1824-06-16 Manumission: Daniel Clark

Identifier
NJS-EVE-01962
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.

This is a unique document that illustrates how Daniel Clark (also known as Benjamin Clark) escaped from Delaware and sought freedom in New Jersey. He settled in Newton Township, Gloucester County (this is now Camden and the surrounding area in Camden County). There, he raised $140 from "benevolent persons" who collected money to help pay for his freedom. He paid this $140 and agreed to pay an additional $160 over time, for a total of $300, as his freedom price. His enslaver, Ignatius Taylor, signed the manumission deed on 16 June 1824, freeing Daniel Clark and stipulating that Clark still owed a bond of $160 for the remainder of his price to be paid at a later date. The document also mentions that Daniel Clark was originally enslaved by a man named Jenifer Taylor before he became the legal property of Ignatius Taylor in 1810.


GLOUCESTER COUNTY DOCUMENT NUMBER: 46

TRANSCRIPT:

Know all Men by these Presents, That Whereas Daniel Clark otherwise called Benjamin Clark a black man Slave born in the county of Kent in the State of Delaware in the month of November in the year of our Lord one thousand Seven hundred and Eighty one the Slave of Jenifer Taylor and by him given & delivered to me the Subscriber sometime about the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ten absconded from me, and is now residing in the Township of Newton in the County of Gloucester and State of New Jersey - And Whereas divers benevolent persons have contributed the Sum of one hundred and forty dollars for the purpose of affecting his Manumission Now therefore know ye That I Ignatius Taylor of the County of Kent in said State of Delaware in consideration of the Said Sum of one hundred and forty dollars to me in hand paid the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, and of the further Sum of one hundred and Sixty dollars agreed to be paid by the said Daniel Clark otherwise called Benjamin Clark, and for which I acknowledge the receipt of his bond in Satisfaction of. Do hereby on this sixteenth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty four Manumit liberate and Set free And by these Presents have manumitted, liberated and set free, the said Daniel Clark otherwise called Benjamin Clark and do hereby fully discharge and acquit the Said Daniel Clark otherwise called Benjamin from all services or demand of Services hereafter to be claimed by me or any person claiming under me And I do hereby for myself my heirs executors & administrators and assigns covenant and agree to & with the said Daniel Clark otherwise called Benjamin Clark that I have not Sold or conveyed him to any person Whatever and that I have full and perfect authority to Manumit him from Slavery - In Witness Whereof I have hereto set my hand and Seal the day and year above written -

Ign. Taylor

Sealed and Delivered )
in presence of )
Interlineations and erasures made before Syning
Jenifer Taylor
J H Sloan

Be it remembered that on the Sixteenth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty four personaly appeared before me the. subscriber one of the Masters of the court of Chancery of the State of New Jersey Ignatius Taylor the grantor named in the foregoing manumission I being Satisfied he is the grantor therein named and having first made known to him the contents thereof who acknowledged that he Syned Sealed and delivered the Same as his voluntary act and deed for the uses and purposes therein named

J H Sloan M.C.

[Verso]

Manumission of
Benjn Clark Received July 1 1824 and Recorded in the Clerks Office of Gloucester County
at Woodbury in Liber A of Manumissions folio 20 &c

J J Foster Clk.
Event Type
Manumission
Date
June 16, 1824
Location of Event
Newton (Gloucester & Camden County)
Preceding Event
1810 Transfer: Daniel Clark
Primary Participants

Daniel Clark (b. 1781) {alias Benjamin Clark}
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05454
Role: Manumitted Person
Age: 42
Status: Transition
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- Ignatius Taylor
Verbatim description from source:
"Daniel Clark otherwise called Benjamin Clark a black man Slave born in the county of Kent in the State of Delaware in the month of November in the year of our Lord one thousand Seven hundred and Eighty one "
Additional Participants

Ignatius Taylor
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05456
Role: Enslaver, Manumitter

Jenifer Taylor
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05455
Role: Former Enslaver Mentioned

Jeremiah Foster
Person identifier: NJS-PER-04441
Role: County Clerk

J. H. Sloan
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05458
Role: Witness
Comment: Master of the Court of Chancery, notarized the document

Jenifer Taylor
Person identifier: NJS-PER-05457
Role: Witness
Record Contributor
Jesse Bayker
Resource class
Event