Timothy Blanchard

The Remarkable Life and Tragic Fate of Timothy Blanchard: Black Landowner, Educator, and Community Leader in 19th Century New Hampshire

The Remarkable Life and Tragic Fate of Timothy Blanchard: Black Landowner, Educator, and Community Leader in 19th Century New Hampshire

Timothy Blanchard, born in Wilton, New Hampshire, in 1791, the eighth of ten children, was not yet 21 when his father, George Blanchard, turned over to him management of his veterinary practice and land holdings.

Although his father was still alive at the time of the 1820 federal census, “Timo Blanchard” was listed as head of the household of six, including a number of “free people other than Indians.” Blanchard property had for many years served as a place of refuge for a small rural community of free African Americans.