After a series of mysterious fires roared across New York City in 1741, the ruling class lost their minds. They saw conspiracies everywhere; it was an uprising among the enslaved, the poor were rising up, or it was an uprising by the Catholics who supported the Catholic Spanish in the truly stupid war that the English was fighting with his most Catholic Majesty; The War of Jenkins’ Ear.
Arrests began almost immediately. Hundreds of enslaved men and women were arrested as well as a number of white people suspected in the conspiracies.
Among those arrested was a woman named Peggy Kerry. Peggy was famous for her flaming red hair, her personality, and was known around town as the “Newfoundland Irish Beauty.”[1] This hints at her ancestry. Perhaps she was Irish who passed through Newfoundland on her way to New York or perhaps she was born in Newfoundland of Irish parents. Either way she must have been desperate to risk a trip to New York and take up her chosen profession.
Peggy was one of the most notorious prostitutes in New York. Part of her notoriety came from the fact that she was an equal opportunity prostitute. Some people even called her “Negro Peg.”[2]
Peggy’s life in New York. She may have lived at a boarding house owned by a free Black man named Frank.[3] From there she may have worked out of a tavern owned by John Hughson that was less than savory. There is also a chance she may have roomed right at the tavern. She had a boyfriend or pimp named Ceaser who belonged to a man named John Vaarck. She was also seven months pregnant when she was first arrested, supposedly with Ceaser’s child, although given her avocation, how she knew the father is something of a mystery. Sadly, the baby is never mentioned after her arrest so it may not have survived birth or the first few weeks of life.[4]
After Peggy was arrested, she was initially obstinate refusing to speak, but given the chance to save her life she began to speak. She was the one that suggested the plot was an uprising by the poor against the rich. She began to name names. A lineup of men was marched past her and she picked out more conspirators.[5] She gave a confession, which was written down for her and she signed with an “X”.[6]
Despite this Peggy was put on trial with John Hughson, his wife, and his daughter. Hughson was accused of being a ringleader of the conspiracy. Its likely that she was put on trial despite possible earlier promises of clemency, Daniel Horsmanden, the prosecutor found her choices of who she lay with to be reprehensible. The trial got off to an interesting start when the jurors were brought in. A young man in the jury began to look very uncomfortable. Peggy said that he had “challenged one of the best of them all.” He was a client of hers. Laughter rang through the court room as he was removed.[7]
That was the last mirth Peggy would have. The scant evidence against her was presented, among which was the belief, without clear source, that she was a Catholic, she was convicted. She was brought to the gallows with the Hughsons. They remained quiet although Peggy seemed prepared to say something to the assembled crowd, Mrs. Hughson gave her a nudge and she remained quiet. Shortly there after the Newfoundland Irish Beauty swung from the gallows.
[1] Fischer, David Hackett African Founders: How Enslaved People Expanded American Ideals Simon and Schuster, New York 2022 pg151
[2] Lepore, Jill New York Burning: Liberty, Slavery, and Conspiracy in Eighteenth -Century Manhattan Vintage Books, New York 2005 pg 156
[3] Fischer pg 151
[4] Lepore pg 38, Fischer pg151
[5] Lepore pg 150,
[6] Lepore pg 113
[7] Famous-trials.com/newyorkplot/355-hughsons accessed 4/21/24
Geoff Benton 