Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Another Family Manumission

"Know all men by these presents that we Caroline Coleman and Abner Spears are held and firmly bound unto the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the sum of five hundred dollars for the payment of  which to the said commonwealth we bind ourselves our heirs escecutors and adms. jointly and severally firmly by these presents sealed and dated this fourth day of September 1854

The condition of the above obligation is such that whereas the above bound Caroline Coleman and her two children to wit Orlando and Benson have been liberated and set free by the last will and testament of Benson Coleman dec[ease]d (a free man of color).

Now if the said Caroline and her children shall not become a charge to any county in the Commonwealth of Kentucky for their maintenance and support then this obligation to be void, otherwise to remain in full force.

Caroline Coleman
Her X Mark
Abner Spears

C  5ft 3 1/2 in. bright mulatto gray eyed likely and neat good countenance 35 years
Orlando 9 yrs old mulatto, Benson 5 yrs dark copper complesion both likely and stout as children usually are of their age."

Courtesy of the Kentucky Historical Society
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2 comments:

  1. MikeJanuary 9, 2013 at 4:32 PM

    I have a similar manumission from Boyle County, Garret BUSTER, who bought his wife and children and freed them in 1862; interestingly, he wrote a will in Wayne County in 1853, freeing them as well. If you'd like a copy of that will, I can get it to you easily.

    Mike Denis, mdenis46@gmail.com, President, Boyle County Genealogical Association, Inc.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tim TalbottJanuary 9, 2013 at 6:41 PM

    Mike,
    Yes, if you don't mind I would love to read either a transcription or a copy of the original document.
    Thanks!
    Tim
    trtalbott@aol.com

    ReplyDelete

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