John Leake (b. ca. 1796)
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This person of African descent has 1 related event in the database, listed at the bottom of this page.
- Identifier
- NJS-PER-04428
- Given Name
- John
- Family Name
- Leake
- Birth Date
- 1796
- Sex
- Male
- Biographical Description
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John Leake was a Black boy born into slavery circa 1796 in Deerfield, Cumberland County. He was the son of Jack Leake and Hannah Leake. John's parents were originally enslaved by Nathan Leake Esquire of Deerfield, who died in 1790 and freed John's father, Jack, by his will. While John's father became free in 1790, John's mother, Hannah, remained enslaved by the heirs of Nathan Leake until 1799 when they set her free. Thus, when John was born circa 1796, his mother was still enslaved, and John was born into perpetual slavery under New Jersey law. As a boy, John lived and worked in the household of Ruth Leake Garrison (Nathan Leake's daughter) and Ruth's husband William Garrison in Deerfield. When John was 14 years old, his father, Jack, signed an agreement with the Garrisons that turned John into an indentured servant for a term of 10 years, rather than a slave, and promised John freedom at age 24.
John had brothers George, Tubel, and Thomas, who all gained freedom through their father's efforts to secure liberty for his family. - Keywords
- African descent person
- Places
- Deerfield
- Record Contributor
- Jesse Bayker
- Linked Events
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Primary Participant in:
- 1810-06-27 Term Indenture / Promise to Manumit: John Leake (Role: Indentured Person)
- Resource class
- Agent