Fr. Zwinge's accounts of the 1838 sale and other transactions, ca. 1909

Fr. Zwinge's accounts of the 1838 sale and other transactions, ca. 1909

Slaves--United States--Economic conditions; Jesuits--Missions; Slavery-Slave Trade, Jesuits--History--19th century

This balance sheet for 1839 (compiled by Joseph Zwinge, S.J., in 1909) shows proceeds from three prior sales of enslaved people: a sale to Henry Johnson in 1835, a sale from White Marsh to Grafton Tyler in 1838, and a sale from St. Thomas Manor to a Boswell, also in 1838.

At the end, this sheet includes short narrative account of the sale of 1838 and the Jesuits' efforts to keep husbands and wives together, as well as a note about Louisa Mason.

Note that the facing page has been removed from the volume.

Maryland Province Archives, Society of Jesus

Georgetown Slavery Archive

Data from 1838-9, ledger c. 1909.

Elsa Barraza Mendoza

PDF

English

Manuscript

GSA414

[Page 148]
1839
Bal		77.22	582.90
Bal to acct for errors		505.42 Total
Arca mar from associat. In Lyons			1713
Houses- Fr. Steinbacher 159.50 Likeu 25 bonds 20 + 10			214.5
Loans- Returned McElroy (Coll			1900
Let. Rec´d			84.96
Seminary Rent   Rev. D. Smith			425
Farms St. Thos		1000
Ced. Pt		1168.80
Bohemia		1120
Newton		1852.46	5141.26
Land sold to Barton Dewall - White Marsh over Patuxent Marsh			4003
Slaves sold to H. Johnson in 1835 bal.		2491.14
" Sold at White Marsh to Grafton Tyler in 1838		449.83
" Sold to Boswell at St. Thos in 1838		90.25	3031.22
			16 340
			582.94
			16, 923. 78

N.B. Fr. Vespre in his accounts speaks of the sale of 1838 at White Marsh & St. Thom. (the notes were collected by Joshua Clark etc) these sales must have been of slaves to the neighbors. r.g. to Tyler, Boswell.

We had a pretty large tract of land on other side of Patuxent River at White Marsh, several tracts were sold to Barton Dewall.

In selling slaves Husbands were not separated from wives et visa versa
When husband belonged to us, & his wife to the neighbor, or vice versa, we tried to sell our party to the neighbor, or buy the neighbors party : only when we had both parties, did we sell them South. Hence you understand that we bought some in order to sell all.
Some were however kept even after the sale on each estate. In some cases the husbands ran away (at least for some time) so he & his wife could not be sold.

All the slaves were shipped at Alexandria.

Aunt Louisa Mason & her husband (he was a free negro) were kept at St. Inigos with their children - as the Masons were priests’ boys. The Proc Prov. according to old promise to her paid for her burial after death in 1908 - after having reached the age of ninety + She was the only one who down there to remember old days and frequently ! corresponded with old slaves sold in La. Bob Mason at St. Inigos her son is still the priests man.

Manuscript