The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-06-17
HOW SARAH. TIL - SLAVE i iRL
CHANGED OWNERSHIP. AND q
CAME INTO POSSESSION
OF A CARNEGIE FAM

I "
John AZ. Bell. the well-known bank
and politician, has come across
document of unusual interest among
come old family papers. tits a bill
OF sale for "a negro girl slave named
Sarah, Z, which was signed, sealed and
delivered in Maryland 134 years ago.
MT Bell came into possession OF the
in instrument by reason of the fact that
slais great-grandfather. Johr|B Bell, was
& at one time the owner of the negro
girl in question.
&sThe biII#is written with a quill pen
IN y round, clarkly''5 hand on pa
per that has long since become yell
lowed with age The clearness of the
writing is evidence that some more
sIasting fluid than poke-berry juice
! was used, and there is no part OF the
h paper that requires any close atten-
Hon iii deci phering, except the sigma
lures :of the witnesses, who were
SpIai nlys unused to the pen. The text
s;sof the bill and the several supple
ments thereto is as follows:
eSou1AS y
know all men by these presents
at !, James Carrick, for and in con
II deration of the sum Of fifty pounds,
current money OF Pennsylvania, 70
me in hand paid by Nicholas Hover.
of Fredericktown, Province of Mary
land, the receipt whereof do hereby
acknowledge. have granted, bargain
ed, sold and delivered, and by these
presents do grant, bargain, sell and
deliver, unto the said Nicholas How.
Ter negro girl slave called Sarah
TO have and to hold the said ne
gro girl slave called Sarah unto him,
the said Nicholas Hover, his heirs
and assigns forever to the only prop
er use and behoof of him, the said
Nicholas Hover, his heirs, executors,
administrators and assigns, forever,
4 and i, the said James Carrick, my
heiEs executors and administrators,
shall and will warrant and forever
defend the said negro girl slave call
ed Sarah unto him, the said Nicholas
Hover, his heirs and assigns, forever
against all manner of persons what
soeYer claiming or hereafter to claim
4 her.
In witness whereof have hereunto
set my hand and affixed my seal this
twenty-third day of January, ammo
sdomini one thousand, seven hundred
u and seventy Signed, sealed and de-
livered.
JAMES CARRICK.
Received on the day and date of
+ the within deed of and from the with
in named Nicholas Hover the sum of
& fifty pounds current money of Penn
sylvania the consideration money
within named.
Be it remembered that on the TWEEN
: ty4third day OF January. one thou
sand, seven hundred and seventy,
came before me the subscriber, one
sof his Lordship's justices of the peace
for the county aforesaid, James Car
rick, who acknowledged the within in
strument of writing to be his act and
deed and the. negro slave girl Sarah
therein named to be the right and es-
tate of the within named Nicholas
Hover, his heirs and assigns forever
SO Acknowledged before
Here the original instrument ends
s abruptly and it is to be regretted that
it, is not known before which of his
b lordship's jus tees the instrument of
writing was acknowledged
Mr. Bell is vice president of the
1 Colonial Trust Company and as such
Fl is an authority on the appreciation OF
valuable property. He confesses.
j however, to being in the dark to &C
count for the increased price set forth
in the first supplement to the original
bill of sale, unless Nicholas Hover
was of marked skill in the training
of slaves Here is the record of
s Sarah's second sale:
For the consideration of the sum
of eighty-three pounds, sixteen shil1-
rs ings, common money, received by
Ohm Bolley, the receipt whereof is
acknowledged, do hereby as
sign, transfer and give over all right,
title and property of the within men
toned negro unto the said John Po-
ley, to be his right and property as
witness my hand and seal this 18th
II day Of March, 1872.
NICHOLAS HOVER.
Il, Sarah remained the property of her
! second owner for three years. AT the
end of that time she passed into the