This prominent Airdrie family owned enslaved people in the United States. Two generations of Alexanders bought enslaved people to work on their Kentucky estate and stud farm from the 1790s until the 1860s.
Robert Alexander emigrated to Virginia in 1786. By 1790 he purchased 200 acres of land in Woodford County, Kentucky. In later years, his son, Robert Aitchison Alexander built Woodburn Stud there, using enslaved people to become a very successful racehorse breeder, establishing the stud farm as the birthplace of Kentucky’s Thoroughbred industry.
Woodburn House
People Enslaved on Woodburn Stud
After Robert’s father purchased Woodburn Farm, records show him first being an enslaver in 1792 – owning a total of 14 people over age 16 and 3 under age 16. He owned enslaved people to work on his estate right up until his death in 1841 with probate papers showing a total 25 enslaved people in 1848:
Division No.1
- Louisa, $250
- John, child of Louisa, $250
- Mary Eliza, $150
- Americus, $100
- Maria, $100
- Eliza, $400
- Dudley, child of Eliza, $450
- Jane, $300
- Tom, $500
Division No.2
- Nelley, $200
- Martha, dau of Nelley, $500
- Edawrd, son of Nelley, $450
- Andrew, son of Nelley, $400
- Neavill, son of Nelley, $350
- Offeline, son/dau? of Nelley, $250
- Monie, son/dau? of Nelley, $200
- John Alexander, son of Nelley, $100
Division No.3
- Mary, $150
- Milley, dau of Mary, $400
- Docie, son of Mary, $450
- Ann Maria, dau of Mary, $300
- James, son of Mary, $300
- Eliza Ann, dau of Mary, $200
- Bob, a young man, $600
- Lewis, an old man, $350
His son, Robert Aitchison continued to own enslaved people when the estate passed to him. He also bought enslaved people to work on his stud farm, including Ansel Williamson and Edward D. Brown who bred and trained his horses.
Ansel Williamson
Ansel Williamson, cropped from painting by Edward Troye. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Ansel was born with enslaved status in Virginia in 1806 and was purchased by Robert in 1864. After emancipation in 1865, Ansel continued to work at Woodburn. He trained a number of successful horses, most notably, Aristides, the winner of the first Kentucky Derby in 1875. He died in 1881 and in 1998 was inducted into the National Museums of Racing Hall of Fame.
Edward Dudley Brown
Edward Dudley Brown
Edward Dudley Brown was also born with enslaved status, in Lexington, Kentucky in 1850. He was bought by Robert Alexander at the age of seven to work at Woodburn under the apprenticeship of Ansel Williamson.
Edward was a jockey for Alexander and later went onto become a successful Kentucky Derby racehorse trainer. He died in 1905 in Louisville and his achievements were finally recognised in 1984 with his with his induction into the National Museums of Racing Hall of Fame, as “a standout jockey and then one of the top trainers of the 19th century”.
Following the death of Robert in 1867, the estate passed to his brother, Alexander John Alexander (A.J.). The brothers had other business interests and were owners of Airdrie Ironworks in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, Ashland Block – a celebrated early sykscraper in Chicago, Illinois and land developments in St. Louis, Missouri.?
Airdrie Stud
Today some of the original Woodburn estate still operates as a horse breeding business, known as Airdrie Stud. It is owned by descendants of the Alexander family so the links to Airdrie continue to this day.