| Name | Age | Color or Race | Sex | Role in document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elijah Nicholls | White | Male | grantor | |
| John Nicholls | White | Male | grantee | |
| Esther | 3 | Black ("negro") | Female | enslaved |
Bill of Sale, with a reservation. Elijah Nicholls sells to John Nicholls for $300 “a Negro girl about three years old named Esther, which said Negro girl is to be Raised and kept in the possession of me the said Elijah Nicholls during my Natural life time…” and then possession will transfer to John Nicholls “if he survive me”. No information in the document about Esther’s relationships. This is the only document I’ve seen, out of hundreds, that refers to an enslaved child being “Raised” by a slaveowner. The document was signed August 15, 1852, presented in Court May 1856 and registered June 3, 1856.
