Ben, an African American man residing in Johnston County, North Carolina, was enslaved by Bennet Blackman. When Blackman died in 1765, he willed the ownership of Ben to Blackman's son William for the term of three years. After those three years, Blackman requested that Ben be hired out and that the proceeds of his labor go to the support of Blackman's two daughters Ede and Zilpah. In 1768 Ben ran across two other enslaved individuals named Harry and Cuff and urged them not to associate themselves with conjurers, or practitioners of folk medicines and magic rituals. Ben supposedly stated that he had tried using conjuring remedies before, but that they did not work and that they ought to save their money instead. Any further information regarding this individual has not been located.