To all People before these presents may come Greeting: Know ye that I Walter Fountain of Duck Creek hundred Kent County in the State of Delaware having weighed in the scale of Justice the conditions of Slavery sensiably Convinced that it is unwarrentable as Well by the Laws of Religion as morality and that as god originally distributed equally to the human race the unalienable right to the enjoyment of personal Liberty so it behoved each man to restore so his fellow creatures that invaluable blessing of which he by unjust and impolitic Laws is possessed. In consideration whereof I have and do by these presents imancipate sett free and forever discharge from slavery my negro girl named Hannah to be free on the first day of April next Eighteen hundred and one and my negro man Lege to be free in two years from next march which will be in the year Eighteen Hundred and three, and my negro Boy named Caleb to be free in Sixteen years from next March which will be in the year Eighteen hundred & seventeen and my negro boy named Joshua to be free in Eighteen years from next march which will be in the year Eighteen hundred & Eighteen. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and seal this 17th day of February one thousand Eight hundred and one. Walter L Fountain {seal}

Witness present Abraham Redgrave

The State of Delaware Kent County } Duck Creek X Roads February the Seventeenth Eighteen Hundred & One personally appeared the Revd. Walter Fountain before me on of the Justices of the Peace in and for said count and acknowledged the Instrument to be his act and Deed and the negroes therein named to be liberated and free at the days & years therein mentioned given under my Hand and Seal the day & year above mentioned.

A True copy attest John Cole

Delaware, U.S., Land Records, 1677-1947, Kent County, Roll: 788, Image 318, Book G, Vol 2, Page 98. Ancestry: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61025/images/31303_221875-00317?pId=2438727

Transcribed 11 Sep 2024 by Nancy Maliwesky