The Hero Blacksmith That Purchased His Freedom - Gilbert Hunt
Gilbert Hunt was a slave who saved a dozen lives at the Richmond Theatre Fire before going on to purchase his freedom and live a fascinating life.
Gilbert Hunt
Gilbert Hunt was a slave in Virginia who worked as a blacksmith down the street from the Richmond Theatre when it caught fire in 1811.
Hunt ran to the scene where he successfully assisted Dr. Jame McCaw in lowering down approximately a dozen women from the second floor.
Gilbert then caught McCaw when he jumped and helped the injured man to safety just as the building collapsed.
State Penitentiary Fire
Hunt returned to his blacksmith shop and eventually purchased his freedom.
During this time he joined a volunteer fire department and performed another daring rescue at the Virginia State Penitentiary.
This time, he held another man on his shoulders to cut a hole in the wall to rescue the prisoners.
All the criminals made it out alive and Hunt spent the following day making as many handcuffs as possible to keep them contained for the time being.
Liberia
By 1829, Gilbert decided to move to Liberia.
This was the United States’ first and only colony in Africa, started by the American Colonization Society in an effort to free slaves without permitting them to remain in North America.
Hunt viewed this as an opportunity to become a leader in a new land, but the Liberian colony was extremely unsuccessful and he returned to Virginia in less than a year.
Local Fame
Hunt spent the next 30 years (living into his 80’s) as a fairly controversial figure in Virginia’s free black community.
He would bounce in and out of leadership in his church and was arrested on several occasions for selling liquor without a license, though charges were always dropped.
Near the end of his life, a book about his life was published titled Gilbert Hunt, the City Blacksmith.
Though the book was written by another author, it was dictated by Hunt. It should be noted that the text seems to be loose on the details in an effort to increase sales, but it still is an excellent reflection of a black man working towards his freedom in early America with some astonishing heroics from his days fighting fires.
Here are some other BLACK PATRIOTS for the turn of the 19th century.
Prince Whipple Plants a Liberty Tree
Salem Poor Rejoins a Desegregated Continental Army
James Armistead is Not Another Face in the Crowd
Pomp Springs - Portsmouth’s ‘Gentleman from Africa’
If you’d like to read more about Black culture in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, I cannot recommend ‘Black Portsmouth’ enough.
Much of the information for the above article comes from this book. It’s and extraordinarily interesting read and although it covers a much greater time period than I do on this page it is nonetheless worth your time.
Pick up a copy through the Amazon affiliate link below (you’ll support this site, but don’t worry, Amazon pays me while your price stays the same).
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