The Royall House and Slave Quarters
Medford, Massachusetts
A Unique Window into the Past
The home of one of the richest families in New England and the enslaved Africans who made their lifestyle possible. Architecture, furnishings, and artifacts bear witness to their entwined stories. The Home.
The Royall House Slaves
When the Royalls moved to Medford from Antigua, they brought 27 slaves with them. New England slavery was not benign. The Royall Slaves.
Getting There
The Royall House and Slave Quarters are located at 15 George Street in Medford, Massachusetts. Detailed Map.
Family Connections to the Royall House
During the past three centuries a number of families have been connected to the Royall House in some fashion.
The three primary families about whom we have information are the descendants of Isaac Royall, Fortune Howard, and Jacob and Ruth (Dawes) Tidd.
The Royall House Association has established a genealogical archive to catalogue the history of the descendants of Isaac Royall, Fortune Howard, and Jacob and Ruth (Dawes) Tidd. The collection consists of bibliographic data, images of portraits, photographs, letters, diaries, and various genealogies written by descendants or scholars.
The Archival Library is located on the second floor of the Slave Quarters at 15 George Street, Medford, Massachusetts. The resources contained within the archives are made available to Royall House Association members upon request. To become a member, please visit our membership page.
Descendants of Isaac Royall
Josiah Royall farm, Garland, Maine, c. 1880
Courtesy of Fran and Gene Powers
The progenitor of the Royall family in the New England area was William "Riall" or "Ryall" (c. 1580-1676). He is believed to have been the oldest of 5 brothers, several of whom emigrated from England to South Carolina and Virginia. In July 1629, William Ryall arrived in Salem, Massachusetts, on the "Lion's Whelp." He was an indentured servant in the Massachusetts Bay Colony Company, and after serving his seven years was provided with a land grant in the area now known as Casco Bay, Maine. He settled in North Yarmouth, Maine, but repeated conflicts between the colonists and the Native Americans caused him to remove to Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1675. William and his wife Phebe Green had several children, one of whom was William Royall, the father of Isaac Royall, Senior (1672-1739). The descendants of William Ryall and his younger brother Joseph (of Virginia) are included in our genealogical files. There are several branches of the family that remained in Maine and one family established a farm in Garland, Maine.
Penelope and Henry Vassall
Courtesy of Cambridge Historical Society
Another branch relocated to James Island, South Carolina and then returned to New England at the turn of the century (circa 1900). Additionally, we have traced the descendants of Isaac Royall, Jr. (1719-1781) in England and the descendants of his sister Penelope and her husband, Henry Vassall, who scattered across North America. In fact, several of Penelope's direct descendants are members of the Royall House Association and have contributed greatly to our archives.
Descendants of Fortune Howard
Twenty Families of Color in Massachusetts
by Franklin A. Dorman
Courtesy of New England Historical and Genealogical Society
Fortune was one of Isaac Royall, Jr.'s slaves and the genealogy of his descendants has been thoroughly researched by Frank Dorman, the results of which are published in his book, Twenty Families of Color in New England.
The Howard family and their descendants have included a number of highly accomplished individuals, starting with Fortune's grandson, Peter, a noted musician who owned a barbershop in Beacon Hill which served as a stop on the Underground Railroad.
A later descendant served as a surgeon to Union soldiers during the Civil War, and another member of the family was the first African American to graduate from Harvard Medical School. Descendants of Fortune Howard's live in Lexington, Massachusetts today and are members of the Royall House Association.
Descendants of Jacob and Ruth (Dawes) Tidd
Sarah Russell,
Reverend Samuel May, Jr.
c. 1863
Courtesy of JoAnn and Herbert May, Jr.
Jacob Tidd (1755-1821) was a successful rum distiller in Medford, Massachusetts, in the early 19th century. Although he owned a fashionable home in Boston, he purchased the Royall House in 1810 as a summer retreat and a place to practice his hobby of cultivating flowers and fruit trees.
His wife, Ruth (Dawes) Tidd, was the half-sister of William Dawes, who rode with Paul Revere to warn the Minutemen of the imminent approach of the British soldiers on April 18, 1775. Ruth Tidd loved the Royall House and surrounding gardens and after her husband passed away, she made "the farm" her permanent home. Ruth was a beloved citizen of Medford and contributed to her church and the local community up until her death in 1861 at age 94. Her many grandchildren and nieces and nephews remembered fondly their many visits to the Royall House and frequently referred to their visits in letters and written recollections.
One of Ruth Tidd's grandchildren, Sarah Tidd Russell, was married to Reverend Samuel May. Jr., a noted abolitionist and associate of William Lloyd Garrison's (see photograph). A collateral descendant of Ruth Tidd's, Hannah Palfrey Ayer (1881-Aft. 1953) undertook the restoration of one of the bedchambers in the Royall House in 1953. Today visitors can view antique furnishings, a valuable doll collection and other antebellum memorabilia owned by the Tidds during their 40 years of residence in the Royall House.
Slaves Who Lived at the Royall House
Little is written about the lives of slaves at the Royall House. Census and probate records have preserved the names of 63 men, women, and children enslaved by the Royalls. For a list of names and tenure of these 63 individuals see Slave Tenure at the Royall House.