Whereas my beloved Husband Richard Holliday in his Life Time was possessed of in his own Right (according to the Custom of Slavery prevailing among us, to the following Negroes Towitt, Cato a negro Man about twenty four years of Age (at this Time) Joyce a negro Woman ^now about twenty six years of Age, and her Boy Moses now about five years of Age; Patience a negro Woman now about twenty one years of Age; Julia a negro Girl now about sixteen years of Age; and he being convinced of the Iniquity & Injustice of detaining his fallen Creatures in Bondage, was desirous of granting unto them their just Rights & Priviledge, but not seeing his Way clear to do it to his Mind by reason of an oppressive Law in Force relative to the freeing of Negroes, took a Promise from Me that I would discharge & set them free (in Case it was not done before, & I should be his Survivor) Notwithstanding before his Death some Time he did himself set free said Negro Cato Together with his Child Moses (since which sd negro Woman Joyce has borne two other Children towitt Girl Rachel & Boy Cato) & also did at sundry Times hire sd Negro Man Cato & paid him Wages as to any other free Man. And I Ann Holliday of Kent County on Delaware, being also convinced of the Iniquity of Slaver, be also, of the irreconcilable Inconsistency of such Practice in the Professions of Christianity (being totally derogatory to the royal Law of doing to others as we would be done by) as required by the great Author of the christian Religion, for which Reason, together with complying with my Engagement to my dear Husband as afsd, do here by Virtue of the Power and Authority in Me vested, declare the afsd Negroes towitt Cato, Joyce, and her three Children, viz Moses, Rachel & Cato; likewise negro Woman Patient and Julia absolutely free, and that henceforth they shall be deemed adjudged and taken for free Men & Women without the Lett Hindrance or Molestation of any Person Whatever: And on any attempt made to deprive them of their natural and just Rights as afsd. I do hereby authorize every of them to stand for him or herself to Vindicate the same, & to produce this as special Evidence for their Clearance also laying as a charge on the Consciences of the Court or Jurys that may have to judge herein, that they give Weight to this Testimony in behalf of the Negroes equitable and just Freedom: it being my intention and appearing from conviction to be my Duty as well as the Requisition of my beloved Husband adores To set them absolutely free. And I the afsd Ann Holliday hereby also do lay it as a Charge on my Children that they make no Attempts to dissannull this Manumission, being fully persuaded that such Action will bring on them heavy Guilt: let them closely consider their Parents have done this from apprehension of Duty to their Maker And I do also direct further  that on this Manumission being produced, or a certify’d Copy hereof from the Clerk of Duck Creek monthly Meeting for the Time being (of the People called Quakers) or if no Monthly Meeting at such Time should be, then and in such Case, a Copy hereof certified by two respectable Persons of the sd. People (called Quakers) (certifying that as such Record appeared among the Record of sd Meeting) the Intent & Meaning hereof may be thereby inforced, which is the absolute Freedom of the aforesaid Negroes. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and affix’d my Seal this twenty fifth Day of the third Month in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy five. 1775. But I the above named Ann Holliday believing it just and equitable to have the Service of the negro girl Julia, ‘till she arives to lawfull Age, do therefore reserve that Perogative over her for two years fully to be completed and ended commencing from the Date hereof, she then being eighteen years of Age then free as aforesaid. Ann Holliday {seal}

Witness present to the Acknowledged hereof Warner Mifflin Phebe Dickinson

Record Examined Warner Mifflin

U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, Delaware, Kent County, Duck Creek Monthly Meeting, Manumissions 1774-1792, Image 8, Page 9.

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2189/images/31906_275426-00485?pId=2350613

Transcribed 3 Feb 2026 by Nancy Maliwesky