Fr. Ambrose Maréchal hires out James, a blacksmith from Bohemia Plantation, January 11, 1798

Fr. Ambrose Maréchal hires out James, a blacksmith from Bohemia Plantation, January 11, 1798

Slavery; Slave labor; Hire; Leases; Master and Servant

These articles of agreement describe the terms on which James, an enslaved man at Bohemia plantation in Cecil County Maryland, was hired out by Fr. Ambrose Maréchal to Mr. John Morton for one hundred dollars a year.

Fr. Maréchal, a Sulpician priest, resided at Bohemia from 1792 to 1799. In 1817, he was consecrated as the third Archbishop of Baltimore.

Maryland Province Archives

Georgetown Slavery Archive

1798-01-11

Elsa Barraza Mendoza

Maryland Province, Society of Jesus

PDF

English

Manuscript

GSA335

This is to certify that I the underwritten has agreed to hire to Mr. John Morton my Serv^t James, Blacksmith by trade, from this day to the 1^st of next January, for & in consideration of one hundred dollars Maryl. Currency, besides his lodgings, washing, victuals & cloathing which Mr J Morton will provide for, the latter consisting in two pairs of shoes, one pair of stocking, one pair of woolen trowsers & Jackets for winter, two pair of linen trowsers & two shirts for summer. It is moreover agreed that the s^d John Morton will let the boy have three days to work for himself in harvest. Mr Marshall will let Mr. Morton have a set of Blacksmith tools with the boy; but in case Mr Marshall should not get them from the person, who now has them, a deduction will be made of the hire this proportionable to the hire of the tools. & lastly it is agreed that in case James should be sick with a serious complaint Mr Marshal shall be at the expense of a doctor & a deduction will be made from the hire answerable to the length of the sickness: done at Warrick the eleventh January one thousand nine hundred & ninety eight.

Present

Jas. Morton            John Morton

                             A. Mareshal

Manuscript