Violet was born circa 1775. She was enslaved by Noah Scovell, a wealthy local sea captain and merchant in the West Indies trade. She was baptized and was a communicant at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Essex. In 1802, she successfully escaped and ran away. Captain Scoville found her working at a tannery in Northampton, Massachusetts. Massachusetts was a slave state at the time; Connecticut was a slave state. Scoville pleas with William Edwards to convince Violet to return Violet to Essex. Scoville offers to pay $200 to Violet if she returns. Violet then runs away from Edwards, perhaps to Boston.
