02/18/2026
We're continuing our spotlight on Shirley Place's Memorial Stones to Enslaved Individuals with the story of Caesar.
There are records of two individuals named Caesar (in one case spelled “Cesar”) enslaved by members of the Shirley family. Caesar first appears in connection with Shirley Place in 1765, when he was left to Eliakim Hutchinson, son-in-law of Governor Shirley and, by that time, head of Shirley Place. This means Caesar would have certainly lived at, worked at, or visited Shirley Place between 1765-1775. Caesar was previously enslaved by Eliakim’s mother until her death.
He is believed to have had a son, Cesar, who appears in King’s Chapel baptismal records in 1773 as “a Negroe Child Servant to Eliakim Hutchinson Esq.” As Cesar was referred to as a child in 1773, whereas Caesar was called a man in 1765, we know these were two different individuals despite their similar names. In fact, the deliberate choice of similar names seems to indicate some sort of relationship between the two, possibly a father and his son.
Caesar’s stone features a Northern Cardinal, one of the most commonly-encountered birds at Shirley Place. Male Northern Cardinals’ bright red plumage helps them protect their young and mates - they often distract predators and lure them away from the nest.
Want to learn more about these stones and the stories of Africans enslaved by the Shirley family? Our site is open for tours at 12pm and 2pm, Tuesdays through Fridays, every week. You can also visit seven of the eight stones on our grounds from dawn to dusk each day without taking a full tour.
