Deed of sale for an enslaved man named John
date: label: Date
content: March 30, 1861
name: label: Written by
content: John French Coffey, born 1826
label: Subject of
content: Martha A. Briggs, American, born 1830
label: Subject of
content: James Roberts
label: Subject of
content: Kennett, Blood & Co., American
notes: label: Description
content: This handwritten deed of sale records the purchase of an enslaved boy aged seventeen named John (born 1844) sold by Martha A. Briggs to James Roberts for $1,150.00 in order to pay off a note of $1,200.00 owed by Briggs to H. S. Blood. The paper is folded along the left side, with the terms of the sale and paying of debt written on the front and interior pages. The final page includes the date, seller, buyer, and name of the enslaved handwritten down the middle. The sale was witnessed and recorded by notary John F. Coffey, whose seal is embossed into the paper near the list of names of original signatures. The seal features a pelican inside a circular frame with the text around the rim reading "J. F. COFFEY NOTARY PUBLIC / PARISH OF ORLEANS".
label: Transcription Center Status
content: Transcribed by digital volunteers
place: label: Place made
content: New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Business
label: Topic
content: Domestic slave trade
label: Topic
content: Law
label: Topic
content: Men
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: 2015.222.5
objectType: label: Type
content: bills of sale
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. (31.4 × 20 cm)