Page 35 - Swann Galleries - Printed & Manuscript African Americana- Sale 2308 - March 21, 2013

42A ● (SLAVERY AND ABOLITION.) [Slave Sale Broadside]. Administrator’s
Sale . . . On Tuesday, the Eighteenth of May Next to the highest bidder . . . at
the Elliston Plantation . . . Slaves, To wit:” There follows a list of over 150 slaves, by
name, with remarks, “with child” etc. Single large folio leaf, 21- 1/2 x 151⁄2 inches; printed in
a variety of typefaces; matted with two manuscript fragments from the administrator’s
office relating to this sale.
Adams County, Mississippi, 1841 [8,000/12,000]
An exceptionally large administrator’s sale of the slaves of Mr. Thomas Ellis, of Elliston
Plantation. Broadsides like the present one, with its detailed list of slaves, can provide valuable
genealogical information for African American families attempting to find traces of their ances-
tors. In fact there is already at least one slave name database for this purpose. Many of the
slaves listed here have surnames other than Ellis and would have been acquired from other
masters. Quite a number have something distinctive about their name or their description: i.e.
“Kanglee,” an African sounding name, or “Lyora with child.” Large sales like this one, nor-
mally forced by debt, would have broken many families up, however, there are at least 22
women listed as “with child,” that were being offered thus. The livestock, numbering one hun-
dred and sixteen head of sheep and sixty-one head of cattle along with all the farming
equipment of the Plantation was on the block as well. One of the most detailed and extensive
plantation sales we have ever seen.
43 ● (SLAVERY AND ABOLITION—RUNAWAY SLAVE.) “You are Command-
ed that you have the body of Joe Cornish, a Negro man.” Partially printed
document accomplished by hand. 4to leaf, creases where folded 4 times to form usual
docket, written on one side with docketing on the reverse. Signed by the principals.
Adams County, Mississippi, 1843 [350/500]
A writ of habeas corpus to sheriff Sullivan P. Stetson who apparently had one Joe Cornish, a
Negro man in his custody, to deliver him up to the Honorable Charles C. Gage, presiding judge
of the third judicial district of Adams County. While nothing more is stated, the chances are that
Cornish was a runaway, and had been delivered to the local sheriff for the owner to claim.