John J Pleasants (the “s” was dropped after arriving in California), second husband to Mary Ellen, stated in the federal 1870 census record that he was born in Virginia. William Willmore, an employee of MEP’s stated John was born at “Contention” in Goochland County, Virginia. Contention was the property of Governor James Pleasants. Review of the Virginia’s Free People of Color Registry (FPoC) finds a John Jilburn Pleasants matching his profile. In the Goochland County entries he is noted as having the alias John Gabbin, and in the Chesterfield records as being 5’6″, a “bright mullatto” with light eyes, scars on his chin (and left groin). He states at each entry that he was born free in 1813.
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John traveled around the Richmond area in Goochland (1834-35) and Chesterfield Counties (in the 1840s). His last noted entry in the area is 1844. Background on Virginia’s FPoC registry and requirements can be found here.
Some background on the “Pleasant(s)” family. The Pleasants were a prominent family in Virginia, particularly around Richmond. In the late 1700s, a white Quaker named John Pleasants embraced the Abolitionist movement and desired to free the enslaved on his lands (after making himself wealthy). However, in 1771, it was not legally permissible while still a Colonial holding of the British Empire. However, Quaker John Pleasants did include a clause in his will, stating that should it become legal to free his “slaves” he wanted his descendants to realize his wishes. His son, Robert, a staunch Abolitionist, did so in 1798. Robert had to sue many relatives who refused to honor Quaker John’s will. Robert brought a case to the Chancery Court in order to free 78 people as the progeny of the original enslaved, were also to be set free (upon reaching the age of 30). John Marshall, future Supreme Court Chief Justice, presided over the case. You can read more about this case at this link
Also, an important note – in 1806, Virginia enacted a law which required recently emancipated persons to leave the state within 12 months.
It has been suggested John, or Mary herself, was the daughter of Governor James Pleasants (1769-1836) or his son, John Hampden Pleasants (1797 – 1846), a Richmond publisher, and one of their enslaved women. The Governor and James are descendants of the Quaker John Pleasant and both men were born on the Contention plantation in Goochland County.
In Helen Holderidge’s and Susheel Bibbi’s books on MEP they both suggested that a man by the name of Louis Plaissance, the enslaved son of deceased Haitian King, Henri Christophe, was John J.’s father with a quadroon woman. For John J. to have been “born free” and remain in Virginia, his mother would’ve been emancipated prior to 1806, and her and Louis Plaissance’s names would’ve appeared in the Free People of Color registry; Louis Christophe’s does not. We do not know John J’s mother’s. name. Holderidge noted that John J. only told the “Christophe story” to white people.
It is reasonable to suggest that Mr. John Jilburn Pleasant is likely the child of one of the Quaker John/Robert Pleasants emancipated people of color who were liberated due to the 1799 Chancery Court decision. And that John J’s mother was liberated before the 1806 Virginia law which required resettlement of emancipated bondpeople outside the state.
Virginia records indicate that in 1835 John J Pleasants married a Belinda Banks also of Goochland, VA. Belinda would eventually remarry a Samuel Scott in 1855. She and Samuel appear to have been Quakers and adopted a girl named Caroline in 1867. Mrs. Scott ran a laundry in Henrico County, VA, outside of Richmond. She died in 1882 and is buried in Richmond, VA.
Mr. John J Pleasant died of diabetes in 1877. He was initially buried in the San Francisco’s Lone Mountain/Laurel Hill Cemetery. The cemetery was moved to Colma, California in 1901. Mr. Pleasant was re-interred in a mass grave. Link to virtual Colma Memorial
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