President of Georgetown College Rev. Leonard Neale buys a man named Wat, 1802

President of Georgetown College Rev. Leonard Neale buys a man named Wat, 1802

Slave sale; Slave trade; Georgetown College; Jesuit Missions-19th Century

Bill of sale for a man named Wat, sold by Charles Boarman to Rev. Leonard Neale, president of Georgetown College, for $400. Wat was then sold to St. Inigoes for $500.

The 1838 "census" of enslaved people on the Jesuit plantations in Maryland lists a man named Watt at the head of a family on St. Inigoes. He is listed as 45 years old. If Wat's age in the 1802 bill of sale is correct, then he would have been 66 years old in 1838. The ages in the documents may be incorrect, in which case the Wat purchased in 1802 could be the same person as the Watt listed on the census in 1838. Another possibility is that the Wat sold to Neale in 1802 was the father of the Watt who appears on the 1838 list.

Georgetown Slavery Archive

Vault Collection, box 1. Georgetown University Archives.

Georgetown Slavery Archive

1802-03-31

Lynn Conway, Adam Rothman

Georgetown University Library

PDF

English

Bill of sale

GSA67

Know all men by these presents that I Charles Boarman of the District of Columbia, for an in consideration of the sum of four hundred dollars to me in hand paid by the Rev.^d Francis Neale, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, Hath granted, bargained, sold and delivered, and by these presents doth grant bargain sell and deliver unto the Right Rev.^d Leonard Neale President of Geo: Town College, as such in behoof and for the use of said College, a negro man named Wat thirty years old a slave for life, which said Negro man I do hereby warrant and defend to the said Leonard Neale his successors President of Geo: Town College, and against all manner of persons whatsoever claiming him, and against any title he the said Negro Wat may have either by birth, right or otherwise to the present time to his freedom as well as against any claim or title he may derive from the present sale, and I do for myself my heirs Executors and administrators hereby Covenant and agree to and with the said Leonard Neale his successors Presidents aforesaid that in case the aforesaid Negro Wat should at any time hereafter legally obtain his freedom owing to any of the before mentioned causes, that then the aforesaid sum of four hundred dollars being the purchase money for said negro Wat shall be returned with the costs accruing to the said Leonard Neale or his successors in defending the title to said slave. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this thirty-first day of March Eighteen hundred and two.

Witness                                                                                               Charles Boarman   {Seal}

            Geo: Fenwick  Sold the above Negro Man Watt to St Inigoes for $500.00 (Witness)

                                                                                                                        John McElroy

 

[Reverse side says “Bill of sale from Mr. Charles Boarman to the Right Rev.^d Leonard Neal President of Georgetown College.”]

Manuscript