This post is for the Bill of Sale I found for the sale of slaves owned by John Brailsford of South Carolina. The names of the slaves are Billy, Jenny, Branzer, Lizzy and Maria who were sold to Daniel William Mongin of South Carolina. These men, Daniel William Mongin and John Brailsford, Jr are familiar names to me because of the research I have done on both families. Both John Brailsford, Jr and Daniel William Mongin are related through marriage into my children's great grandmother's paternal line of Rivers, in South Carolina.
The copies are very large copies of the original bill of sale. In the first picture is the top half of the bill of sale document. Immediately below it is the second half of the page.
Because these documents are so large and hand written you might find it easier to read my transcript below and my abstract of the document here.
State of South Carolina
Know all Men by these Presents, That I John Brailsford, Jr and of the City of Charleston and State aforesaid
for and in consideration of the sum of Five hundred pounds
to me in hand paid, at and before the sealing and delivery of these presents by Daniel William Mongin
the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge, to have bargained and sold, and the these presents do bargain, sell and deliver to the paid, Daniel William Mongin five Negroes __ __ Billy, Jenny, Branzer, Lizzy and Maria with future increase after _____
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the paid five Negroes ___ Billy, Jenny, Branzer, Lizzy and Maria
unto the said Daniel William Mongin
his executors, administrators and assigns to his and their own proper use and behoof forever. And I the said John Brailsford ___
Executors and Administrators, the said bargained premises unto the said Daniel William Mongin
Executors, Administrators and Assigns, from and against all persons shall and will warrant and for ever defend, by these Presents. In witness whereof, I have hereunto ____ Hand and Seal, Dated at Charleston this fourteenth day of April in the Year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred four and in the twenty eighth Year of the Independence of the United States of America.John Brailsford Jr (___)
SIGNED, SEALED AND DELIVERED IN THE PRESENCE OF John Findley Charleston 14 April 1804 I do hereby Guarantee the ___ ___ ____ ____ W. Roper
Bill of Sales
____ ____ ____
Charleston ____ John Findley being duly sworn made Oath that ____ w___ present (?) ___ saw John Brailsford Jr sign, seal and deliver the ____ Bill of Sales for the _____ ____ _____, also B __ ____ who being duly sworn made ____ ____ __ ___ _____ _____ sign the Guarantee to the _____,
Sworn to me the 26 June 1809 Recorded 26 June 1809
____ _______ J.P.I cannot help but wonder why it took 5 years to settle this Bill of Sale. What happened to keep this Bill of Sale open for five years before it was finally recorded and official? Were Billy, Jenny, Branzer, Lizzy and Maria too young at the time of the original sale? Was there a reversal of fortune in one the parties? I will have to see what, if anything I can find to explain why it took so long.
I now release the names of Billy, Jenny, Branzer, Lizzy and Maria in the hope that your ancestors and descendants will finally find you.
Sources:
John Brailsford, Jr to Daniel William Mongin, bill of sale for slave Billy, 26 June 1809; Secretary of State - Bills of Sale, Miscellaneous Records (Main Series), 1732-1981, Series No. S213003, Volume No. 004A, p. 277; South Carolina Dept of Archives and History, Columbia.
John Brailsford, Jr to Daniel William Mongin, bill of sale for slave Jenny, 26 June 1809; Secretary of State - Bills of Sale, Miscellaneous Records (Main Series), 1732-1981, Series No. S213003, Volume No. 004A, p. 277; South Carolina Dept of Archives and History, Columbia.
John Brailsford, Jr to Daniel William Mongin, bill of sale for slave Branzer, 26 June 1809; Secretary of State - Bills of Sale, Miscellaneous Records (Main Series), 1732-1981, Series No. S213003, Volume No. 004A, p. 277; South Carolina Dept of Archives and History, Columbia.
John Brailsford, Jr to Daniel William Mongin, bill of sale for slave Lizzy, 26 June 1809; Secretary of State - Bills of Sale, Miscellaneous Records (Main Series), 1732-1981, Series No. S213003, Volume No. 004A, p. 277; South Carolina Dept of Archives and History, Columbia.
John Brailsford, Jr to Daniel William Mongin, bill of sale for slave Maria, 26 June 1809; Secretary of State - Bills of Sale, Miscellaneous Records (Main Series), 1732-1981, Series No. S213003, Volume No. 004A, p. 277; South Carolina Dept of Archives and History, Columbia.
Neither bills of sale nor deeds were required to be recorded as soon as they were made. As for the ages of the slaves, infants as young as a few months have been recorded in bills of sale. Slaves had no rights and few, if any, protections under the law. They were considered property and their owners could sell them whenever they wanted. The fact that this bill of sale is dated 1804, but wasn't recorded until 1809 is probably just a matter of choice by the owner. Some bills of sale weren't recorded until the owner decided to sell one or more of the slaves and the original bill was recorded at the time of the second sale as proof of ownership. Or it could be that the seller died after the sale and his estate was being settled and the new owner recorded the bill of sale as proof that he was the current owner and the slaves were not part of the deceased's estate.
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