I Thomas Nock of murtherkiln hundred & County of Kent on Delawa Fully persuaded in my own Breast of the Iniquity of detaining my fellow Man in Bondage & believing it to be the natural equitable & unalienable Right of all Men to have the Liberty of disposing of their Persons & Property, do form the full Conviction thereof renounce & forever disclaim all Right or Demand, for my self & my Successors, to the arbitrary Perogative I might have been tolerated in by the partial Law of the Land, over all the following Negroes viz: Sarah a negro Woman aged fifty nine years: Alice a negro Woman aged near forty one years George a negro Man aged about thirty-nine years; Mingo a negro Man aged thirty one years; Jonathan a negro Man aged twenty eight years & 7 months; Lydia a negro Woman aged 25 1/2 years; Demby a negro Man aged 24 years & ten months Bett a negro Woman aged twenty three years; Nell a negro Woman aged twenty years  and Avis a negro Girl aged near 16 years, all of which have been at their Liberty above two years, except Avis whose Time I reserve till she arives to eighteen years of age; & the majority of them have had proper Discharges from under my Hand & Seal: and the children of Lydia viz Richard born the 11th Day of ye 11th month 1772; & Mary born the 29th Day of 1st month 1774; and Mingo born (since she was at Liberty) the 9th Day of the 12th month 1775- Likewise Betts Children born since her Discharge from Me viz Ann born the 27th Day of 7th month 1773; James born 19th of 3rd Mo 1775; also Nells Son born (since her being at Liberty, called Anthony) the 11th of 9th month 1776, all which Children I surrender up to their Mother s Tuition till the Boys arive to twenty one years & the Girls to eighteen years of Age then free as aforesaid.All and every of said Negroes as above specify’d & their Posterity forever I do declare absolutely free & at Liberty to act for themselves (young ones at ages above specified) without the Lett Hindrance or Molestation of me my Heirs Executors Administrators or any other Person or Persons claiming or to claim by from or under Me forever. And on any attempt made to Deprive them or either of them of their just Liberty granted as afsd, by Me my Heirs Exers, Administrators or any other Person claiming or pretending to derive Right from us or either of us I do hereby authorize them or either of them to stand for himself herself or themselves and to produce this (or a Copy hereof from the Clerk of duck creek monthly Meeting for the Time being of the People called Quakers, or if no monthly Meeting of said People be then and there held, then a certifyed Copy from under the Hands of two reputable Persons of sd People, certifying that such Record appeared among the Records of the sd Meeting) it shall be a special and Sufficient Evidence for them or either of them, & on Action do reserve oe hundred Pounds current lawfull Money of this Government as forfeited by such attempt with all Costs they may be at in prosecuting the same from such of us may attempt as aforesaid. In Testimony I have hereunto set my Hand & affix’d my Seal this twenty-fifth Dayof this sixth month one thousand seven hundred & Seventy Seven 1777. Thomas Nock {seal}

Sealed & acknowledged in presence of James Nock Joseph Jenkins

Examined Warner Mifflin

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_275426-00494?pId=2350768

Transcribed 13 Apr 2026 by Nancy Maliwesky