Appraisal of a plantation owned by Elisha King listing 43 enslaved persons
date: label: Date
content: 1852
name: label: Written by
content: S. W. Sanders, American, died 1853
label: Subject of
content: Unidentified Woman or Women
label: Subject of
content: Unidentified Man or Men
label: Subject of
content: Elisha F. King, American, died 1852
label: Subject of
content: John Edmunds, American, born 1813
label: Subject of
content: Green B. Mobley, American, 1807 - 1877
label: Subject of
content: Obadiah Belcher, American
label: Subject of
content: Unidentified Child or Children
notes: label: Description
content: An appraisal conducted on September 10, 1852 on a plantation owned by Elisha F. King in Bibbs County, Alabama. The appraisal is handwritten with blue ink, recorded on both sides of a single sheet of blue paper, folded in half to make four pages. Written in the top left corner of the front side is “State of Alabama / Perry County.” The document begins “Perry City personally appraised before me Sh[illegible] W. Sanders an acting Justice of the Piece [sic] in for said count John Edmond, [illegible] B. Moolley, Obadiah Belcher commissioners appointed by the House J. F. Bailey Judge of the probate court of Perry County for the purpose of appraising the personal property belonging to the estate of the late E. F. King…” The appraisal goes on to list the property at the plantation in Bibbs County, Alabama, over two pages. Making up the majority of the property are fourty-three enslaved men, women and children, listed as "negroes" with names and prices ranging from $350 to $1000. The enslaved are identified as:
label: Description
content: Sarah & Child, Lucy & Child, Lane & 2 Children, Betty, Amy & 2 children, Mariah, Anacy, Tilda & 2 children, Catherine, Ann, Nelly, Rachael, Lizy, Susan, Mahaby, Phelan, Joseph, Caroline, Stokes, Jordain, Aalade, Dotia, Frank, Jacob, Merida, Noah, Sam, Moses, Fil, Jack, Isrel, Ben, Elijah, George, Mat
label: Description
content: In addition to the enslaved persons, the property listing includes ten mules, also identified with names and prices, six cows and calves, 5 head of sheep, and other livestock; spades, hoes, iron wedges, blacksmith tools, a cotton gin and other plantation tools, a lot of bacon, and household furniture.
label: Description
content: On the opposite side of the paper is a one page signed statement by Edwin W. King verifying the appraisal listing, dated September 21, 1852, and another page with the title "List of notes belonging to E of E.F. King." The page lists 15 debts with names, due dates, and amounts totaling $2617.60.
label: Transcription Center Status
content: Transcribed by digital volunteers
place: label: Place used
content: Perry County, Alabama, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: Bibb County, Alabama, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Agriculture
label: Topic
content: American South
label: Topic
content: Business
label: Topic
content: Children
label: Topic
content: Cotton
label: Topic
content: Domestic slave trade
label: Topic
content: Families
label: Topic
content: Finance
label: Topic
content: Men
label: Topic
content: Slavery
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 1815-1861
label: Topic
content: Women
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 of the Liljenquist Family
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2018.43.4
objectType: label: Type
content: appraisals
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
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: 12 3/8 × 7 7/8 in. (31.5 × 20 cm)