20 300
23
●
SOUTH AFRICA.
A contract of indenture for seven natives of Cape
Town, or West Africa, for the period of fourteen years; to accompany their
Master and Mistress and their children to North America.
Folio sheet, folded to
form four pages, written on all sides; signed by the master, and two witnesses as well as the
seven servants with their “X’s,” red wax seal and large blind-stamp seal of the colony.
Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope, 1804
[4,000/6,000]
A MOST UNUSUAL DOCUMENT
,
INDENTURING SEVEN NATIVE AFRICANS TO AN ENGLISH FAM
-
ILY
,
ABOUT TO VOYAGE TO NORTH AMERICA
.
The seven servants apprentice themselves to Michael
Hogan for a period of fourteen years. After this period—if they have not broken any of the rules set
forth in this contract: i.e. no drinking, theft, fornication—or even marriage—they will be free. Only
two of the servants are over twenty, most are fourteen to seventeen years old. Still, this means they
likely remained servants for life, given life expectancies at this time.
24
●
GREAT BRITAIN.
A Copy of an Order of His Majesty . . . Prohibiting the
Importation of Slaves into any of the Settlements . . . of America, or in the West
Indies, which have been surrendered to His Majesty.
Four pages folio, printed on
three.
London, 1805
[400/600]
An interesting precursor to the 1807 ban, slipped into the Napoleonic War Acts passed in
August of 1805. This act, while limited, helped prepare the way for the 1807 ban. Basically this
order bears the same wording as the 1807 ban, but was limited to territories surrendered by France.
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Lot 24