1838-12-16 Sale: Mark Harris Jr.
- Identifier
- NJS-EVE-00017
- Source
-
Bill of sale for Mark, sold by James Neilson to Abraham Veghte
-
Bill of sale for Mark, sold by James Neilson to Abraham Veghte, December 16, 1838. Archival location: Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries. Neilson Family Papers, 1768-1908 (MC 933). Box 4, Folder 45: J & J Neilson - Papers relating to purchase of slaves.
- Event Description
-
Enslaved man named Mark (Mark Harris Jr.), aged 20, was sold by James Neilson of Wood Lawn Mansion, Middlesex County, NJ, to Abraham Veghte of Somerset County, NJ, on December 16, 1838, for $20. James Neilson's brother Abraham Schuyler Neilson signed the Bill of Sale as a witness.
Mark was sold for a partial term of 4 years and 7 months, which represented the remainder of his term of enslavement according to New Jersey's gradual abolition law. Mark's term of enslavement would expire on his 25th birthday on July 27, 1843; at the expiration of this term, Mark would become eligible for emancipation. (Enslaved men born after July 4, 1804, in New Jersey had to serve 25 years before they qualified for emancipation under the state law.)
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Transcript of the source document:
"Know all men by these presents that I James
Neilson of the county of Middlesex and State of New
Jersey have and by these presents do grant bargain
& sell and transfer unto Abraham Veghte of the
county of Somerset and state aforesaid all right
with and intrust in and to the services of a certain
Negro servant named Mark for and until he arrives
at the age of twenty five years which will be in
the month of July A. D. 1843 & I hereby covenant in
consideration of Twenty dollars to me in hand paid
by the said Abraham as the price of the said bargain
sale & transfer that I have full right to transfer &
sell the service of said servant for the price aforesaid
& I hereby put the said Abraham in possession of
said services by delivery to him
And the said Abraham hereby covenants
& agrees to & with the said terms that he
will indemnify & save harmless the said James from
all cash & charges that may arise if at any time
hereafter the said Mark shall become chargeable
In without whereof we have hereunto set
our hands & seals this 16th day of Dec. 1838
Witness present -
A.S. Neilson
James Neilson
Abrm Veghte" - Event Type
- Sale
- Date
- December 16, 1838
- Primary Participants
-
Mark Harris Jr. (b. 1818)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-00013
Role: Sold Person
Age: 20
Status: Enslaved
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- James Neilson (1784-1862)
- Abraham Veghte (1791-1865)
Verbatim description from source:
"Negro servant named Mark" - Additional Participants
-
James Neilson (1784-1862)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-00009
Role: Enslaver, SellerAbraham Veghte (1791-1865)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-00019
Role: Enslaver, BuyerAbraham Schuyler Neilson (1792-1861)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-00018
Role: Witness - Record Contributor
- Jesse Bayker
