1780-12-11 Advertisement: Unnamed Black man, woman, and child [Bray]

Title

1780-12-11 Advertisement: Unnamed Black man, woman, and child [Bray]

Identifier

NJS-EVE-00178

Source

Slave sale ad for a married couple with child, by John Bray

Slave sale ad for a married couple with child, by John Bray, "To be SOLD cheap," New-Jersey Gazette, December 20, 1780.

Event Description

In December 1780, John Bray of Raritan Landing, NJ, placed an advertisement in the Trenton newspaper New-Jersey Gazette seeking to sell a 32-year-old Black man, his 24-year-old wife, and their 15-month old child.

Bray stated that he would prefer "to sell them together" but that "a few miles separation will not prevent the sale." Thus the family may have been separated as a result of this proposed sale.

The following is a complete transcript of the advertisement as it appeared in the December 20, 1780, issue of the newspaper:

"To be SOLD cheap,
By the Subscriber,
A NEGRO MAN about thirty-two-years of age, a negro woman about twenty-four, with a child of fifteen months, not for any fault, but want of employ. They being man and wife would make it most agreeable to sell them together; however a few miles separation will not prevent the sale. Any person inclining to purchase will receive satisfactory accounts of their characters by applying to
JOHN BRAY.
Raritan Landing, Dec. 11, 1780."

Event Type

Freedom status transaction: Advertisement

Date

11 December 1780

Location of Event

Raritan Landing, Piscataway

Primary Participant

Unnamed Black man (b. 1748) {Bray household}

Unnamed Black woman (b. 1756) {Bray household}

Unnamed Black child (b. 1779) {Bray household}

Enslaver

John Bray (c. 1751-1834)

Participant Details

DETAILS FOR PRIMARY PARTICIPANTS:

*** Unnamed Black man (b. 1748) {Bray household} ***
Role: Advertised Person
Age: 32
Status: Enslaved
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- John Bray (c. 1751-1834)
Verbatim description from source:
"NEGRO MAN about thirty-two-years of age"

*** Unnamed Black woman (b. 1756) {Bray household} ***
Role: Advertised Person
Age: 24
Status: Enslaved
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- John Bray (c. 1751-1834)
Verbatim description from source:
"negro woman about twenty-four"

*** Unnamed Black child (b. 1779) {Bray household} ***
Role: Advertised Person
Age: 1
Status: Enslaved
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- John Bray (c. 1751-1834)
Verbatim description from source:
"child of fifteen months"

==========

DETAILS FOR OTHER PARTICIPANTS:

John Bray (c. 1751-1834)
Role: Enslaver - Advertiser

Record Contributor

Jesse Bayker