William Grimes (ex slave)

William Grimes (1784—August 20, 1865) was the author of what is considered the first narrative of an American ex-slave, Life of William Grimes, the Runaway Slave, published in 1825, with a second edition published in 1855. Another revised edition was published in 2008.

Grimes was born into slavery in King George County, Virginia, in 1784. His father was Benjamin Grymes, a wealthy plantation owner; Grimes' mother was a slave on a neighboring plantation. During his years of slavery, Grimes was owned by at least ten different masters, in the States of Virginia, Maryland, and Georgia. He worked as a house servant, valet, field worker, stable boy, and coachman. In 1814, at the age of 30, Grimes escaped from slavery by stowing away on a ship that sailed from Savannah, Georgia to New York City.

Grimes settled in New Haven, Connecticut, where he was a successful barber. His clients included students from nearby Yale College and Litchfield. Grimes' former master tracked him down and demanded that Grimes purchase his freedom with "my house and land, all I had," or else face arrest and re-enslavement. Grimes had no choice but to pay, and wrote his memoir in hopes of recovering his finances.

Grimes died on August 20, 1865, about 81 years old, in New Haven, Connecticut. On his death, his obituary was published as far away as Brooklyn, New York.

A great-great-great-granddaughter of Grimes, Regina Mason, was an editor of the 2008 edition of Grimes' book. Mason talked about her ancestor's life in an interview with Terry Gross on the Fresh Air radio program on January 18, 2016.