Old Ti was born in 1787, and lived nearly his entire early life in Suffield, Connecticut. He was born to a family of slaves owned by the town preacher, Reverend Ebenezer Gay Junior. His mother, Rose Gay, was a princess in Africa and had previously belonged to Gay. His father Major Elihu Kent was owned by another large, wealthy Suffield family, the Kents.
According to Judge Smith’s Old Slave Days in Connecticut Titus was in love with a female slave known only as Phill. Titus was emancipated at the age of twenty-five by the Gradual Emancipation Acting that was passed in 1784. Even though Titus was no longer Reverend Gay’s slave, he was still very much involved in the town.
One of Titus’s most coveted jobs was working as a tythingman.
This job consisted of assisting funerals with the pastor. He made sure things in the church ran smoothly.
Working as a tythingman was not the only job that Titus had. He was also the sexton, the gravedigger, the custodian of the church, and the church bell ringer.
He was very much involved in the community.
In the 1820s there was a day once a year called training day. Training day was a day where the town celebrated their local militia with a parade. Titus was in charge of keeping the little boys of the town out of trouble.
