Esther Saunders
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Esther "Hetty" Saunders (c. 1793–1862) was a poet in New Jersey, USA. She was African American and born a slave before her family escaped and she was taken in by a Quaker family in New Jersey. Her burial site at the Salem Friends Burial Ground is part of the New Jersey Women's Heritage Trail.
Esther Saunder | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1793 |
| Died | 1862 |
| Occupation | Poet |
Saunders was born in Delaware around 1793.[1] Her father escaped with her and her brother to freedom in Elsinboro Township, Salem County in 1800 by crossing the Delaware River.[2] Saunders then lived in Salem County, New Jersey for much of her life. Her work includes The Little Wanderer. She was taken in, reared and educated by a Quaker family, Joseph and Ann Brick Hall.[2]
She died on 15 December 1862[1] and is buried at Salem Friends Burial Ground.[3]
Works
Her works include:
- Hetty Saunders (2001). I Love to Live Alone: The Poems of Esther "Hetty" Saunders. Salem County Historical Society.
- The Hill of Age (written to honor Judy Wyring, who was a 109-year-old black woman)[4]
