Following my three part series on the slaves of my 5th grand-father James Sims I’ve made a commitment to write a post on a monthly basis until I’ve RELEASED all of the names of slaves owned by my ancestors. During October, Family History Month, I’m working through a large chancery file pulling as much information out of it as possible and posting weekly in hopes of helping the descendants of the slaves mentioned.
I RELEASED Delph, Ben, Sukey, Tom, Jacob, Peggy, Aime, and their children Sandy, Britton, Reuben, Betsey, Pleasant, Benjamin, Cynthia, Calvin, Sarah, Susan, Adeline, John, William, Mary, Alice, Jacob, Ellender, Giles, Edward, Serena, Lucy, Margaret, Sam, an [unnamed] infant, Martha, Charles, and Green (or Gwen). This is a continuation of information found on these slaves including the Bills of Sale found for the original 7 slaves, Delph, Ben, Sukey, Tom, Jacob, Peggy, and Aime.
Bills of Sale for Jacob
The Bill of Sale for Jacob, a slave sold by Mary Smith and her son Gideon to Samuel Saunders, was found in the Chancery Records Administrator of Mary Smith vs Samuel Saunders, Franklin County, Virginia, index number 1851-022.
These are screenshots of the Bill of Sale ($200) labelled as exhibit “EE”, Memorandum of Agreement labelled as exhibit “HH” and Bill of Sale ($450) labelled as exhibit “FF” by Samuel Saunders the respondent in the case.
12 May 1815
Mary Smith
Bill of Sale
Jacob
“EE”
Know All Men By these Presents
that I Mary Smith of the County of
Franklin for and in the consideration
of the Sum of Two hundred Dollars
Current money of Virginia to me in
hand paid by Saml Saunders of the
said County have Bargained & Sold and
By these Presents Presents Doth Bargain Sell
Deliver & Confirm unto the said Saml
Saunders one Negroe Boy Slave
named Jacob which I the Said Mary
Smith Do Warrant & Defend unto the
Said Saml Saunders his heirs Executors
Administrators & and to the only
use & behoof of the said Saml
Saunders and I the said Mary
Smith Do Warrant & forever Defend
the title of the Said Negroe from
me my Heirs Executors Administrators
and assigns firmly by these Presents
as witness my hand & Seal this
12 Day May 1815
her
Teste May + Smith (Seal)
Francis Hale mark
Thomas Keys his
Braxton James Gideon X Smith
mark
13 May 1815
Mary Smith
Agmt (Agreement)
Saunders
“HH”
Memorandum of agreement made and
Entered into this Day Between Mary Smith
of the County of Franklin of the one part
& Saml Saunders of the Said County of the
other Witnesseth that the Said Mary
Smith have Bargained & Sold unto
the Said Saml Saunders one Negroe Boy
Slave named Jacob for the Sum of
Two hundred Dollars which the Said
Saml Sunders Doth agree to Pay
to the Said Mary Smith at the Experation
of three years and the Said Mary
Smith to Keep Possession of the Said
Negroe Till that TIme and In case
the Said Mary Smith Should Decease
Before that Time the Said Saml Saunders
is to have Possession of the Said Negroe
and Pay the Said Sum to Gideon Smith
for the Time Performance of which
We Bind Our Selves and Executors Administrators
firmly By these Presents as Withness
our hand & Seals this 13 Day May
1815. her
Thomas Keys Mary + Smith (Seal)
Francis Hale mark
Saml Saunders (Seal)
10 August 1815
Gideon & Mary Smith
Bill of Sale
Jacob
“FF”
Know all men by these Presents that we
Mary Smith & Gideon Smith of the County
of Franklin for and in the consideration
of the Sum of four hundred & fifty
Dollars Current Money of Virginia
to me in hand paid by Saml Sunders of
the County of Franklin at and Before the
Sealing and Delivery of these Presents the
Receipt whereof we Do hereby acknowledge
have Bargained Sold Granted & Confirmed to the
Said Saml Saunders one Negro Boy named
Jacob To have & to hold the said Negroe
to the only use and behoof of the Said Saml
Saunders his Executors Administrators and Assigns
for ever and I the Said Mary Smith & Gideon
Smith for our Selves our heirs Executors Admistrators
the Said Negroes(sic) to the Said Saml Saunders his
heirs Executors Against me the Said Mary
Smith & Gideon Smith and heirs Executors Adminstrators
and against all & every Person or Persons
whatever will warrant forever Deferred
By these Presents as witness our hands
& Seals this 10 Day August 1815
Teste her
E. Lewis Mary + Smith (Seal)
his mark
John + Griffith his
mark Gideon + Smith (Seal)
mark
[Transcribed 27 October 2015 from the image found in the chancery records.]
Note: Gideon Smith was the son of Mary (Hairston) Smith.
Posts related to the Mary Smith vs Samuel Saunders Chancery Records:
Slave Name Roll Project: RELEASING Delph, Ben, Sukey, Tom, Jacob, Peggy, Aime and the children
Slave Name Roll Project: Bill of Sale for Delph, Benjamin, and Sukey
Slave Name Roll Project: Bill of Sale for Tom
Slave Name Roll Project: Bills of Sale and Memorandum of Agreement for Jacob
Slave Name Roll Project: Bills of Sale for Peggy and Aime
Slave Name Roll Project: A Conclusion Concerning Delph’s Relationship in the Family
© 2015 Cathy Meder-Dempsey
