Whereas I Jonathan Neall of murtherkiln hundred & county of Kent on Delaware did by an Instrument of Writing under my Hand & Seal dated 1st Day of 3d Mo 1775 manumit three several Negroes as therein now specified viz James then aged upwards of thirty years, & had been at his Liberty upwards of two years as therein also certifyed: Simon then aged ten years & an half; Aaron then aged six years and nine months. Now for the more full Confirmation to each of them their natural legal & unalienable Rights of Personal Liberty, do testify and declare that I do absolutely manumitt, sett free, & forever quit Claim to the above negro Man James, so that henceforth he be deemed adjudged & taken for a free Man to all Intents & Purposes: and in like Manner Simon & Aaron when they arive to age of twenty one years, reserving to myself their Tuition & Guardianship till sd Time; obliging & hereby binding myself my Heirs Exers & Administrators to teach or cause sd. Boys to be taught to read the Bible within sd Term. As also my Negro Woman Hagar not in former Manumission or Reference above, (she not being then in my Power or Possession) do as above & as fully manumitt & declare free and at her own Disposal from the Date hereof: obliging myself my Heirs Executors or Administrators as afsd to do or execute any other Act or Deed that may be requested reasonably by them or either of them for their more full and necessary Confirmation of full & absolute Liberty as aforesaid. For the true Performance whereof I bind myself, my Heirs, Exrs & Administrators afsd to each of the sd Negroes in the lawfull Sum of one hundred Pounds current Money of this Government to be recover’d by Suit at Law by sd Negroes from me my Heirs, Exers Admrs afsd or from any other Person or Persons under me making or pretending ^to derive Claim: In Testimony have sd my hand & Seal this 22d Day of the 1st Mo 1777. Jonathan Neall {seal}

Witness present Warner Mifflin, John Dickinson. John Bowens.

Record Examined Warner Mifflin

The Negroe Woman Named Hagar mentioned not to be in the former Manumission had formerly belonged to him, and his wife for an affront in a Passion put her on Bord a Vessel just going to Carolina for which place the Vessel Immediately sailed and the Shipper thereof sold her and made use of the Money, and died leaving no estate; so that Jonathan Never got one farthing of it; and had Two Journies to Carolina before he could get her from the Man the had her, and then was obliged to give 100 £ beside the expenses of 2 Journies; he then brought her back and set her free, & his Wife Gave in a Paper to the monthly meeting condemning her Conduct therein which was accepted as satisfactory manor such as the Negroe was paid.

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

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2189/images/31906_275426-00492?pId=2350743

Transcribed 11 Apr 2026 by Nancy Maliwesky