Alice of Dunk's Ferry

Alice was born enslaved in Philadelphia to enslaved parents, brought to colonial North America from Barbados. She claimed a birth date of circa 1686, which would have made her 116 at her death. For 40 years, she collected tolls to cross the river, working for a master named as Samuel Carpenter, a friend of William Penn's. == Oral history ==

Alice became known as "Alice of Dunk's Ferry", gaining a reputation as a lively and engaging figure who enjoyed sharing her recollections of her early years. Jessie Carney Smith wrote that:Thus, Alice became one of America's earliest oral historians and a vibrant source of information for those who had the chance to speak with her. Although, like most enslaved people, she was unable to read or write, she loved to have the Bible read to her, and was respected for having "a great regard for truth". Alice was said to have lit the pipe of William Penn (1644–1718), founder of Pennsylvania, and to have made the acquaintance of Thomas Story. In his Eccentric biography; or, Memoirs of remarkable female characters, ancient and modern, Isaiah Thomas (founder of the American Antiquarian Society) wrote that: == Latter years and death ==

At the supposed ages of 96–100, Alice gradually lost her sight but, though blind, remained skilled at catching fish: Alice was said to have galloped on horseback to Christ Church every Sunday aged 95. Dr Audrey Henry, a local historical society member, said in 2015 that:She has also been lauded for her largely ignored entrepreneurial activities, such as establishing fisheries, gathering shad to be packed in salt in barrels and sold in Philadelphia, and to ships leaving on voyages. == References ==