John Graweere
John Graweere also known as John Gowen was one of the First Africans in Virginia, who was a servant who earned enough money to pay for his son's freedom. He filed a lawsuit to free his son, arguing that he wanted to raise him as a Christian. The court agreed and freed the son.
Early life
John Graweere was born in Africa around 1615 with the name of João Geaween. He was likely born in Angola. He is believed to have arrived in Virginia between the 1620s or early 1630s. A man named John was a servant of ship captain William Evans or Ewins. John was in England in 1622 when he departed on the James for Virginia.Servitude
He was among the First Africans in Virginia. He lived in James City, one of the few black indentured servants, and likely worked as a field hand in tobacco fields for William Evans. It was not clear if he was enslaved for a lifetime or was a servant for a set number of years. Graweere was able to raise hogs and the earnings were split between himself and Evans.Marriage and child
He met Margaret Cornish around 1635. She was born in Africa and in Virginia she was enslaved by Lieutenant Robert Sheppard, who owned the Chippoke plantation in Surry County, Virginia. John and Margaret had a boy named Mihill or Michael in 1635 or in the late 1630s. About 1635, Graweere attained his freedom, but he did not have enough money yet to buy Margaret's freedom.Margaret entered into a relationship with a white gentleman Robert Sweat, and they had a mixed-race child around 1640. The Virginia General Assembly censured the couple for fornication on October 17, 1640. His punishment was to wear a white gown to church. Cornish was whipped. He lost interest in freeing Cornish, but he had saved his earnings and had enough money to purchase his son. It was unclear, though, who legally owned the boy.