Newman, John H. (c.1850-1894)

Role in Ravensworth: Owner Parcel 1.1.4.3.6.9

John H. Newman was born about 1850 in Fairfax County into slavery. He was listed on the 1856 Estate Inventory of Richard Fitzhugh. He was listed as John, value $700.

He Married Lillie Gatewood, “Aunt Lillie.” Together they had eight known children. The 1880 Federal Census listed him as “paralyzed.”

John purchased nine acres of land (Parcel 1.1.4.3.6.9) from Meade Battaile in 1886. Fairfax County Cemetery FX156 is located within the parcel, and is the subject of an August 2015 survey of the cemetery with photos by the Fairfax County Cemetery Preservation Association (FCCPA).

John Newman died on November 23, 1894.1

 

  1. Before and After Emancipation: African Americans in the Oak Hill Community, unpublished document presented at Oak Hill History Day, October 16, 2010, by Maddy McCoy, Slavery Inventory Database, LLC (http://www.slaveryinventorydatabase.com/), developer and curator of Fairfax County Slavery Inventory database; and John Browne. African American history and biographical information by Maddy McCoy; maps and landownership analysis by John Browne. ↩