1805-05-14 Manumission: Fanny Smothers, Pero Fisher

Identifier
NJS-EVE-01947
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 manumission record 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.

GLOUCESTER COUNTY DOCUMENT NUMBER: 27/28

TRANSCRIPT:

[DOCUMENT 27]

We John Stokes and Jacob Stokes Executors of the Last Will and Testament of Jacob Stokes, late of the Township of Newton, in the County of Gloucester in the State of New Jersey, Yeoman, deceased, and Heirs at Law of the said Jacob Stokes, Do hereby set free from Bondage, Our two Negroes, late part of the said Estate, to wit Fanny Smothers Aged about twenty five Years, and Pero Fisher aged about twenty two years, and do for ourselves, our Executors, and Administrators, release unto the said Fanny, and Pero, all our right, and all claim whatsoever as to their persons, or to any Estate they or either of them may Acquire hereby declaring the said Fanny & Pero, absolutely free without any interruption from us, or any person claiming under us. In Witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and Seals, the fourteenth day of May in the Year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and five, 1805

John Stokes (Seal)
Jacob Stokes (Seal)

Sealed and Delivered )
in the presence of us )
Thomas Redman )
Joseph Green )

[Verso]

Be it Remembered that on the third day of October 1807. personally came before me James Hopkins Esq. one of the Judges of the inferior Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Gloucester; John Stokes one of the Grantors of the within written Manumission and Acknowledged that he Signed Sealed and Delivered the same for the uses and purposes therein contained; and also personally came before me Thomas Redman one of the within subscribers Witness, who being one of the people called Quakers, upon his Solemn Affirmation saith that he saw Jacob Stokes the other Grantor of the within Manumission Sign, Seal and deliver the same for the Uses & purposes, therein contained, and that Joseph Evens the other within subscribing witness was also present and subscribed his Name at
the same time, Witness his Hand

Taken and Affirmed the Day and )
Year above written )
Before me ) Thomas Redman

Jos. Hopkins

Manumission
John Stokes & Jacob Stokes of
Fanny Smothers & Pero Fisher

[DOCUMENT 28]

Gloucester County ss )
We do hereby Certify, that on this fourteenth day of May, in the Year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and five, John Stokes & Jacob Stokes of this Township of Newton, in the County aforesaid, Executors of the Last Will and Testament of Jacob Stokes late of Newton aforesaid, deceased, and Heirs at law of the said Jacob Stokes, brought before us, two of the Overseers of the Poor of said Township, and two of the Justices of the Peace of said County, their two Negro Slaves late the property of said Estate - to wit - Fanny Smothers & Pero Fisher, who on view and examination, appear to us, to be sound in mind and not under any bodily incapacity of obtaining a Support, and also are not under twenty one Years of Age, nor above thirty five. In Witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands the day and year above written.

Joseph Evens ) Overseer of the Poor of the
Isaac Webster ) said Township of Newton.

Joseph Champion ) Justices of the Peace in & for
John Clement ) the said County of Gloucester.

[Verso]

Certificate of the Freedom of Fanny Smothers & Pero Fisher.

filed 8th October 1807

C Ogden Clk

Recorded in the Clerks Office of Gloucester County
in Lib A of manumission October 8th 1807

C Ogden Clk
Event Type
Manumission
Keywords
Estate (deceased enslaver)
Date
May 14, 1805
Location of Event
Newton (Gloucester & Camden County)
Primary Participants

Fanny Smothers (b. ca. 1780)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05381
Role: Manumitted Person
Age: 25
Status: Transition
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- Jacob Stokes (d. ca. 1805)
Verbatim description from source:
"Negroes, late part of the said Estate...Fanny Smothers Aged about twenty five Years"

Pero Fisher (b. ca. 1783)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05382
Role: Manumitted Person
Age: 22
Status: Transition
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- Jacob Stokes (d. ca. 1805)
Verbatim description from source:
"Negroes, late part of the said Estate...Pero Fisher aged about twenty two years"
Additional Participants

Jacob Stokes (d. ca. 1805)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05376
Role: Enslaver, Deceased

John Stokes
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05377
Role: Executor or Administrator
Comment: co-executor and heir of the estate of the late Jacob Stokes

Thomas Redman
Person identifier: NJS-PER-04484
Role: Witness
Comment: witnessed John Stokes and Jacob Stokes sign the manumission deed in 1805

Charles Ogden
Person identifier: NJS-PER-04439
Role: County Clerk

Jacob Stokes
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05378
Role: Executor or Administrator
Comment: co-executor and heir of the estate of the late Jacob Stokes

Joseph Green
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05380
Role: Witness
Comment: witnessed John Stokes and Jacob Stokes sign the manumission deed in 1805

Joseph Evens
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05366
Role: Overseer of the Poor
Comment: Overseer of the Poor of Newton Township

Isaac Webster
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05379
Role: Overseer of the Poor
Comment: Overseer of the Poor of Newton Township

Joseph Champion
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05367
Role: Judge
Comment: Justice of the Peace for Gloucester County

John Clement
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05368
Role: Judge
Comment: Justice of the Peace for Gloucester County

James Hopkins
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05354
Role: Judge
Comment: Judge who notarized the manumission deed in 1807
Record Contributor
Kemy Rodriguez
Resource class
Event