In 1793, John J. Durbin married his second cousin Patience Logsdon, daughter of Elisha and Rebecca Logsdon, granddaughter of William J. Logsdon II, and great-granddaughter of William Logsdon and Honor O’Flynn—who were also great-grandparents to John.
At some point in adulthood, John lost his eyesight and became known as “Uncle Blind Johnny.” He was also an enslaver of African Americans. One disturbing story passed down through the family tells that when Johnny ordered the whipping of an enslaved person, he could not carry it out himself. Instead, he would command another enslaved worker to do it. According to the tale, the second worker would crack the whip against a nearby tree, while the intended victim pretended to be tied and cried out in pain—convincing anyone listening that the punishment had been carried out.
Was Johnny aware of the ruse? No one knows. What is certain is that we descend from a man who enslaved others, an uncomfortable truth all by itself.
Another story suggests that Johnny’s views on slavery may have been conflicted. He had donated land for a Catholic cemetery where his family was buried, yet, according to tradition, he refused to be buried there because the church forbade enslaved people from being interred alongside white parishioners. Instead, he requested burial in the adjacent cemetery where the people he had enslaved were laid to rest. If this tale is accurate, his objection was recorded in a most permanent way.
Uncle Blind Johnny Durbin died in 1858. His wife, Patience, had died a decade earlier in 1848.
Next: 4. Robert & Elizabeth Durbin 1833-1892
Michael Durbin 