Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

[Legal document transferring a slave woman's ownership]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09345.01 Author/Creator: Place Written: s.l. Type: Manuscript document Date: 5 February 1762 Pagination: Order a Copy

Legal document from Nausau Island, New York, conveying a "Negro woman called…Candes thirty odd years of age" to Joseph Coles for 65 pounds, from Thomas Smith and John Butler, executors of the estate of Richard Butler.

[Draft Created by Crowdsourcing]
May ye. 27: Day 1747
Memorandum that It is to be Understood that Hezekiah Cock Is to Have privilege of Haveing Apples that Grows In Some part of ye orchard & is on his brother James Cock's part of ye Homestead that was our father John Cock's: Notwithstanding ye Division is mad-o In April Last past by ye Hezekiah of ye one part of Daniel & Deborah Cock of ye other Part & executors of ye last will and testament of ye sd. James Cock which Division is a Division between afsd. Hezekiah & James' part of their Land as it May further an appoar by sd. Division: It Being agreed upon by ye sd. Parties at ye time of ye Signing of sd. Division: which Priviledge is to be [illegible]: It is to Bo at ye Northeast Corner of the Orchard and It is to Extend South-ward and westward so far as to Reach to or include ye Number of Seven Rows of apple trees each way: He ye sd. Hezekiah is to Have priviledge to get apples as he hath Occation for his families life within ye sd. bounds During ye term of his ye sd. Hezekiahs Natural Life and after his Decease it is to Goe with ye [illegible] That ye Orchard stands on: But ye sd. Deborah is to have an equal Priviledge with him to get ye Apples, yt. grow on those certain [illegible] apple trees within ye sd. bounds which are such as are Commonly Laid Up for Winter Apples and also one Swooting apple tree yt [illegible] to go [illegible] it going in ye [illegible] there There Being A small Rock under it: But ye sd. Hezekiah is not to [illegible] it off from ye. Rest part of ye orchard Neither is he to [illegible] or molest ye sd. Deborah swine or others Cretures of goeing in and eating of ye apples as they will naturally Do by goeing into ye other part of ye orchard: or ye swine or other Cretures of any person who shall Lawfully claim ye Right by from or [illegible] ye sd. Deborah or James Cock: only There is one small tree within ye sd. bounds yt hath a graft on it wch. [illegible] ye sd. Hezekiah Hath no Right of Priviledge to [illegible] The above sd. Priviledge wee Do agree yt ye sd. Hezekiah shall have far forth as ye power 7 authority is in [illegible] do and no further. It means Hezekiah is not to fence yt part. where his priviledge is: off from ye Rest part of ye Orchard. The word (James) wch. is intersined between ye 7 & 8 Lines and ye word (of) Intersined between ye 20 & 21: Lines: and ye word (other) intersined between ye 26 & 27 Lines was aforesigned: and ye word (three) Intersined between ye 17 & 18 Lines was aforesigned Sealed & Delivered in ye presence of Danl. Cock [illegible] Deborah Cock

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