| Name | Age | Color or Race | Sex | Role in document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Litle Hickerson | White | Male | other | |
| James Gwyn | White | Male | other | |
| Mary Dowell | White | Female | other | |
| Ambrose Johnson | White | Male | other | |
| Peter Dowell | White | Male | other | |
| Stephy | Black ("negro") | Female | enslaved | |
| Aleck | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Jim | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved |
Bill of Sale and Release. The document is missing a lot of context. I believe Litle Hickerson and James Gwyn purchased or otherwise acquired “property” from Peter Dowell, and there were later conflicts about what was included, and who owned what. In the current document, Hickerson and Gwyn transfer their claims to the property to Mary Dowell and Ambrose Johnson, “except slaves Stephy Aleck and Jim”. No further information about the enslaved or their relationships. Note that this document was dated February 3, 1846, ten years before the issue was brought to court (March 19, 1846). There are probably other Wilkes County records about this controversy that might shed more light on what happened to Stephy, Aleck and Jim. See also NC.WIL.S.366.2.
