Nelly Barns was born in 1783 and was enslaved at the St. Inigoes plantation in Maryland. Nelly gave birth to her only daughter, Eliza in 1816. At age 19, Eliza had a daughter of her own named Mary Ellen Butler. Louisiana plantation owner Jesse Batey purchased Nelly, Eliza, and an infant -- probably Mary Ellen Butler -- in 1838. Both Nelly and Eliza, only a few inches above five feet, were documented passengers on the Katharine Jackson in 1838, and it's likely that Eliza's baby went with them, so that three generations of Barns women were passengers on the ship. Mary Ellen died between 1838 and 1851. Nelly died before 1851 by the age of 68 and Eliza died after 1865 at least the age of 49.
