Ruth Dennis Ryer (b. ca. 1800)
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This person of African descent has 1 related event in the database, listed at the bottom of this page.
- Identifier
- NJS-PER-01446
- Given Name
- Ruth
- Family Name
- Ryer
- Alternate Name
- Dennis
- Birth Date
- 1800
- Sex
- Female
- Biographical Description
- Ruth Dennis was a Black woman who lived in New Jersey in the early 19th century. She was the daughter of Joseph Dennis Sr. and Jane Dennis, and the sister of Joseph Dennis Jr. Her parents were enslaved by Marmaduke Hunt of Woodbridge, NJ. Hunt, who died in 1814, wrote in his will that Ruth Dennis should be set free from slavery at age 18. Ruth was manumitted by Isaac Sayres, the executor of Marmaduke Hunt's estate, on August 14, 1821. Ruth's exact age was not recorded on the manumission documents, but the county officials who oversaw the manumission process certified that she was at least 21 years old at that time (the minimum age required for manumission candidates by law being 21). It is likely that she was 21 years old at the time of her manumission registration. By this time she was known as Ruth Ryer, which was probably her name by marriage.
- Keywords
- African descent person
- Places
- Woodbridge
- Enslaved by
- Marmaduke Hunt (1735-1814)
- Record Contributor
- Jesse Bayker
- Linked Events
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Primary Participant in:
- 1821-08-14 Manumission: Ruth Dennis Ryer (Role: Manumitted Person)
- Resource class
- Agent