Esther

“Esther”. n.d, WashU & Slavery, accessed February 11, 2026, https://digitalexhibits.library.wustl.edu/s/washu-slavery/item/45277

Name

Esther

Description

Coming soon

Bio

[add description]

Birth Date

1811

Value Annotations

Date Certainty

Approximate

Sex

Female

Referred to in

Bill of sale for Esther, 1852

Glasgow Weekly Times Newspaper account of the attempted escapes of nine enslaved people, presumably pointing to Mary Meachum's attempted escape of nine enslaved people across the Mississippi River, among whom five were captured.

Receipt for expenses incurred for capturing Esther, 21 May 1855

Enslaver

Henry Shaw

Linked resources

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Filter by resource type and property: Items: All Items: Primary Participant Items: Enslaver Items: Child of Items: Mentioned Person

Items with "Primary Participant: Esther"

1852-03-06 Bill of Sale of Esther to Henry Shaw

1855-05-21: Payment for the Capture of Esther

Items with "Enslaver: Esther"

Henry Shaw

Items with "Child of: Esther"

Esther's child

Esther's child

Items with "Mentioned Person: Esther"

1853 tax statement (personal property tax) to the City of Saint Louis from Henry Shaw stating his ownership of 11 enslaved persons.

Bill of sale for Esther, 1852

Daily Dispatch Newspaper Account of the capture and arrest of five enslaved persons at Alton, Illinois

Glasgow Weekly Times Newspaper account of the attempted escapes of nine enslaved people, presumably pointing to Mary Meachum's attempted escape of nine enslaved people across the Mississippi River, among whom five were captured.

Newspaper account of the capture and arrest of Mary Meachum and enslaved persons attempted crossing of the Mississippi River to freedom in Illinois

Receipt for expenses incurred for capturing Esther, 21 May 1855

Receipt from bounty hunter Benard Lynch for $100 to Henry Shaw itemizing costs incurred capturing enslaved person, Esther from Illinois and returning her to Saint Louis. Dated May 21st, 1855.

St. Louis Probate Court Record Book Volume N

“Esther”. n.d, WashU & Slavery, accessed February 11, 2026, https://digitalexhibits.library.wustl.edu/s/washu-slavery/item/45277