Cordelia Jones Blizzard

Cordelia “Delia” Jones was born at Bacon’s Castle in either 1852 or 1854. Her mother, Martha Jones, was an enslaved domestic servant; Delia’s descendants report that she attributed her paternity to John Henry Hankins, the white owner of the plantation. In 1864 the Hankinses sent Cordelia and three other young enslaved women, Mary, Rose, and Rachel, to Petersburg to prevent Union troops from liberating them from enslavement. After the War’s end and emancipation, Cordelia married Henry Blizzard in 1871. After his death, she married John William Jenkins. This c.1898 photo features Cordelia with three of her sons: Albert, Robert, and Willis Blizzard.

Martha and Cordelia Jones, regardless of their enslaved status, lived a “freer” existence than many enslaved African Americans at Bacon’s Castle. Cordelia’s own testimony states that she never toiled outside as many enslaved field hands were forced to do; she told her descendants that others enslaved on site were “treated very bad.” At times Cordelia was allowed to freely play with the Hankins’ children. However, at night she slept in the garret (attic) and found a small bit of privacy in a kneewall cubby.

While Cordelia Jones was clearly treated differently than a “typical” enslaved person, she was not a free person until after the Civil War. The reason for her unusual circumstances can be attributed to her suspected parentage from John Henry Hankins.