der. Colonel Matthew Elliott who settled
in 1784 just below Amherstburg brought many slaves, some sixty it is
said. The remains of slave quarters are still in existence on the
place. Jacques Duperon Baby the well-known fur-trader had at least
thirty.

Antoine Louis Descompte dit Labadie, who raised a family of
thirty-three children was the owner of slaves also. He was a wealthy
farmer of the Township of Sandwich (now Walkerville) and died in 1806,
aged 62. On May 26, 1806, he made at Sandwich his will by which he
made the following bequest: "I also give and bequeath to my wife the
use or service of two slaves that she may select, as long as she
continues to be my widow." After a number of bequests there follows:
"I will that all my personal property not here above bequeathed as
well as my slaves with the exception of the two left to my wife, be
portioned out or sold, and that the proceeds arising therefrom be
equally divided between my said wife and the nine children[36] born
out of my marriage with her."

Some of these slaves were probably Panis. There is extant a parchment
receipt dated at Detroit, October 10, 1775, which reads:

"Je certifie avoir vendu et livre au Sieur Labadie, une esclave
Paniese[37] nommee Mannon pour et en consideration de la quantite
de quatre-vingt minots[38] de Ble de froment qu'il doit me payer
a mesure qu'il aura au printemps prochain, donne sous ma main au
Detroit ce dixieme jour d'Octobre, 1775.

Temoin (Signe) James Sterling[39]
(Signe) John Porteous.

Some of the reports of judges who presided over criminal assizes,
moreover, contain references to slavery. Mr. Justice Powell tried a
Negro, Jack York, with a jury at Sandwich for burglary in 1800. He was
found guilty and in accordance with the law at that time, was
sentenced to death. Powell respited the prisoner that the pleasure of
the Lieutenant Governor might be known. The Lieutenant-Governor at
that time was General Peter Hunter a rigid disciplinarian. Hunter
wrote Powell that as York had been convicted of "the most atrocious
offence without any circumstances of doubt or alleviation" he was to
be hanged. When York was made aware of his fate, he promptly escaped
from the ramshackle gaol at Sandwich.

In the proceedings Captain McKee informed the judge that the main
witness had "been an Indian prisoner redeemed by his father and had
lived in his kitchen and he did not think