Mark Codman

Mark (?-September 18,1755) (sometimes called Mark Codman) was an African-American slave owned by John Codman of Massachusetts in the Boston area [1]. before the American Revolutionary War. Though some texts refer to Mark as Mark Codman[1], he was probably not referred to as 'Mark Codman' during his life as giving a slave the surname of his master was not commonly done with New England slaves.[2].

Mark was convicted of assisting in the successful poisoning of his master, John Codman.[1] As punishment, Mark was hanged, tarred, and his body displayed in an iron gibbet for several years after his death at a well-known spot (at the time) in present day Somerville, Massachusetts.[3] Mark's sister Phillis was tried for the actual act of poisoning; she was convicted and burned alive.[3]

Mark's publicly displayed body was a local landmark. Twenty years after Mark's execution, Paul Revere came to spot in his famous ride. Revere's 1898 written account included "nearly opposite where Mark was hung in chains, I saw two men on Horse back, under a Tree. When I got near them, I discovered they were British officers". Mark's body was likely not hanging there in 1875, but even in 1898 Revere was confident his reader could identify the location by reference to Mark.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Latour, Francie (26 September 2010). "New England's hidden history". boston.com. The Boston Globe. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  2. ↑ Catherine Adams and Elizabeth Pleck (2010), “Love of Freedom:”, p. 7. ,New York ISBN 0195389085
  3. 1 2 George Francis Dow, John Henry Edmonds (1996). The Pirates of the New England Coast, 1630-1730, p. 113. Dover Publications, New York. ISBN 0486290646.
  4. ↑ Revere, Paul (1798). "Letter from Paul Revere to Jeremy Belknap, circa 1798". www.masshist.org. Massachusetts Historical Society. Retrieved 20 August 2018.


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