1794-08-14 Term Indenture / Promise to Manumit: Rachel Freeman · New Jersey Slavery Records

Identifier

NJS-EVE-01937

Source

Transcriptions of Early County Records of New Jersey: Gloucester County Series Slave Documents

New Jersey Historical Records Survey Project, Division of Professional and Service Projects, Works Progress Administration. Transcriptions of Early County Records of New Jersey: Gloucester County Series Slave Documents. Newark: Historical Records Survey, 1940.

Event Description

The following archival document from Gloucester County was transcribed by the Historical Records Survey Project of the Works Progress Administration. The transcript was originally published in 1940 in the book titled Transcriptions of Early County Records of New Jersey: Gloucester County Series Slave Documents. The transcript is reproduced below as it appeared in that book.

Note that this document was categorized as a manumission by the WPA transcribers and was included in the "Certificates of Manumissions" section of the book. However, upon close inspection, this is neither a manumission certificate nor a deed of manumission. This document appears to be an indenture (or apprenticeship) agreement regarding a Black woman named Rachel Freeman. The parties to the agreement are John Sparks (Rachel's former master) and Samuel Folwell (Rachel's new master). The agreement outlines the terms of Rachel's indenture and stipulates that Samuel Folwell promises to manumit Rachel at the end of her term of service, provide her with schooling while she is an apprentice, and provide her with two good suits of wearing apparel when she is manumitted.

It appears the original document was torn. A portion of the document text is missing from the transcript (as indicated by multiple dotted lines that appear in lieu of text at the beginning of the document); significant information is missing, such as how many years Rachel was supposed to serve, how old she was at the time of this event, and whether any money exchanged hands between John Sparks and Samuel Folwell. The exact location of the event is also not known.

Importantly, the transcribed document indicates that two passages were written and then crossed out before the agreement was signed. These crossed-out passages stipulated that, if Rachel had any children during her service to Samuel Folwell, the children would also gain freedom at the end of Rachel's term. With these two passages being struck out from the agreement, the fate of Rachel's progeny was less certain, and Samuel Folwell would have a claim to the children's labor even if Rachel herself was eventually manumitted as outlined in the agreement.

Note also that, according to the WPA transcript, the document's verso (the reverse side that normally shows the document's title and clerical filing information) does not match the contents of the document. The text transcribed from the verso says that this is a copy of a certificate of "Abratham Deval & Sarath Clark now Sarath Deval," but these people were not mentioned in the indenture agreement (as far as can be ascertained from the portion of the document that remains intact). It is unclear what, if anything, the Devals had to do with Rachel's situation, and it is possible that the information on the verso represents a clerical error (or a transcription mistake).

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GLOUCESTER COUNTY DOCUMENT NUMBER: 18

TRANSCRIPT:

Month [...............]
ten [...............]
faithfully [...............]
honestly, order [...............]
Mistress, and [...............]
his Self, his Ex [...............]
the said John Spar [...............]
Folwell & Rachel his [...............]
of all manner of House [...............]
knitting, etc. shall and [...............]
tice nine months Schooling [...............]
unto the said Apprentice con [...............]
ard all other things necessary and [.......] aforesaid
and at the end of the said Term shall [....] Apprentice two
good suits of Apprel of all sorts both linen & Woolen, one whereof to
be new, the other for working Apparel. AND the said Samuel Folwell
for his Self, his Executors and Administrators, hereby Covenants to
and with the said John Sparks his Heirs, Executors & Administratore, that
he the said Samuel Folwell his Executors of Administrators shall and will
Manumit and set the adoresaid Apprentice named Rachel Absolutely Free
at the end of the aforesaid Term, giving up unto her all his and their
right and claim whatsoever, [crossed out text: as-to-her-person-and-all-the-issue-that-may-
of-her-body-be-begotten], and any Estate she or-they may thereafter acquire.
AND the said John Sparks the better to impower the said Samuel Folwell
his Executors or Administrators to Manumit the said Negro Girl. doth here-
by forever release unto the said Samuel Folwell his Executors and Admini-
strators all his right and claim whatsoever in and to the person of the
said Negro Rachel Freeman; Hereby declaring, she [crossed out text: together-with-all-and-
every-the-issue-of-her-Body-that-may-be-begotten] shall be Manumitted and
set absolutely FREE from BONDAGE, without any interuption, at the end of
the adoresaid Term, from all and every person whomsoever claiming.
IN WITNESS whereof the parties to these Presents have hereunto interchang-
ably set their Hands and Seals, DATED the fourteenth Day of the Eight
Month (August) Ano Domini one thousand seven hundred and ninety four.

SEALED & DELIVERED in the Presence of (Seal)

Memorandum, The Words "and all the issue that may of her Body be begotten, and the Words "or they", and the Words "together with all and every the issue of her Body that may be" "begotten,"- were all erased with a Pen,
between the 26th & 34th lines, before the Executing thereof.

[Verso]

A coppey of a sertificat of Abratham Deval & Sarath Clark now Sarath Deval

Event Type

Term Indenture

Promise to Manumit

Date

August 14, 1794

Location of Event

Gloucester County

Primary Participants

Rachel Freeman
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05341
Role: Indentured Person
Age category: Young Adult
Status: Transition
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- Samuel Folwell
Verbatim description from source:
"Apprentice named Rachel / the said Negro Girl / the said Negro Rachel Freeman"

Additional Participants

Samuel Folwell
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05340
Role: Enslaver, Grantee
Comment: new master who promises to free Rachel Freeman in the future

John Sparks
Person identifier: NJS-PER-04475
Role: Enslaver, Grantor
Comment: old master

Record Contributor

Kemy Rodriguez

Jesse Bayker