Manumission of Dick and Sue
Two people, Dick and Sue, who had been held as slaves by James and Elizabeth (Eltinge) Holmeard, had manumissions recorded in the land records in 1754 after James Holmeard died. Other people held as slaves by the Holmeards were not freed.
James Holmeard (later spelled Holmead) was a planter in Prince George's County (see Prince George's County Land Records, Liber M, folio 390 and Liber Q, folio 252, and various other land records excerpted for his biographical page on Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties).
After James Holmeard's death, his widow, now in Frederick County, gave her property to "my well esteemed friends," George Gordon and Alexander Beall, in compliance with the wishes of her deceased husband (Frederick County Land Records, Liber E, folio 514-517). The transaction occurred on August 10, 1754 and was recorded on August 22, 1754.
The record stated that "I the said Elizabeth Holmard have Put the said George Gordon and Alexander Beall in full Possession of all and singular the aforesaid Premises by the Delivery unto them (at the Ensealing hereof) of one Negroe Boy James in the Name of the whole Goods & Premises &c."
The record included an inventory of James Holmeard's estate, divided between Elizabeth Holmeard and their nephew, James Holmeard, who died before the estate was settled. Among the items in the inventory were 9 pair of "negroe Shoes" valued at £2.05.00 and "Negro Bedding" valued at £1.00.00.
Near the end of the inventory, the people held as slaves were listed along with their monetary value:
Old Toby a Negro .............. £10
James Poplin Ditto .............. 35
Ester his wife ..................... 40
Old Sue ............................... 30
Mingo ................................. 50
Jack .................................... 50
Jamie .................................. 37
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| Inventory of property, including people, being given to George Gordon and Alexander Beall, August 10, 1754 Frederick County Land Records, Liber E, folio 517. |
The estate was being divided in half; elsewhere in the deed it indicates that Gordon and Beall were to receive "half the Tobacco in the House," "Half the Tobacco in England not Accounted for," "Half the Money in England," and "Half the Sterling Money in Doctor Ross's hands." While there is no inventory of what was kept by Elizabeth Holmeard, it is likely that she retained ownership of several slaves.
One of the people kept as a slave by Elizabeth Holmeard was a man named Dick, who was about 30 years old in 1754. He was promised his freedom by James Holmeard, and this was documented in the land records, but there was a catch -- Dick would receive "full freedom from slavery" but not until after the death of Elizabeth Holmeard (Frederick County Land Records, Liber E, folio 522).
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| Manumission record for Dick, age thirty, August 22, 1754 Frederick County Land Records, Liber E, folio 522 |
Partial transcription:
At the Request of Elizabeth and James Holmard the following was Recorded August the twenty second Day [1754] ... To all whom it may Concern this is to Certifie that we Eliz'th Holmard & James Holmard both of Frederick County in Complyance with the Desire of James Holmard of said County Deceased do Give Negro Dick aged thirty years his full freedom from Slavery which freedom shall Commence at the Death of the said Eliz'th Homard widow of the said James Deceased. In Witness whereof we have hereunto set our names and seals this 30th Day of May One Thousand Seven Hundred and fifty four.
The Holmeards also freed a woman named Sue, giving her full freedom immediately. The manumission was not recorded until 1757, three years after Sue was freed, at Sue's request. Elizabeth Holmeard also pledged to pay £50 to Sue if she should ever be treated as a slave at any time. This Sue is presumably a different person from "Old Sue" who was given to George Gordon and Alexander Beall.
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| Manumission of Sue, Recorded March 28, 1757 Frederick County (MD) Land Records, Liber F, Folio 205 |
Transcription:
At the Request of Negro Sue late Slave of Elisabeth Holmeard, the following Gift of Freedom was recorded March the Twenty eighth In the Year of our Lord One thousand sevenen hundred + Fifity seven. To wit, To all to whome these presents shall come before Know ye that I Elizabeth Holmad of Frederick County in the Province of Maryland doath hereby discharge from my service a certain Negro Woman named Sue for + in consideration of the sundrie good services done to me + to fulfill her Deces'd Master desire and I will hereby for ever warrent + defend the afarrsaid Negro Sue against any manner of person or persons whatever claiming any Rite title claime or Intrest to the said Negro Sue And I do further Declaire the said Negro Sue to be Discharged from my service + from the services of all manner of persons whatever and my self fully satisfyed with the servicecs affoarsaid and I do further desire that the said Negro Sue may Pass and Repass deal trade traffick or commerce with all manner of Person as far as the Law directs all free persons to doe without let Molestation or hindrence as if the said Negro Sue had never bin a Slave. To the due performance of which I bind my Self my Heirs Executors Administrators or Assigns in the full and just sum of Fifty pound Sterling Money of Great Brittain to be paid to the af'd Negro Sue her Heirs Executors Adminstrators or Assigns at any time the said Negro Sue shall be let or hindred or Molested the lawfull excersise of her Freedom According to the true Intent + meaning of the Discharge affoarsaid In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seall this Twenty eighth day of October in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred fifty + four Elizabeth Holmad her Mark / Seal
Witness Tho's Edmonston Will'm Barker
Nero's Manumission
A second manumission document, recorded at the request of the man who was freed, uses the same language as Sue's manumission document, possibly following an established legal template. In this document, Nero was given his freedom on March 29, 1757, one day after Sue's manumission was recorded in the land records. It seems unlikely to be purely a coincidence. Presumably, Sue and Nero knew one another.
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| Manumission of Nero, Recorded April 1, 1757 Frederick County (MD) Land Records, Liber F, Folio 208 |
Transcription:
At the Request of Negro Nero the following Gift of Freedom was recorded April the first day In the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred fifty seven To wit To all whom these presents shall come Know ye that I James Brooke juneor of Frederick County in the Province of Maryland Tanner + Currier have discharged from my service a certain Negro Man named Nero I being induced to give him the affs'd Negro his freedom from sundry good + Lawful Motives and I do declare that the said Negro Nero is discharged from service and from the service of any other persons whatsoever + I do further desire that that the said Negro may pass + repass Deal + Trade as other freemen do without molestation or hinderance In the same manner as if he the said Negro Nero never had been a Slave To the due performance of which I bind my self my heirs Execuors & Admin'rs in the full and just sum of One hundred pounds Sterling Money to be paid to the affs'd Negro Nero his heirs Executors Administrators or assigns at any time when the said Negro Nero shall be hindred the lawful exercise of his freedom by me or any Person claiming by from or under me according to the true Intent and meaning of these presents in wittness whereof I have hereunto set my hand + seal this twenty ninth day of the third Month one thousand seven hundred and fifty seven
James Brooke Jun'r / seal
Signed Sealed + Deliverd in
Presince of Joseph Janney
James Brooke, Jr., as stated in the manumission record, was a tanner. He was also a wealthy land owner. His estate inventory, taken December 11, 1767, included "One Servant Man" with three and a half years left to his indentureship, but no slaves (Frederick County Inventories, 1763-1771, Volume 2, pp. 329-331, 393).
Brooke was a Quaker. His religious affiliation was noted when he swore to the legitimacy of the will of his brother-in-law, John Thomas, in 1749. The Quakers were the first group to take a stand against slavery, actively campaigning against it after the 1750s. Brooke's decision to free Nero may well have been guided by his faith.
Additional Reading:
Quakers & Slavery
Free African Americans
Legacy of Slavery
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