Benjamin Sebastian (1824-1887) was a 19th-century farrier blacksmith in the village of Host, just north of Womelsdorf in Berks County, Pa. He worked with his brother Edward (1828-1887). The brothers are listed in census records as mulatto (mixed race). The two both married white Pennsylvania German women. Benjamin married Matilda Garloft, and Edward married Elizabeth Seigfred. Their grandfather was Benjamin, born 1756, date of death unknown. Thanks to recent work by Justin Clement, the historic site supervisor at Pottsgrove Manor, and his staff, we know more about the family lineage. They have been doing extensive research into the enslaved people owned by the Potts family. A historic property, Pottsgrove Manor, was completed in 1752. The Potts family owned mills, iron furnaces, and forges with paid, indentured, and enslaved labor. Today, the site is run by the County of Montgomerys Division of Parks, Trails, and Historic Sites. Benjamin Sebastian, grandfather of Edward and Benjamin, was enslaved labor of Potts, later emancipated. He was also a co-founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Pottstown. Other co-founding elders of the congregation were ironworking families. Benjamin was born into slavery. It is believed he was sold at age 9 from the Grace family to the Potts family. He received emancipation at age 27. One of his children William, married Margaret Logan in 1820 at Christ Luthern Church in Stouchsburg. They were the parents of Edward and Benjamin. The familys home congregation was Host Reformed Church. William taught both brothers blacksmithing. When William died in 1869, he left the property to his sons, where the two ran a blacksmith shop in partnership. What separates them from any other tradesmen of the mid 19th century was the fact they signed much of their work. This was not the norm. Both brothers were skilled metalsmiths and made fine tools and kitchenwares, such as pie wheels, dough scrapers, and utensils. Benjamin used a stamp reading B.L. SEBASTIAN and also B.L.S. Edward used E.P. SEBASTIAN. I have never seen anything just signed with Edwards initials. The Sebastian home and shop were in Tulpehocken Township, an area which remains today largely an agriculturally based economy and culturally Pennsylvania German enclave. This is close to where more well-known metalsmith Peter Derr lived and worked. Derr (1793-1868) was a member of the same congregation, and both Sebastian and Derr are buried in the same cemetery. Signed Sebastian items are far more rare than signed Derr items. Id like to continue to study the cross-pollination of style between the two. The tooling on the brass on the dough scrapers are very similiar, as are the powder measures, a small brass cylinder tool with dipstick-style ruler measure to gauge black powder amounts. Signed Sebastian materials are extremely rare pieces that speak to cultural history. It is unique to southeastern Pennsylvania material culture. Id like to thank my friend and fellow historian Mike Emery for assistance with this write-up.