To all whom this may come Know ye that Whereas my Father Govey Emerson did in his last Will & Testament devise order and direct that the Following Negroes should be free at the Age of Twenty five the male & twenty one the female And in his said last Will & Testament named Me one of his executors, to whom the sole Administration was also granted, I being on taking Letters of Administration qualified to make a true & perfect Inventory and conscionable Appraisment of all &c and being fully convinced in my Conscience that it is their just and equitable Right in common with other People to be free at lawfull Age to witt the male at twenty one & the female at eighteen Under the Consideration whereof do hereby declare the following Negroes (being the above noted) to be absolutely free to will Negro York upwards of twenty three years of Age Negro London born 16 of ye mo called June 1756, Ezekiel born about 15th of 1st Month 1758 Phebe a girl born the 18th Day of 12th Mo 1759 Negro Zilpha a Girl born the 2nd Day of 11th Month 1762. Alice a Negro Girl born 15th Day of 12th Month 1763: So that Negro York who is now of lawfull Age to be & is hereby declared ^now absolutely free & at his own Disposal; and the above named London and Ezekiel when they arive to twenty one years of age; Phebe, Zilpha, & Alice when they arive to Eighteen years of age to be the, & are hereby declared, at their own Disposal to act for themselves To all Intents and Purposes each & every of them as free Men & Women, without the Lett Hindrance or Molestation of Me my Heirs Executors Adms or any other Person or Persons Whatsoever… And having before omitted two negro Children to witt Sarah a Girl born the 16th Day of 8th Mo. 1770 & negro Rachel a Girl born on the 2nd Month 1772 do also declare them absolutely free & when they arive to eighteen years of Age to be at their own Disposal as aforesaid. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and affix’d my Seal this third Day of third Month in the Year of our Lord  one thousand seven hundred and seventy five. 1775. Jacob Emerson {seal}

Sign’d & sealed in presence of us John Cowgill Warner Mifflin Benja Dawson

Record Examined Warner Mifflin

U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, Delaware, Kent County, Duck Creek Monthly Meeting, Manumissions 1774-1792, Image 6, Page 5

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2189/images/31906_275426-00483?pId=2350601

Transcribed 2 Feb 2026 by Nancy Maliwesky