1816-11-16 Manumission: Selena

Identifier
NJS-EVE-01955
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.

The manumission was performed by Dr. Samuel Harris, who was a well-known physician with an office on Cooper Street and Front Street in Camden. Note that the manumission document lists Newton Township because, at this time, Camden was part of Newton Township in Gloucester County (this was before Camden was incorporated as a separate municipality and before Camden County was established). Dr. Samuel Harris was the son of the deceased Dr. Isaac Harris Sr of Pittsgrove, Salem County, who is also mentioned in this document.

Note that the age of Selena, the woman being manumitted, is not mentioned in the manumission document. She is presumed to be about 35 years old at this time, based on the instructions left by Dr. Isaac Harris Sr in his will, written in 1807, which stated that Selena should be freed at age 35 after serving the decedent's wife, Nancy Harris, during Nancy's widowhood. Nancy Harris was not involved in the manumission process, and it is unclear how long she lived as a widow after Dr. Isaac Harris Sr passed away. It is uncertain how Selena ended up with Dr. Samuel Harris in Camden, but as he was one of Dr. Isaac Harris Sr's heirs, it can be presumed that he would be entitled to Selena's services if Nancy died (or got remarried) before Selena reached age 35.


GLOUCESTER COUNTY DOCUMENT NUMBER: 40

TRANSCRIPT:

State of New Jersey
Gloucester County, to wit, We do hereby Certify that on the Sixteenth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, Doctor Samuel Harris of the Township of Newton in said County of Gloucester brought before us, two of the overseers of the poor of said Township and two of the justices of the peace of the said County, a female Slave the property of Isaac Harris Sen. late of the County of Salem, Physician, deceased, named Selena, who on view and examination, appears to us to be sound in mind, and not under any bodily incapacity of obtaining a support, and also is not under the age of twenty one years, nor above the age of forty years. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands the day and year above written.

Andrew Jenkins ) Overseers of the Poor of the said
Isaac Webster ) Township of Newton.

Rich. M. Cooper ) Justices of the Peace in and for the said
Joel Gibbs ) County of Gloucester

[Verso]

Manumission Doct. Saml. Harris
Receivd December 17th 1816 and Recorded in the Clerks Office of
Gloucester County in Lib AA folio 431 of deeds.
T Hendry Clk

15/100 Dr. Sam'l Harris
Event Type
Manumission
Keywords
Estate (deceased enslaver)
Date
November 16, 1816
Location of Event
Camden
Newton (Gloucester & Camden County)
Preceding Event
1807-11-07 Will (of Isaac Harris Sr.): Selena
Primary Participants

Selena (b. ca. 1781)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05416
Role: Manumitted Person
Age category: Adult
Status: Transition
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- Isaac Harris Sr. (ca. 1741-1808)
- Samuel Harris (ca. 1781-1843)
Verbatim description from source:
"female Slave the property of Isaac Harris Sen. late of the County of Salem, Physician, deceased, named Selena"
Additional Participants

Isaac Harris Sr. (ca. 1741-1808)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05411
Role: Enslaver, Deceased
Comment: died in 1808 with instructions to manumit Selena at age 35

Samuel Harris (ca. 1781-1843)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05415
Role: Enslaver, Manumitter
Comment: manumitted Selena per instructions in his father's will

Thomas Hendry
Person identifier: NJS-PER-04440
Role: County Clerk

Andrew Jenkins
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05412
Role: Overseer of the Poor
Comment: Overseer of the Poor of Newton

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

Richard Matlack Cooper (1768-1843)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05413
Role: Judge
Comment: Justice of the Peace for Gloucester County

Joel Gibbs
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05414
Role: Judge
Comment: Justice of the Peace for Gloucester County
Record Contributor
Kemy Rodriguez
Jesse Bayker
Resource class
Event