| Name | Age | Color or Race | Sex | Role in document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Gray | White | Male | owner | |
| Frank Gray | White | Male | other | |
| J. G. Lash | Unknown | other | ||
| Alex. S. Gray | White | Male | grantor | |
| Abner Gray | White | Male | grantee | |
| Peter | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Eliza | Black ("negro") | Female | enslaved | |
| (Eliza's un-named youngest child) | Black ("negro") | Unknown | enslaved | |
| Milton | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Calvin | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Kelly | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Niel | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Simeon | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Charles | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| George | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved |
Agreement—document calls it a Mortgage. The names of the enslaved are mostly clear, but the circumstances they are caught up in is not (to me, anyway). Researchers are advised to read the original document. As I understand it, Samuel Gray died, and at least ten enslaved people were part of his estate. Frank Gray, one of Samuel’s sons (I think) borrowed $1000 from the Branch Bank of Cape Fear at Salem (“cashier” J.G. Lash), with Alex. S. Gray and Abner Gray as sureties. The note is overdue. Frank has left the state, leaving the sureties responsible for his debt, and the document says Frank has nothing in North Carolina that could be used to satisfy the debt. In this document, A.S. Gray (I assume he’s Alex Gray) assigns “all my right and title and interest in and to certain negro slaves…” to Abner Gray, presumably to help pay Frank Gray’s debt. Either Samuel Gray’s estate has not been settled, or perhaps the named enslaved are A.S. Gray’s part of it. The enslaved are named “…(to wit) Peter & his wife Eliza & her youngest child, Milton, Calvin, Kelly, Niel & Simeon & Charles & George…”. I don’t think Eliza’s child is named, and this is a very rare example of a recognized slave marri
