1763 Manumission: William Boen
- Identifier
- NJS-EVE-01922
- Source
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Anecdotes and memoirs of William Boen, a coloured man, who lived and died near Mount Holly, New Jersey
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Anecdotes and Memoirs of William Boen, a Coloured Man, Who Lived and Died near Mount Holly, New Jersey. To Which Is Added the Testimony of Friends of Mount Holly Monthly Meeting Concerning Him (Philadelphia: Printed by John Richards, 1834).
- Event Description
-
The memoirs of Black Quaker William Boen, published after his death, indicate that his enslaver set him free at age 28 or later, but the exact date and location of his manumission is not stated. The name of Boen's enslaver is not known, and he is only referred to as "my old master" in the text. The manumission presumably took place in Northampton Township, which then encompassed Rancocas and Mount Holly — the areas most closely associated with William Boen's life story.
The following relevant passages from the memoirs provide clues about the circumstances of his manumission.
Page 6, discussing William Boen's embrace of Christian faith and the changes it brought to his life:
"Another inquiry was made of William, how he and his old master got along together, after his change. He said, "Very well. Some time afterwards, one of his neighbours said to me, one day, 'William, thy master talks of setting thee free.' I did'nt think much about it--did'nt expect there was any thing in it; though I heard others say he talked of setting me free;--till, after some time, as my master was walking with me, going to my work, he said, 'William, would'nt thee like to be free?' I did'nt say any thing to it. I thought he might know I should like to be free. I did'nt make him any answer about it, but then I thought there was something in it. So after awhile, sure enough, he did set me free."
Page 15 mentions the age of 28 as a significant turning point: "About the twenty-eighth year of his age, he contracted for his freedom." No further details are provided about the specific arrangement between William Boen and his old master. William Boen may have gained freedom at age 28 or several years later. In New Jersey, the promise of freedom was often carried out through an indenture agreement whereby an enslaved person had to work for a certain number of years before they would be released from bondage. William Boen would have been 28 years old around 1763. - Event Type
- Manumission
- Date
- 1763
- Date Certainty
- Approximate
- Location of Event
- Northampton
- Primary Participants
-
William Boen (ca. 1735-1824) {Heston}
Person identifier: NJS-PER-04868
Role: Manumitted Person
Age: 28
Status: Transition - Record Contributor
- Jesse Bayker