Bill of sale for 7-year-old Peter from Martha Avery to Luther Smith
date: label: Date
content: February 20, 1782; reworked 1869
name: label: Written by
content: Martha Avery, American, 1751 - unknown
label: Subject of
content: Luther Smith, American, 1755 - 1839
label: Subject of
content: Isaac Smith, American, 1744 - 1817
label: Subject of
content: Mary Smith, American, 1753 - 1832
label: Subject of
content: Solomon Avery, American, 1729 - 1798
notes: label: Description
content: A bill of sale for Peter, a seven-year old enslaved boy identified as a servant. The child was sold by Martha Avery of Gilmanton, New Hampshire to Luther Smith of Plainfield, Connecticut. Avery states that she purchased Peter from "Sollon Avery of Norwich" and that the boy is to remain enslaved until Peter is twenty-six years old and then he should be emancipated. The document is handwritten in black ink and reads:
label: Description
content: [Know all Men by Those Presents that I Martha Avery of Gilmanton in the State of New Hampshire in the Consideration of Ten pounds Lawfull [sic] Money to me paid by Luther Smith of Plainfield in the State of Connecticut have bargained and Sold and Do hereby Give grant and Assign to him the Said Luther Smith my Negro boy a Servant Called Peter of About Seven years of Age which I Purchased of Sollon Avery of Norwich to have and to hold the Said Negro boy with his Apperal [sic] Until he is Twenty Six Years of Age, and I covenant and Engage to and with the Said Luther Smith and his heirs and Assigns that the said Negro Shall be a Slave till he is Twenty Six years of Age and then to be free and I will warrant and Defend the Said Negro Against the Claims of all Persons.]
label: Description
content: The bill of sale is signed and given a seal by Martha Avery on February 20, 1782. The original date states the thirteenth but has been crossed out multiple times and the [twentieth] written above. On the bottom left, the document is witnessed by Isaac Smith and Mary Smith. In a different hand and darker ink, underneath Martha Avery's signature and seal, is written [My / Grandmother / Martha Smith]. The same writing can be seen on the left edge of the paper, written perpendicular [When Peter was 21 years he bought his / Free]. On the back of the document, written in the center in the original hand is [A Bill of Sail / of Peter]. Underneath written in the second hand, [had only one / Name in that Day.] Written above this, upside down, in the second hand, [A Relic of / Olden Time, / it is now, / 1869.] The document has two distinct crease marks vertically, and an additional crease line horizontally, showing the paper had been folded in thirds and then in half.
place: label: Place made
content: Gilmanton, Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Children
label: Topic
content: Domestic slave trade
label: Topic
content: Emancipation
label: Topic
content: Reconstruction, U.S. History, 1865-1877
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, Revolution, 1775-1783
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture 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 Frederick L. and Lauren M. Burton
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2017.38
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, with wax
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 6 3/4 × 8 1/16 in. (17.1 × 20.5 cm)