Mary John (Marie-Jeanne)

Mary John (c. 1785–1857), originally Marie Jeanne, was an American former slave who became a prominent figure in Arkansas following her emancipation.

Marie Jeanne was born into slavery, likely in the late 1780s, in Arkansas, which was under Spanish control at the time. Her name first appears as property in the will of Etienne de Vaugine.[1] In 1806, her name appears in a bill of sale, transferring ownership from Marie Languedoc to Jean Larquier for $48.[2] Five years later, she was sold for the same price to Englishman James Scull, who changed her name to Mary John.[1]

After providing slave labor to Scull for nearly thirty years, John emancipated herself for the cost of $800 on September 13, 1840. With two white men (T. Farrily and Lewis Refeld) serving as her legal guardians, John opened a tavern at the Arkansas Post in 1846. Her cooking was praised by many.[1]

John died in 1857. Records show that William Refeld "was appointed administrator of the estate of Mary John" on May 18, 1857.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Bohnert, Dyan (2023-06-16). "Mary John (?–1857)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved 2025-12-08.
  2. ^ Core, Dorothy (April 1978). ""Vaugine Arkansas Connection"". Grand Prairie Historical Society Bulletin 21: 6–24.

Further reading

  • "Mary John is Dead," Arkansas Gazette, June 6, 1857, p.2
  • Dorothy J. Core, "Vaugine Arkansas Connection." Grand Prairie Historical Society Bulletin 21 (April 1978) 6–24
  • "The Legacy of African Americans," History is Served: Arkansas Foodways Dinner Series. 15 November (2018): 1-8
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