Simon
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This person of African descent has 2 related events in the database, listed at the bottom of this page.
This person was a victim of a notorious slave trading ring in New Jersey. To learn more about the scheme, see our guide to the Van Wickle Slave Trading Ring.
- Identifier
- NJS-PER-00675
- Given Name
- Simon
- Sex
- Male
- Biographical Description
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Simon was a Black man who lived in South Amboy, Middlesex County, NJ, in the early 19th century. His date of birth is uncertain. He was an adult between the age of 21 and 40 in the year 1818. He was enslaved by General James Morgan of South Amboy.
In 1818, Simon was part of a group of Black people who were sent from Middlesex County to Pointe Coupee, Louisiana, by Judge Jacob Van Wickle's notorious slave trading ring. Van Wickle was the brother-in-law of Simon's enslaver James Morgan. Another key player in the slave trading ring was James Morgan's brother Charles Morgan, who owned a sugar plantation in Pointe Coupee.
Simon's case is unusual among the victims of Van Wickle's slave trading operation. Unlike other enslaved victims, he obtained a manumission from his enslaver right before he was sent to Louisiana. Two documents related to Simon's freedom status are found in the Middlesex County Book of Manumissions and Removals, both dated February 11, 1818. The first document is a manumission certificate stating that Simon was manumitted and set free by James Morgan of South Amboy. The second document is a removal certificate stating that "Simon a Coulored freeman lately a slave to General James Morgan of South Amboy" agreed to leave New Jersey and go to Pointe Coupee, Louisiana, there to serve Charles Morgan as an indentured servant for the term of 2 years 2 months and 18 days.
Relatedly, on February 11, 1818, the same judges issued a removal certificate for Margaret Coven, who was also listed as a free woman bound for Louisiana where she would serve Charles Morgan as an indentured servant. - Keywords
- African descent person
- Van Wickle victims
- trafficked South
- Record Contributor
- Jesse Bayker
- Linked Events
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Primary Participant in:
- 1818-02-11 Manumission: Simon (Role: Manumitted Person)
- 1818-02-11 Removal Registration: Simon (Role: Relocated Person)
- Resource class
- Agent