A man named George Rex, identified in official records as “The Last Slave,” froze to death in Brooklyn in 1885 at age 89, according to research shared by the New York City Department of Records.

Entry 983 in the death ledger for Newtown, Queens (1881-1897) lists Rex’s occupation simply as “The Last Slave”—a designation that has prompted Department of Records researchers to investigate his life and the broader history of slavery in Queens and Brooklyn.

Department of Records Associate Commissioner Kenneth Cobb and Research Associate Marcia Kirk recently visited Lit NYC to share their findings about Rex’s life, death, and family history. The researchers have been working to piece together the story behind the stark entry in the 19th century death records.