Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Peter Johnston, Jr.: A True Account of the Slaves, April 1, 1813

[From photocopies of court documents emailed by Sue Davis. Provenance: Washington County, Virginia, Will Book 4, page 26. An abbreviated transcript can be found  here. Not sure what "likely for her age" and "not likely" means.]

The following statement contains the names, ages, sexes, and description of six slaves brought to this place yesterday from the state of Georgia for me.

Judith a very black woman, likely for her age, forty two years, old next July.

Molly a very bright mulatto woman, not likely, and Thirty four years of age next September.

Eudocia a female infant, child of Molly a bright mulatto three months old.

Nancy a very bright mulatto woman likely & thirty years old.

Charles a dark mulatto boy, son of Nancy very likely and six years of age[.]

Nat another dark mulatto boy, son of Nancy, very stout for his age, about nineteen months old.

The above named slaves, except Nat & Eudocia were sent by me to the state of Georgia in the beginning of the year eighteen hundred and eleven, when I had determined on a removal, with my family, to that country.


Peter Johnston
Abingdon April 1st 1813

Washington County Va. &c.

     This day the within named Peter Johnston exhibited the within statement to me Francis Preston a justice of the peace for the said County and made oath that the said statement contains a true account of the slaves therein  mentioned and brought by him to the state. And that the said Slaves have not been brought into this Commonwealth for the purpose of sale or with intent to evade the Laws of this Commonwealth to prevent the further importation of slaves, or in any manner contrary to the provisions of the act entitled an act concerning slaves passed on the fifteenth day of Jany 1813. Given unto my hand and seal this first day of April 1813.

Franc's Preston

At a Court held for Washington County the 18th day May 1813

This statement of slaves brought into Virginia [by] Peter Johnston with a certificate of the oath was offered in Court and ordered to be recorded.

Test  Andrew Russell D.C. 


[Peter Johnston, Jr. (1763-1831)

Francis Smith Preston (1765-1836)
Andrew Russell (circa 1765-1841), Clerk of Circuit Court, Washington County, Virginia, from 1809 until 1838. D. C. = Deputy Clerk.

Judith (b. July 1771)

Molly (b. September 1779)
Eudocia (b. 1813) -- Molly's daughter

Nancy*  (b. 1783)
Charles* (b. 1805) -- Nancy's son
Nat* (b. 1811) -- Nancy's son

*Listed in "Inventory and Appraisement of the Personal Estate of Peter Johnston, Jr.," 1832. Link here.]

[Many thanks to William Myers, Mary Davy, Sally Young and Susan Davis for their ongoing research collaboration.]

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