Enslaved Residents of Hermann-Grima House
The Hermanns and the Grimas were not the only residents of Hermann-Grima House. Both families used an enslaved labor force who lived here until the Civil War. The Hermann-Grima/Gallier Historic House realized that there was a need to tell the story of these enslaved people and to present to the public a more complete view of urban life in the antebellum period. Accordingly, an in-depth research project centering on the role of African descendants in 19th century New Orleans was undertaken in the late 1990’s and the information found was incorporated into the tours of the house.
The task of writing the history and capturing the experiences of the enslaved and free persons of color is difficult as sources for research are limited. Enslaved people were forbidden by law to learn to read and write so few personal papers exist. Notarial archives, wills and inventories, conveyance, census, tax, succession, emancipation, sacramental and death records give an accurate but impersonal view.
Notarial records for enslaved persons bought and sold by the Hermanns begin in 1813. They are listed by year, name, age and price. Sometimes a note as to their skills or position within the household is also included. An example is Charlotte, “a good ironer and cook in the French tradition.” She was bilingual, speaking both French and English, a necessity in a household where French was the primary language. Notarial records from 1829 until 1857 give the same type of information for the persons enslaved by the Grimas.
Other records can also be a window into the world of enslaved people. An inventory of enslaved persons taken when the Hermann family declared bankruptcy in 1842 listed nine adults, six men and three women, plus six children, all by name. Another inventory taken at Mrs. Hermann’s death indicates many of those same people were still in her possession when she died. In addition, the Grimas left a large body of letters that have been carefully examined for any mention of the enslaved people or free people of color with whom they were connected.
Census records are also helpful. In 1840, four years before their purchase of the Hermann house, the Grimas, then living on the corner of Toulouse and Bourbon, had a total of seventeen enslaved persons and one free woman of color. Sophie, aged eighty, had been owned by the Grima family for many years. After she was freed, she chose to stay with her former owners. In 1860 the census lists six enslaved persons as well as seven free mulattoes living at the Grima House on St. Louis Street. Several of these free people of color were Sophie’s descendants.