Daniel Kent, father of
Benjamin Kent, was born between 1855[i]
and 1863.[ii] The month of birth was shown as “unknown” on
the 1900 census[iii] and no
day of birth was located. Daniel was
born before emancipation in Maryland and from this information the assumption
is Daniel was born into slavery. Especially as no records were discovered
showing him as a free black.
The Kent family lived
in the 3rd Election District of Calvert County, Maryland.[iv]
Daniel was the son of Henry (or Harry) Kent and Hester Gross.[v]
Henry Kent was born about 1820 in Maryland, to parents also from Maryland.[vi]
His wife Hester was approximately 10 years younger and she and her parents were
also from Maryland.[vii] A
total of nine children were found, two girls and seven boys. They were: Rachel, George, John W., Daniel,
Samuel, General Washington, Bazil, Rebecca, and John.
Name
|
Harry
|
Daniel
|
George
|
John W
|
Samuel
|
Washington
|
Bazil
|
Rebecca
|
John J.
|
Age
|
60
|
25
|
23
|
21
|
15
|
12
|
10
|
5
|
2
|
Relation
|
Head
|
Son
|
Son
|
Son
|
Son
|
Son
|
Son
|
Dau
|
Son
|
Marital status
|
Widowed
|
Single
|
Widowed
|
Single
|
Single
|
Single
|
Single
|
Single
|
Single
|
Occupation
|
Cooer
|
Laborer
|
Laborer
|
Laborer
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Cannot Read
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
Cannot Write
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
Place of birth
|
MD
|
MD
|
MD
|
MD
|
MD
|
MD
|
MD
|
MD
|
MD
|
Father’s places of
birth
|
MD
|
MD
|
MD
|
MD
|
MD
|
MD
|
MD
|
MD
|
MD
|
Mother’s place of
birth
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Under slavery Henry and
Hester were not able to marry legally.[ix] From the estimated birth years for their
children, they were together from the early 1850s. After the Civil War, former slaves could
choose to legalize their marriage. They might have legalized their marriage
because Henry listed himself as a widower in the 1880 census return.[x]
As a split state,
Maryland had troops fighting with both the Union and Confederate armies. The 1863 Union draft opened the possibility
for colored regiments. Many free blacks and former slaves rushed to
enlist. While no records for service
were found for Henry Kent at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., his
draft registration was found from the 3rd Election District of
Calvert County dated July 1863.[xi]
Henry was listed as 44 years old from Maryland, single and a laborer.
|
Hester was last living
on the 1870 U.S. Census and Henry was living on the 1880 U.S. Census, both in
Calvert County, Maryland. No death cards were found for either in the Vital
Records Index at the Maryland State Archives.[xii] However, death registration was not required
in Maryland until 1898 and all counties were not compliant until 1914.[xiii] In
addition, no tombstones were found either in Calvert, or
the surrounding Counties, nor in Baltimore. Leading
to the conclusion Henry died between the 1880 and 1900 censuses with Hester
dying during the 1870s. Without the 1890
census, or a death certificate, the window of time cannot be decreased.
 |
[i] Census.
1870. United States. District 3, Calvert County, Maryland. Roll: M593_581. p.
8(written). http://www.ancestry.com
: accessed 6 February 2018.
[ii] Census. 1910. United States. Baltimore (City), Maryland.
ED 276. p. 7B (written). http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 February 2018.
[iii] Census.
1900. United States. Baltimore (City), Maryland. ED 235. p. 156A (stamped). http://www.ancestry.com
: accessed 6 February 2018.
[iv] Census.
1870. United States. District 3, Calvert County, Maryland. Roll: M593_581. p.
8(written). http://www.ancestry.com
: accessed 6 February 2018. Census. 1880. United States. District 3, Calvert
County, Maryland. ED 37. p. 16D(written). http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 6
February 2018.
[v] Social
Security Administration. KENT, John. Collection: U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936 – 2007. http://ancestry.com
: accessed 7 February 2018.
[vi] Census.
1870. United States. District 3, Calvert County, Maryland. Roll: M593_581. p.
8(written). http://www.ancestry.com
: accessed 6 February 2018. Census. 1880. United States. District 3, Calvert
County, Maryland. ED 37. p. 16D(written). http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 6
February 2018.
[vii] Census.
1870. United States. District 3, Calvert County, Maryland. Roll: M593_581. p.
8(written). http://www.ancestry.com
: accessed 6 February 2018. Census. 1880. United States. District 3, Calvert
County, Maryland. ED 37. p. 16D(written). http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 6
February 2018.
[viii] Census.
1880. United States. District 3, Calvert County, Maryland. ED 37. p.
16D(written). http://www.ancestry.com
: accessed 6 February 2018.
[ix] Goring,
Darlene C. (2006) The History of Slave
Marriage in the United States.” Louisiana State University Law Center. http://digitalcommons.law.lsu.edu/faculty_scholarship/262
: accessed 28 February 2018.
[x] Census.
1880. United States. District 3, Calvert County, Maryland. ED 37. p.
16D(written). http://www.ancestry.com
: accessed 6 February 2018
[xi] The National
Archives and Records Administration. KENT, Henry. Collection: U.S., Civil War Draft Registration Records,
1863 – 1865. http://ancestry.com
: accessed 6 February 2018.
[xii] The Maryland
State Archives. Maryland State Archives
Vital Records Indexing Project. http://vitalrec.msa.maryland.gov
: accessed 10 February 2018.
[xiii] Family
Search. Maryland Death Records Wiki. https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Maryland_Vital_Records:_Death
: accessed 26 February 2018.
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