Historical Spotlight: Solomon Fairfax

The Grim Reaper is a made-up personification of death that has been widely accepted in Western society. It’s represented as a shadow figure with a hooded face and carries a thin sickle blade. The figure has haunted children for centuries and even grown adults are afraid for the day when he escorts you to the afterlife. Join me as we shine a Historical Spotlight on Solomon Fairfax, the American slave who earned the nickname Grim Reaper while fighting for his freedom. 

Considered neither good nor bad, the Grim Reaper fulfills the natural cycle of life through necessary clean up work. Oftentimes, people who have made peace with the reality of no longer being here in the physical sense, don’t struggle with the fear of meeting him, but those who haven’t rectified or soothed their souls, tend to fear death irrevocably. 

Charleston, South Carolina was the largest slave trading port city and it’s estimated that 150,000 to 200,000 enslaved Africans arrived in the city between 1670 and 1808. Roughly 40% of all slaves were processed through the city before being sold and forced into labor on plantations. There were almost 1,000 slave ship arrivals and many families were forever separated from their loved ones.

In the St. Michael’s Cemetery, there were nine graves of wealthy plantation owners who all died between 1851 and 1855 from mysteriously similar circumstances. When the cemetery was renovated in 1923, groundskeepers discovered that the victims were likely buried alive. Unfortunately, city officials immediately sealed the documents from public record. 

Each coffin lid had deep scratch marks on the inside and the bodies were in positions that suggested they struggled before they took their last breath. A leather journal buried beneath one of the cemetery’s magnolia trees was found by the authorities and among its pages were four years of calculated revenge, written by Solomon. 

He was a healer that was forced to fight back against the oppressive forces that wanted him, his family, and his people extinguished. He became notorious for being Charleton’s most methodical killer and was referred to as the Grim Reaper. He left a haunting legacy that continues to live on as a local legend.

If you enjoyed this musing, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Like, comment, share, and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next! 

Signed, 

Jessica Marie