Deed of gift between William Hunter, SJ and Thomas Jameson, January 30, 1717

Deed of gift between William Hunter, SJ and Thomas Jameson, January 30, 1717

Deeds; Slavery; Slave-Sale; Slave Trade; Jesuits--History--18th century

This deed of gift between William Hunter and Thomas Jameson finalized the sale of goods and items from "Brittons Neck," an early Jesuit plantation on the land that became Newtown Plantation. The transaction named 15 enslaved persons who were sold along with church and household items.

The enslaved people named in the deed included eight adults - Will, Jack, Kitt, Pete, Mary, Teresa, Clare, Peggy - and seven children - Jack, Clemm, Tomm, James, Betty, Cath, and Susan.

This document is the earliest record of slaveholding by the Maryland Jesuits. According to Thomas Murphy, SJ, this deed of gift was "a legal maneuver, designed to save Hunter's property from possible confiscation by an anti-clerical colonial government."The Jesuits recovered their property "as soon as the immediate threat of hostile legislation receded."

For more on this deed of gift, see Thomas Murphy, S.J., Jesuit Slaveholding in Maryland, 1717-1838 (New York: Routledge, 2001), p. 22, 35.

Maryland Province Archives

Georgetown Slavery Archive

1717-01-30

Elsa Barraza Mendoza, Tom Foley

Maryland Province-Society of Jesus

PDF

English

Manuscript

GSA368

Maryland p. 

Know all men by those psent y^t I William Hunter of Charles County Gent for and in Consideration of the summ of Tenn Shillings to me y^e sd William Hunter in hand pay’d By Thomas Jameson sen^r of Charles County Gent the receit wherit of I do hereby acknowledge and of every part thereof do be quitt and discharge him y^e sd Thomas Jameson his Execut^rs adm^rs & assigns and for diverse other good causes and considerations md  those to moving have Given granted bargain’d and sold and By those presents do give grant bargain and sell unto y^e sd Thomas Jam[eson] all and Every y^e Goods Church stuff Plate Household stuff negros horses mares neat cattle Hoggs Sheep Husbandry Implements Tobacco Corn & all other grain and all other things whatsoever now on or Belonging to Dwelling Plantation of Britton’s neck and y^e Quarter on y^e bottom [?] y^e sd neck mentioned in a schedule hereunto annexed to have an[d] hold all and every y^e sd Goods Church stuff Plate Household stuff negros horses mares neat cattle Hoggs Sheep Husbandry Implements Tobacco corn and other grain and all other things in y^e sd schedule mentioned unto sd Thomas Jameson his Execut^rs administr^rs and assigns for ever t[o] and their only benefitt and proper use and behoof.  In witness [there?] of I have hereto sett my hand and seale this thirteenth of January in y^e year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventeen.

Sign’d Seal’d & Delivered

in presence of us                                 William Hunter

his

Jonathan X Walker                            

mark

 

his

Daniell X Riordan

mark

 

Memorandum the thirtieth day of January one thousand seven hundred & seventeen in y^e presence of this subscriber of above nam’d W^m Hunter deliver’d into y^e hands and possession of y^e. above nam’d Thomas Jameson one bay gelding y^e [same?] being one of y^e geldings in y^e schedule to this pro[?] mention’d and in parts and lieu of y^e whole in y^e sd schedule mentioned & express’d and in token  of possession of y^e whole

 

[Page 2]

A Schedule exhibiting y^e particular Goods of Church S[tuff] Plate Household stuff Negros Horses mares neat Cattle Hoggs [ripped page] Given & sold by y^e above named William Hunter to the above named Thomas Jameson in y^e above Deed viz----   

Church Stuff & Plate	1 Ciborium, 2 Chalices and pateris, 2 Small Candlesticks some little boxes All of them sliver, 1 brass Crucifix, 4 brass Candlesticks, 6 Vestments stoles & maniples, 5 Alts, 3 amiers, 4 veils, 4 Palls, 2 Surplices, 3 Corporalls,  altar Cloths several purificators [?] 1 Comunion Cloath, 3 painted pictures with frames, mass book
Negro Servants 15	4 Men, Will, Jack, Kitt, Peter. 4 Women, Mary, Teresa, Clare, Peggy, 4 Boyes, Jack, Clemm, Tomm, James, 3 Girles, Betty, Cath, Susan
Household stuff & Furniture	Lower Rooms 4 Prints with frames, 1 Striking Clock [?] 4 bedsteds 5 Leather chairs 7 do flagg. 4 do wood, 1 long table, 1 do round, 4 do square, 1 small falling table. 2 Trunks 2 [ripped page] 1 Cask of 7 bottles each 3 pints, 3 pairs tongs, 3 fire shovels, 2 large [ripped page] Books of severall sorts att most 500. Upper Rooms kitchen & out houses 1 long table, 3 square do 3 b[ed]steds, 3 Chests, 1 Close-stool, 1 prebellows, several cider [?].
Brass, Copper, Bell * [?] all	1 Great Bell, 2 do small, 1 large copper, about 2 gallns 2 brass kettl 1 skillett, 1 warming pann, 3 Candlesticks, 3 still and [? ripped and burned page]
Iron	6 potts, 2 pottracks, 2 spitts, 4 frying panns, 4 preand iron [ripped page] 2  Croping saws, 2 hand saws, 3 broad axes, 1 Gunn, 2 Chafting [ripped page]: orr all saws, awls, chisels, files, and other tools.
Pewter & Tinn	Dishs good 7. Do old 3. do deep 3. Basons 4. Plates good 22. 24 [ripped page] standish 5 bed pann, 2 Lanthorns, milkpanns, saucepans, biskett molds.
Earthenware	Butterpotts, milk pans, Juggs, cupps etc.--
Bedding	8 feather beds, Bolsters, pillows, 4 flock beds, Bolsters, pillows [ripped page] white sheets good. 2 pre very poor do 3 pre do old 4 pre speckl’d [ripped page] 1 silk quilt 1 pre Curtains and vallene new 2 pre do old, 3 pre good [ripped page] 3 other pairs 6 pr narrow course new pillow cases
Table Linen	5 Table cloaths, 32 napkins new & old, 14 Towells.
Stock	Neat Cattle 28 Steers young & old, 24 milk Cows, 2 yeare old Hors[ripped page] yearlings 3, Calves 19, Bulls 3, Hoggs old 44, Young 17, Piggs 14, Sheep 75,  Horses 5 for ye plough, 2 Riding Geldings, 2 Mares 1 young Gelding not broke.             1 Waggon old, 1 Cart old, 3 new ploughs ploughshares 8 Coultors etc--

      [Page 3]

30 Jan^y 1717

The Deed of gift

to M^r Thomas Jameson

by Rev^d W. Hunter.

 

 

Manuscript