Explore People's Stories.

We invite you to learn more about 132 individuals who lived on the St. Jones Neck, by selecting a name below to view a specific profile.

Please consult the John Dickinson Plantation Stories project methodology to learn how our researchers are conducting this research or feel free to explore further documentation provided in the Plantation Stories Google Sheet.

Learn About Life on the Plantation. This is... Violet Brown's Story

There are many documents that detail Violet’s story, though her story is always seen through the lens of the white person writing the documents.

Violet was born in or around 1751. Violet was probably born on the Delaware landholdings of the Dickinson family. She was likely enslaved from the time of her birth. The Dickinson family members that established their Delaware plantation in 1740 were Samuel Dickinson, his second wife, Mary Cadwalader Dickinson, and their two sons, John and Philemon.

The first documented mentions of Violet were from 1761 to 1763, while she was enslaved by the Dickinson…

Violet Brown's illustrative portrait
Illustration of Violet taking care of one of Mary and John Dickinson's children.
View Violet Brown's Story