Letter from George Anderson to Robert Smith: Report of Blacks in Nottingham
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This document is cited as a source in 4 related events in the database, listed at the bottom of this page.
- Identifier
- NJS-SRC-02862
- Source Type
- Letter
- Census or Register
- Date
- February 22, 1798
- Description
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This letter was written by George Anderson. It was sent from Trenton and contains a report related to free and enslaved black people in Nottingham Township (precursor to modern-day Hamilton and South Trenton in Mercer County). At the time of this report, Nottingham was part of Burlington County.
The letter was addressed to Robert Smith of the New Jersey Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery. The letter was hand-delivered by Mr. Cox, as noted on the reverse side. - Transcript
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Trenton 22d Feby 1798
Friend Smith
yours of the 20th Respecting the Blacks in Nottingm
I duly recd and in Ansr thereto I mention —
1st That there is about forty five including all ages and
sexes in Slavery, of this number about Twenty one
belong to the French —
2d There is Seven families of Free Blacks amounting
in the whole to about Twenty five persons, They
are home keepers, but I believe own no land
They are all in low circumstances, but have hitherto
Supported fair Characters as to Honesty & Temperance
Some of them are so far advanced in age as to render
them in a great measure unable to Labour, some
Others are Reasonably industrious & frugal —
There are two servants under indenture one of
which has upwards of one year to serve the other
about five, They are men of abt. 30 years of
age, one has a free wife the other a slave, & has
several children, —
The slaves are some very old & some very young
the masters of some of the Males, complain that
they are too fond of Strong drink, Though I believe
they generally have behaved reasonably well
as far as I can judge from Report
I am with Sentiments of
Respect your frd &c
Geo. Anderson [signature]
Robt. Smith [recipient]
[verso]
Letter of G. Anderson
containing Report of
the Blacks in
Nottingham.
Mr. Robert Smith
Burlington
Hond. p r }
Mr Cox } - Language
- English
- Format
- Handwritten letter with wax seal, single sheet, double-sided
- Sequence Number
- 2003.5.2
- Archival Collection
- Abolition Collection (MSS 5)
- Archival Location
- Box 1, Folder 1: Negroes Census Records
- Record Contributor
- Jesse Bayker
- Linked Events
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This item is cited as a source in:
- recipient
- Robert Smith Jr.
- Shipping Destination
- Burlington
