Remond, John

John Remond (1785-1874) ran a successful catering business on the ground floor of the Hamilton Hall in Salem. An immigrant from Curacao,in the Caribbean, he was politically active in the anti-slavery cause and school desegregation. He married Nancy Lenox in 1807.

They went on to have 8 children together, two of whom became famous, Sarah Parker Remond and Charles Lenox Remond.

He began his career as a hairdresser. Later, with his wife's help, he became a caterer. He handled some of the most important fuctions in town, including the 200th anniversary dinner for Salem and a dinner for Pres. Andrew Jackson in 1833.

His daughter Sarah Parker Remond went on to become an internationally renowned antislavery lecturer.

His son Charles Lenox Remond was a gifted orator and was active in anti-slavery meetings. He started the Salem Anti-Slavery Society with his son Charles in 1834. A few months later, John's daughter Sarah helped organize the Salem Female Anti-Slavery Society.

John Remond, his wife Nancy and several of his children are buried in Harmony Grove Cemetery.

See Also

• Vertical File in Salem Collection - Black History

• The Remond Family Hamilton Hall website

• John Remond Find-a-grave site

• Salem Women's Heritage Trail by Bonnie Hurd Smith, p. 41-2

• African American History in Salem and Essex County National Park Service Pamphlet (downloadable)

• "Progressions of the African-American community" Salem Evening News, Feb. 16, 2000, p.A3

• "Remembering MLK: Members of Salem family were early champions of civil rights movement" Salem News, Jan. 15, 2007, p. C7