New Britain herald., 1919-12-30
CITY HAS HISTORY
 OF FREEING SLAVE
Document Dated Before Civil War Tells Of Local Mans Characterization

i-oItii u. teIlDelu klnulY called my attention 10 the fact that a record of certain papers relating to tho enamel patton of a Negro slave. is in tho GUS tody of our City Clerk. I am thus enabled to supplement my paper on slaves and Slavoholders.' as pub lished in the "Herald'' Of Nov. 2S, 1918, by adding the following from Vol. {. pp. 543-4. of tho Berlin Land Records:
 "know all men by theso presents that Isaac Lee of Berlin, [Ncw Brit ain Society, in Hartford County hath represented to US the subscribing Civ Il Authority of Said Berlin that he is the owner of 9 Negro Servant By the name of Joseph and that he is desir- ous to emnncipate and mako free his said servant.
 We therefore tho Subscribing au- thority having Carefully attended to tho Circumstances of Said Negro do find that he is in good health and that he is under the age of forty five And that ho is more than twenty five years and having Examined Said slavo are convinced that ho ia ranxious1 10 bo free.
 September !. 1S07
 Elijah Hooker,
 James North.
 Received to record ye Sth Septcm- Der. 1907.
 Recorded pr. Roger Riley Rcsr.'
 Such an examination and q certi- ficate thereof prior to the emancipa- ton, released the owner from all lia- bility for tho support Of tho slave
 'know all mon by these presents that I Isaac Lee of Berlin, in Hart ford County, Being the owner of a ne- gro Slave By the name of Joseph and being Contented with his past Serv- ices do for Myself my Heirs Execu tors and administrators freely and for ever manuunit said Slave so that from the day of the date hereof he shall be absolutely at liberty to dispose of himself as other free persons have right to do according to law
 And furthermore l. the said Isaac Lee do for Myself my Heirs Executors and administrators Covenant with the said Joseph that from and after the Ensealing of these presents l, the said Isaac Lee shall have no right Claim or demand to the person or Services of the said Joseph in Testi mony whereof l have hereunto set my hand and seal this 5th day of Septenl- Der 1907.
 Isaac Lee Seal Simeon Linkton
 James North. . .&tr..
 Hartford County, ss. Berlin, Sep tcmber 5, 1897, personally appeared Isaac Lee Signer and Sealer of the foregoing instrument and acknowl- edged the same to Be his free act and deed, Before mo
 James North, Justice of the Peace
 Received to Record Septr 1907.
 Recorded Roger Riley Register"
 Isaac Lee, who thus gave Joseph his freedom. was a son of Col. Isaac Lee, Q grandson of Dr. Isaac and a great grandson of Capt Stephen Lee, the first of the name in this part of ancient Pennington stephen Lee had a, grant of land from the town in 1889, and settled on East street. He was one of tho first slave holders to reside in that then "dcsolatc corner of the wilderness" which we now call New Britain. We may thus presume that slavery existed here in the Lee fam ily for about one hundred years.
 The earliest date of slave enamel patton given in Manwarings Digest of Early Connecticut Probate Records is 16S6, when the will of John Olm-
 
 servants should have their liberty at the death of his wife. By this pro vision they were made free in 1889.
 The first emancipation of d slave by an instrument in writing other than a willS so far as I know, is found in Vol |, page 569, Manwaring's Digest, and dated April t3, 1898, of which the following Is d copy:
 ITO all Christian people to whom these presents shall come: Know ye that I, Ezekiel Lewis of ffarmin gton, in consideration of the fidelity and good service, 10 gather with those sums Of money and reasonable satis faction that I have Received from Sampson. Negro, heretofore Servant to my Father William Lewis deceased, nnd Of late in my hands and belong ing unto me, until this time, under tho aforementioned consideration have relinquished, acquitted and dis charged the 2d. Sampson, Negro, his wife and Children, from my service and all manner. of right, Claim. Chal- lenge and demand that I ever had or may hereafter have by virtue of any writing or Instrument made over un- to me or In me, I say I do set at hb- ertN and grant freedome to the afore- mentioned Negroes from my heirs and assigns forever Given under my hand and seal this first day of Aug ust, in the ycar of our Lord 1898.
 Ezekiel Lewis Ls. Witness, Isaac Mecl1sm sen. Caleb Staniy Jr.'
 William Lewis of Pennington, fath- CT Of Ezektsl above, was one of tfe first slave holders Of record in that town and the Lewis family Is to be commended for being the flrst in sn- cient Pennington, to hberatc its slaves. We may also Commend Isaac Lee, as the only resident Of this town,