Researchers seek relatives of 1896 Black lynching victim
by Bessida White –
A Black man named Thomas Washington was lynched in Essex County in March 1896 for the alleged attempted assault of a young white girl. The body was found hanging from a tree in southern Essex, between Cedar Fork and Center Cross, a few miles north of Middlesex County. A coroner’s inquisition found the cause of death to be hanging at the hands of unknown parties.
Although the case attracted considerable publicity, no one was ever brought to justice for the murder. Little is known about Mr. Washington, but there is some suggestion that he may have had a connection to Richmond County and to Fredericksburg.
A group spearheaded by Black Lives Matter activist Reginald Carter applied for and recently received approval from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources for a historical marker for the Thomas Washington lynching. It is expected that the marker will be dedicated later this year, 125 years after the incident.
A team of researchers is trying to identify Mr. Washington and to locate any of his present-day relatives. If you are descended from, otherwise related to, or have any information whatsoever about Thomas Washington and this lynching, please email mpaaghs.va@gmail.com or call 804-651-8753. Any and all tips are welcome as the team seeks to find specifics regarding Mr. Thomas Washington and/or his family. The goal is to involve Mr. Washington’s family in the public acknowledgment of his tragic fate.
Text of marker to be erected
“Thomas Washington Lynched
Thomas Washington, an African-American man, was lynched on 23 March 1896 for allegedly attempting to assault the young daughter of a prominent white citizen. A boy found Washington’s body hanging from a tree about 1/8 mile southwest of here. A coroner’s jury did not identify the killers. The body, buried near the tree, was later given a proper burial by relatives. This was the only documented lynching in Essex County. The case attracted publicity across the state, but no one was ever brought to justice. More than 4,000 lynchings took place in the U.S. between 1877 and 1950; more than 100 people, primarily African-American men, were lynched in Virginia.”
