Slavery in Berne

Deitz, Jacob (Jack) 

Jack was sold as a slave to Johan Jost Dietz in 1792 when he was four years old. He appeared on the census of 1800 in the household of Col. Johan Jost Dietz at Town of Berne, Albany, NY. He and his wives are buried in the Berne Beaverdam Cemetery.

Indentured servant contract

    A few years ago I found, (or was sent), a late l8th or early 19th century indentured servant contract between a three year-old boy and a farmer in Berne, New York. I filed it away under the name of the boy.whose last name I can no longer remember. I have hundreds of surname files, one for every family in the Town of Berne and Knox and other hilltowns, but without knowing the boy's last name I can not find it.
    The 18 year contract called for the farmer to teach the boy the secrets and skills of farming. In addition to room and board, the farmer was required to furnish the boy clothes and to let him go to school to learn reading, writing and arithmetic. When the boy turned 21 the farmer was to provide him a suit of clothes, a bible, and a horse at which time the young man was free to leave.
    During the period of the contract the boy was not allowed to drink alcohol, swear or marry

Berne and Knox history

Just a reminder I will be in Berne Town Park Tues. 23 of September from 2 to 5pm. I will have my new book "Berne and Knox, Some Early Families to 1787" as well as my previous book "Berne and Knox, Our German Heritage." Also available will be reprints of the 1977 "Our Heritage" the Town of Berne History till 1977. The first few chapters have many errors which is why I wrote some new books.

Hal Miller

My latest book, "Berne and Knox, Some Early Families to 1787" is finally
finished. It is a follow-up to my earlier book "Berne and Knox, Our German
Heritage" which covers the early history of Berne and Knox through 1787.
Both are available form my brother Ralph Miller
<https://www.facebook.com/ralph.miller.7370>, Town of Berne Historian, 1136
Helderberg Trail, Berne, NY, 12023. The books cost $20 each if picked up at
his house or $25 if they are mailed. Checks should be made to Ralph Miller
with a notation as to which book you would like.

Also a reprint of "Our Heritage" the 1977 history of Berne is available at
the Berne Town Hall at a cost of $15.00. Cost for copies to be mailed is
$20. Checks should be made out to Town of Berne and mailed to Berne Town
Clerk, PO Box 57, Berne, NY 12023. The reason I wrote my two books was
largely due to the errors in "Our Heritage" chapters on the settlement of
Berne and of some of the early families.

BERNE AND KNOX, OUR GERMAN HERITAGE by Harold Miller halned1@gmail.com       In 1977 The Town of Berne Bicentennial Commission, with the extensive help of the Berne Historical Society published Our Heritage, a detailed history of the Town of Berne. In the Forward, by Euretha Wolford Stapleton, then Historian, Town of Berne, wrote in part, "The editors and authors of this volume recognize that a history such as this is never complete or perfectly accurate. It is our hope that in time other sources and document will be discovered and the material added to our archives so that future generations will benefit."      The early history of Knox "Knox, New York Sesquicentennial New York,"  published in 1973 contains a similar caveat, "It is the hope that the community will continue to become more conscious of its past heritage and many more pertinent fact of our history will be disclosed."      Thanks to 10 years of research on the Internet plus the books written by professional genealogists William V. H. Barker and Henry Z Jones I have found considerably more about the early settlement of the towns of Berne and Knox. Both towns have the same early history because until 1822 Knox was part of Berne. Our Heritage is and excellent history except for the first chapter on the early settlement of Berne. The same with the Knox history.      To share these new facts I wrote "Berne and Knox, Our Geman Heritage." The history of the settlement of these two towns covers the period from the first settlers to 1787. Even though during this period the terms Berne and Knox and not exist, I use them to make it clearer to the readers where certain events took place. German is the language they spoke and modern Germany is the area most of them came from.      The book tells when the earliest settlers came, where they came from, why they came to Berne and Knox, and where they first settled. A second book I wrote is Berne and Knox, Some of the Early Familes to 1787      The first book is available from Ralph Miller, 1136, Helderberg Trail, Berne NY, 12023, (Tel. 518 872 0212). The cost is $20 each if picked up at his house, and $5 for shipping and handling if either one or both is mailed.     Reprints of "Our Heritage," history of the Town of Berne are still available. Price is $15 if picked up at the Town Clerk's Office in Town Hall of Berne or $20 if mailed. Write: Berne Town Clerk, PO Box 57, Berne, 12023. Pay by check to Berne Town Clerk or Town of Berne.  Click here to Reply or Forward 4.21 GB (28%) of 15 GB used Manage ©2015 Google - Terms - Privacy Last account activity: 53 minutes ago Details

The reprints of Our Heritage, history of Town of Berne are now available. Price is $15 if picked up at the Town Clerk's Office in Town Hall of Berne or $20 if mailed. Write: Berne Town Clerk, PO Box 57, Berne, 12023. Pay by check.to Berne Town Clerk or Town of Berne