Profile of Rebecca Michael by HSEF Student Nina Huang

Post by Nina Huang

Rebecca Michael (Rebecca Francis) was the daughter of Nancy Michael and the mother of William A. Martin. Throughout Rebecca childhood life, she has always held imprisoned for a short amount of periods in "The House of Corrections for petty crimes" because she was unable to make her payments. This was normal for all young colored child. For example, William H. Charles, a boy of nine or ten was committed for assault and battery on the body of Susan O. Sylvia, a girl whose around the same age as him. William H. Charles was sentenced for two days.

In 1830, Rebecca gave birth to a son William A. Martin. She had uses the last name "Martin" because she wasn't sure who was the father of this boy. On William A. Martin marriage certificate, he only gave one parent name, which was Rebecca Michael (he was married to Sarah) Later on, Rebecca had marry a guy name John Francis. His name also appear in record of the Dukes County House of Corrections (Martha Vineyard Museum). He was committed to jail for assault and battery on Tristan Swain, but was discharged the same day. He had also committed to jail for "safe keeping". Safe keeping was a common strategy to prevent sailor from jumping ships.

A guy name Jeremiah Pease who was involved in the community of Martha Vineyard. He keeps dairies that recorded the daily events of life on the island. In his diaries, he had wrote down the death of Rebecca in the year 1854, on Octuber 29. During that time, her son William A. Martin was sailing as a first mate and keeper of the log on the whaling vessel the Europa.