William Prince Ford | |
|---|---|
 William Prince Ford in 1860 | |
| Born | January 15, 1803 |
| Died | August 23, 1866 (aged 63) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Preacher and planter |
William Prince Ford (January 15, 1803 – August 23, 1866) was an American Baptist minister, preacher and planter in pre-Civil War Louisiana.[1][2] He was the slave owner who first bought Solomon Northup, a free African-American, after Northup had been kidnapped in Washington, D.C., and sold in New Orleans in 1841.[3] He resided in the "Great Pine Woods", Avoyelles,[4] Red River Parish, Louisiana,[1] and he ran a farm there.[2] At the same year, Ezra Bennett, a Bayou Boeuf storekeeper and planter, lived near the plantation of Prince Ford and gave him instructions to his factors.[5]
After selling Northup to another slaveholder, Ford in 1843 converted, with most of his Baptist congregation, to the Churches of Christ, to which Ford had become influenced by the writings of Alexander Campbell. Campbell visited the congregation in 1857, at which time Campbell was favorably impressed by the fellowship practiced between blacks and whites in the congregation. As of 2014, the congregation continues as the Cheneyville Christian Church. It is the oldest congregation associated with the Restoration Movement in Louisiana.[6]
- ^ a b Zender 2008, p. 62, Chapter VII.
- ^ a b McCarthy 2017.
- ^ "Southeastern Louisiana University presents program on 'Twelve Years a Slave'". Times-Picayune. 2014-02-12. Retrieved 2014-02-27. The lecture was titled "The Gods of Slavery: The Theology of Solomon Northup" and was delivered by Stanley Neal Helton on 2014-02-26 at Beacon Light Baptist Church in Hammond, Louisiana.
- ^ Zender 2008, p. 61, Chapter VII.
- ^ Turrell; Calhoun (August 1841). "Ezra Bennett to Messrs". Ezra Bennett Papers. Alexandria: Louisiana State University.
- ^ Tryggestad, Erik (2014-02-27). "Oscar contender '12 Years a Slave' has ties to Restoration Movement". Christian Chronicle. Retrieved 2014-02-27.