1766-07-31 Advertisement: 2 Black women, a Black man, and 3 Black children for the estate of Samuel Finley · New Jersey Slavery Records

Identifier

NJS-EVE-01083

Source

Slave sale ad for Two Women, a Man, and Three Children, to be sold at public auction for the estate of Samuel Finley in Princeton

Archives of New Jersey, Series 1, Vol. 33 (Calendar of Wills, Vol. 4, 1761-1770)

Slave sale ad for Two Women, a Man, and Three Children, to be sold at public auction for the estate of Samuel Finley in Princeton, "TO BE SOLD," Pennsylvania Journal, July 31, 1766, p. 3.

Honeyman, A. Van Doren, ed. Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Archives of the State of New Jersey, 1st series. Vol. 33. Calendar of Wills, Vol. 4, 1761-1770. Somerville, NJ: Unionist-Gazette Assoc., 1928. Page 141.

Event Description

On July 31, 1766, a sale advertisement for six Black people was published in a Philadelphia newspaper called the Pennsylvania Journal. These six people would be sold at public auction on August 19, 1766, in Princeton. The advertisers also indicated that they were willing to arrange a private sale before the auction date. These six enslaved people were sold for the estate of Samuel Finely, the late president of Princeton University (then called the College of New Jersey).

The advertisers were two men. One was Samuel Breese of New York, the late president's son-in-law and executor of his estate. The second man was listed as "Jonathan Seargeant, jun. in Princeton," who was not an executor but was brokering the sales in Princeton. This probably refers to Jonathan Dickinson Sergeant, a 20-year-old Princeton alumnus. His father, Jonathan Sergeant, was also affiliated with Princeton University and living in Princeton at this time, but since the ad specified "junior," we can infer that the younger Jonathan was the one who placed the ad.

The auction was to take place at the President's House in Princeton where Finley had resided. Household furniture, cattle, tools, and books would be sold at the same time.

Samuel Finley's widow, who had lived at the President's House with him, was Ann Finley née Clarkson. Her name was not mentioned in the advertisement, but Finley's will mentioned her and noted that she would receive 1/3 of the proceeds of the estate.

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Transcript of the sale advertisement:

"July 31
TO BE SOLD,
At public vendue, on the 19th of August next, at the presidents house in Princeton, all the personal estate of the late Revd. Dr. SAMUEL FINLEY, consisting of,
TWO Negro women, a negro man, and three Negro children, houshold furniture, horses, and neat cattle, a light wagon, a new chaise, a sleigh, some hay, and grain, together with a variety of farming utensils. Also a choice collection of books, religious, moral and historical, containing the complete library of the deceased. The Negroes will be disposed of at private sale previous to the day appointed for the vendue, should a suitable price be offered for them, The Negro woman understands all kinds of house work, and the Negro man is well fitted for the business of farming in all its branches. The conditions of the vendue will be made known on the day of sale. All those that are indebted to the said estate by bond, note, or book debts, are desired to make immediate payment to the subscribers, and such as have any demands against the estate are desired to send in their accounts properly attested to.
JONATHAN SEARGEANT, jun.
in Princeton, or
SAMUEL BREESE, Executor,
in New York."

Event Type

Keywords

Estate (deceased enslaver)

Date

July 31, 1766 – August 19, 1766

Location of Event

President's House (Maclean House at Princeton University)

Primary Participants

2 Black women
Role: Advertised Person
Age category: Adult
Status: Enslaved
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- Samuel Finley (1715-1766)
- Ann Clarkson Finley (1727-1808)
Verbatim description from source:
"TWO Negro women; The Negro woman understands all kinds of house work"

Black man
Role: Advertised Person
Age category: Adult
Status: Enslaved
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- Samuel Finley (1715-1766)
- Ann Clarkson Finley (1727-1808)
Verbatim description from source:
"a negro man; the Negro man is well fitted for the business of farming in all its branches"

3 Black children
Role: Advertised Person
Age category: Child
Status: Enslaved
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- Samuel Finley (1715-1766)
- Ann Clarkson Finley (1727-1808)
Verbatim description from source:
"three Negro children"

Additional Participants

Samuel Breese (1737-1800)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02445
Role: Advertiser
Comment: executor of the estate of Samuel Finley

Jonathan Dickinson Sergeant (1746-1793)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02444
Role: Advertiser
Comment: point of contact for the estate executor in Princeton

Samuel Finley (1715-1766)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02421
Role: Enslaver, Deceased

Ann Clarkson Finley (1727-1808)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02697
Role: Enslaver, Additional Participant
Comment: widow of Samuel Finley and co-enslaver of the people sold, inherited 1/3 of the proceeds

Record Contributor

Jesse Bayker