To all Christian People to whom these Presents shall Come. I John Dickinson of Fairhill in the Northern Liberties of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, at present in Dover Hundred in the County of Kent on Delaware, Send Greeting, Whereas I am now Possest of these Negro Men, Augustus, Joe, Toby, Abraham Nick, Nathan, Ned, Isaac, Will, Caesar, Dick & Jerry, also of these Negro Women, Mary, Flora, Sidney, Rachel, Violet, Dinah, Abby, Latitia, Peggy & Nelly, also of these Negro Boys, Charles the Child of Ruth, Pompey the child of Priscilla, Jim the Child of Dinah, David the Child of Abby, and Jemmy the Child of Rachel, and also of these Negro Girls, Rose and Amelia the Children of Sidney, Violet & Rose the Children of Nanny Deceased, Lydia the Child of Abby, Nanny the Child of Dinah, Sal & Esther the Children of Priscilla, Nancy the Child of ___, and Rachel the Child of Latitia, and Whereas I desire to prevent a continuance of Slavery Now know ye that on condition that each of the said Negros and each and every other negro belonging to me, (if any there be) whose name is above omitted, respectively shall honestly diligently & faithfully serve and obey and work for me my Executors Administrators and assigns for and during the Term of Twenty one years from the Date hereof, I do manumit set free & discharge from all further servitude each of the said Negros who shall have served as aforesaid for and during the Term aforesaid. And I do hereby declare, that every Child that shall after the Date hereof be born of the Body of any of the before Mentioned Negro Women and Negro Girls, is and shall be from the Birth of Such Child entire Entirely free and Clear from any Claim presence or demand of Servitude to be made by me or my Executors Administrators or assigns, But, if I my Executors administrators or assigns shall Maintain any Such Child from its Infancy until it becomes capable of performing Service, to which Maintenance Thereby bind myself, my Executors administrators & assigns as long as I or any of them shall keep the Mother of Such Child in Service, in Such case every such Child so Maintained and also taught to read & write before age of ten years, Shall Serve Me my Executors administrators and assigns as long as the Mother of Such Child Shall be kept in Service as aforesaid, In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand & Seal this twelfth day of May in the year of our Lord one Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy Seven. John Dickinson {seal}

Sealed & Delivered in the presence of us Caesar Rodney French Battell    

Kent County Ss. Be it Remembered that the within named John Dickinson Esqr. Came into the adjourned Courtof Common Pleas held at Dover in and for Kent County on Delaware the twenty eight Day of August in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy Seven, and then & there did acknowledge the within Instrument of Writing to be his Act and Deed, In Testimony whereof I have Caused the Public Seal of Kent County aforesaid to be hereunto affixed. James Sykes Prothy.

A True Copy Test

Delaware, U.S., Land Records, 1677-1947, Kent County, Roll: 784. Image 61, Book W, Vol 1, Page 96. Ancestry: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61025/images/31303_221871-00060?pId=2431518

Transcribed 21 Nov 2024 by Nancy Maliwesky