampton's head dressmaker and how the story goes deeper than other enslaved people.

• 

  John Carnan Ridgely

  Third owner of the Hampton Estate.

• 

  Nelson Hawkins

  From Chattel Slavery at Hampton to a new life in freedom as a successful cook and "Famous Caterer"

• 

  Anita R Williams

  Her family made a new life in freedom. She accomplished a lot in her life, including the first Black Catholic social worker in the country.

• 

  Descendants of the Enslaved

  Learn about the amazing things the descendants of the enslaved would go on to do.

 

Learn More

• 

  Enslaved People

  Hampton was the second largest plantation in Maryland. Learn about the struggle, hardships, and lives of the enslaved.

• 

  The Ridgelys of Hampton

  Learn about the history of the Ridgely family at Hampton.

• 

  Revealing the Lives of the Enslaved

  A recent Ethnographic Study uncovered major information on the lives of those enslaved at Hampton and their descendants. Read about it here.