Salem’s Remond Family: The Next Generations’ Connections to Newport

Join Hamilton Hall and Harmony Grove Cemetery for a joint Salem Ancestry Days event. This lecture explores the genealogy and legacy of prominent 19th- and 20th-century African-American New England families.

Our speakers are Theresa Guzman Stokes and Keith Stokes of the 1696 Heritage Group. The Stokes will together draw connections between descendants of Salem’s Remond family and the Rice, Sherman and Babcock families of the Newport, Rhode Island area. Along the way, stories of soldiers, sailors, activists and entrepreneurs among these families outline a rarely-seen African-American dynastic lineage connecting history with today’s living descendants.

The Remonds were a prominent Black family of entrepreneurs and activists who lived in Salem in the 19th century. John and Nancy Remond were the first resident managers and caterers of Hamilton Hall. They were well-known locally for their many business ventures and social activism.

When segregation limited their children's educational opportunities, John and Nancy Remond uprooted their lives to move to Newport, RI for several years. It is no wonder that two of their children, Sarah Parker Remond and Charles Lenox Remond, grew to become prominent abolitionist speakers.

While John and Nancy ultimately returned to Salem, their descendants put down roots in Rhode Island. This event will explore this remarkable family's connection to the Ocean State.

Doors open at 3:00 for refreshments and exploration of the Hall where John and Nancy Remond lived and worked. Learn about their life at the Hall through educational banners set up in the spaces they called home. Then, at 4:00, enjoy the Stokes' lecture.