Will of Frederick Smith leaving an enslaved girl named Betty to his wife
date: label: Date
content: March 27, 1802
name: label: Written by
content: Frederick Smith, American
label: Subject of
content: Unidentified Woman or Women
notes: label: Description
content: The handwritten will of Frederick Smith of Mongtomery County, Viriginia, dated March 27, 1802, in which he bequeaths to his wife Margaret an enslaved girl named Betty, along with a list of other possessions. The document consists of black ink on both sides of a single sheet of off-white paper. The will reads in part: "I give and bequeath to wife Margaret the plantation whereon I live and one negro girl named Betty which is to be hers enduring her natural life, and one horse beast to be her choice my stock and three cows and six sheep and all my hoggs [sic], and six pewter plates and three dishes and four basons [sic] Six earthen plates and one dish and two silver spoons and her choice of the beds with double furniture, all which is to be at her own disposal except the land and Negroe [sic] girl above mentioned which is to be sold at her decease and equally divided amongst all my children except my son Sawyer who is to have two shares." The document is signed with handwritten seal at bottom right of the verso: [Frederick Smyth] and at left is signed by four witnesses: [Sauol Gouder (?) / Penny Hans / Peter Coon/ George Monald].
place: label: Place made
content: Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Families
label: Topic
content: Finance
label: Topic
content: Slavery
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: Liljenquist Family Collection
label: Classification
content: Slavery and Freedom Objects
label: Classification
content: Documents and Manuscripts
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift from the Liljenquist Family Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2012.158.17
objectType: label: Type
content: wills
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 13 1/4 x 8 1/2 in. (33.7 x 21.6 cm)