VIRGINIA SLAVE OWNER LIBERATES 26 NAMED SLAVES
An incredible slave liberation document, properly called a "manumission", 4pp. legal folio, Sussex Co., Va., a contemporary retained copy of the order Feb. 2, 1826 declaration made by slave owner Hugh Ivey. It reads, in part: "..."I, Hugh Ivey, of the County of Sussex & State of Virginia after full & mature deliberation & fully persuaded that freedom is the birthright of all mankind & that no law human or divine can give or hath given to me a just & equitable right to the labor or service of any human being without making to him or her a reasonable or stipulated
compensation... Harry, Jenny, Fanny, Lex, Nelly, Creacy, Lucy, Nancy, Dalilah, Martha, Hannah, Lilly, John, James, Nancy, Joel, Matthew, Catherine, Franky, Matilda, Nelly, Hosea, John, Daniel, Jame, Martha, Virginia....I, Hugh Ivey, do by these presents relinquish renounce & forever quit claim to the services & labor of the aforesaid slaves..." This copy bears a notation in another hand on the last page: "Jenny Morgan was born June 27th 1770". "Jenny Morgan" was no doubt the same "Jenny" liberated in this document, and this copy of Ivey's order may have been her personal copy to be produced should anyone have disputed her claim of being a free woman of color. Fold splits archivally repaired on verso, with one panel of the integral cover, not containing any text, seperated but present, else very good. Ivey himself had a mulatto daughter, and he and his former slaves moved from Virginia as a group to Ohio to avoid persecution.