Manumission deed for Smith Ham, Jane Ham, and George Ham, manumitted by Jacob Ham, a free man of color · New Jersey Slavery Records

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This document is cited as a source in 1 related event in the database, listed at the bottom of this page.

Identifier

NJS-SRC-02819

Source Type

Freedom or Emancipation Certificate

Author

Jacob Ham {born circa 1805 or after}

Location Created

Camden

Date

October 15, 1838

Description

Note that this manumission deed contains several blank areas where the ages of the three manumitted persons were supposed to appear; these areas were not filled in before the deed was signed. Jacob Ham signed this deed by his X mark, and two witnesses placed their signatures on the document. The deed includes two wax seals, which were covered up with small diamond-shaped slips of paper sometime after the document was created (possibly by a collector or archivist who came in contact with the document much later). Page 2 contains an unexecuted acknowledgment block, i.e., a block of text that a Judge of Common Pleas would ordinarily sign to certify that Jacob Ham signed and acknowledged the manumission deed in front of the judge. In this document, the acknowledgment block was not signed by a judge, meaning that this copy of the deed was not certified.

Transcript

[page 1]

State of New Jersey }
Gloucester County } ss.

[wax seal]

To all whom these presents shall come
Greeting :—
It is hereby made known, that on this
fifteenth day of October in the
year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and thirty eight, I, Jacob Ham of the township
of Camden in Said County of Gloucester, (Coloured
man) have liberated, manumitted and set free my
three negro slaves, called Smith Ham, who is about
_____ Jane Ham, who is about
_____ and George Ham, who is about
_____ and I do hereby liberate,
manumit and set free, my said Negro slaves, and
discharge them and every of them from all service or
demand of service, or Slavery, to be hereafter made
either by me or any other person claiming by from
or under me.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the day & year aforesaid

Sealed & Delivered }
in presence of }
A. Browning }
P. J. Gray }

his
Jacob X Ham
mark

[wax seal]

[page 2]

State of New Jersey } to wit:—
Gloucester County, }

Be it remembered, that on this
_____ day of _____ in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and thirty eight, before me _____
one of the Judges of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas of the
County of Gloucester, personally appeared Jacob Ham, (a coloured
man) who is I am satisfied, the grantor mentioned in the
within deed of Manumission, and the Contents thereof being by
me first made known unto him, he did thereupon acknowledge
that he signed sealed and delivered the same
as his voluntary act and deed.

[page 3 blank]

[page 4 (verso)]
V.
Deed of Manumission
Jacob Ham
to
Smith Ham, Jane Ham
& George Ham

Language

English

Format

Handwritten document with wax seal, large folded sheet (effectively 4 pages)