To all before whom these presents may come Greeting: Know ye that I James Raymond of Duck Creek hundred Kent County in the State of Delaware have weighed in the scale of Justice the conditions of slavery am sensibly convinced that it is unwarrantable as well by the Laws of Religion as morality and that God originally distributed equally to the Human race unalienable right to the enjoyment of Personal Liberty so it behoves each man to restore to his fellow creatures that unalienable Blessing of which he by unjust and impolitick Laws is possessed In Consideration whereof I have and do by these presents Emancipate set free and forever discharge from slavery my negroe man named David (alias John) whom I purchased of Andrew Naudain his freedom to commence the Eight day of November Eighteen hundred & four also my negro man named Samuel who I purchased of Henry Macy I have and do by these presents emancipate set free and forever discharge from slavery his Freedom to commence on the first day of January which will be in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred & three and whom I made an attempt to set free a Certain negro man named Jacob Trusty by an instrument of writing but not fully complying with the Law I now do declare that I have never laid any claim to him since twenty third day of Decr. 1797 and do not since the said date nor forever hereafter. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my Hand & Seal the 11th day of May Anno Domini 1801. James Raymond {seal}

Test. George Walker. Wesley McDowell

The State of Delaware Kent County } May the Eleventy Eighteen hundred and one. Personally appeared James Raymond the within named Grantor, before me, one of the Justices of the Peace in and for said county, and acknowledged the within Instrument to be his act and Deed and the within named negroes therein Expressed to be liberated and free as is within expressed Given under my Hand & Seal the day & year above written. John Cole

A True copy Attest

Delaware, U.S., Land Records, 1677-1947, Kent County, Roll: 788, Image 331, Book G, Vol 2, Page 90. Ancestry: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61025/images/31303_221875-00330?pId=2438776

Transcribed 11 Sep 2024 by Nancy Maliwesky