Apprenticeship Bond of Asa "Acy" Spellman, Craven County, 1762

Craven County, April 7, 1762

My notes: Although no last name is given and no month is given in this apprenticeship paper, research in the county court records for Craven County show that this is Aaron Spellman, son of Sarah Spellman, as he was the only "Aaron" to be apprenticed to Anna Bryan during the months of March-April of 1762. His siblings Asa, David, and Lydia were bound out the same day.

Note: the ƒ character signifies the "f" used in colonial text, usually in cases of a double "s" where the first "s" looks like an "f" (ex: "witnefseth" instead of "witnesseth"), but it some cases, all "s" looks like an "f" (ex: "witneffeth"), in which case there will be double "ƒƒ"

Note: This form was type-set with blanks for writing in names and dates. I have tried to duplicate that by putting the hand written text in larger font italics since the ƒ is already in a type of italic.

This Indenture, made the Seventh Day of april in the Year of our Lord One Thousdand Seven Hundred Sixty Two Witneƒƒeth, That Jacob Blount Thomas Pollock and Christopher Dawson Eƒqrs. Juƒtices of Craven County Court have put and placed Acy a free Negroe Boy an orphan of deceased, aged Eleven Years an Apprentice to M^rs. Anna Bryan of the ƒaid County, with him to dwell, reƒide, and ƒerve until he the ƒsaid Apprentice ƒhall arrive at the Age of Twentyone Years, according to the Act of Aƒƒembly in that Caƒe made and provided ; during all which Time the ƒaid Apprentice his ƒaid Maƒter [replaced with "Mrs"] ƒhall faithfully ƒerve in all lawful Buƒineƒs, and orderly and obediently in all things behave himƒelf towards his ƒaid Maƒter [replaced with Mrs.], for and during the ƒaid Term, as an Apprentice ought to do. And the ƒaid Anna Bryan doth covenant, promiƒise and agree, to and with the ƒaid Juƒ;tices, and their Succeƒƒors, that (s)he the ƒ Anna Bryan will provide and allow him [replaced with "her"] ƒaid Apprectice convenient and ƒufficent Meat, Drink, Lodging, and Appearrel, and uƒe his beƒt Endeavours to inƒtruct him in the Art and Calling of Plantation Buƒsineƒs and alƒo teach him to read and write before the Expiration of h Apprenticeƒhip. IN WITNESS whereof, the ƒaid Juƒtices by the Clerk of their County Court, and the ƒaid Anna Bryan hereunto Interchangeably ƒet their Heands and Seals, the Day and Year ƒirƒt above written.

     Signed, Sealed, and Delivered,
    in the Preƒence of

Jacob Blount
Lom Lane (? hard to read, very fancy script which means it illegible, surname could be "Land")
Thom^s. Pollock
Stephen York
Chris^t. Dawson
Anna Bryan

Source Citation: (use this information to request a photocopy from the State Archives of North Carolina)

• Call number at the State Archives of North Carolina: C.R. 028.101.1
• Series: Craven County
• Box: Apprentice Bonds
• Folder: Apprentice Bonds and Records 1748, 1754, 1757, 1759, 1761-65, 1768-69
• Document: Asa, April 7, 1762

Apprenticeship Bond of Aaron Spellman, Craven County, 1762

Sorry folks for the delay. I have already transcribed 4 of the apprenticeship records on the Spellman/Spelman family of Craven County. I'll try to post 1 a day or every other day for the next week. These 4 are siblings. We'll do it alphabetically, so today is Aaron:

Craven County, April 7, 1762

My notes: Although no last name is given and no month is given in this apprenticeship paper, research in the county court records for Craven County show that this is Aaron Spellman, son of Sarah Spellman, as he was the only "Aaron" to be apprenticed to Anna Bryan during the months of March-April of 1762. His siblings Asa, David, and Lydia were bound out the same day.

Note: the ƒ character signifies the "f" used in colonial text, usually in cases of a double "s" where the first "s" looks like an "f" (ex: "witnefseth" instead of "witnesseth"), but it some cases, all "s" looks like an "f" (ex: "witneffeth"), in which case there will be double "ƒƒ"

Note: This form was type-set with blanks for writing in names and dates. I have tried to duplicate that by putting the hand written text in larger font italics since the ƒ is already in a type of italic.

This Indenture, made the Seventh Day of [*] in the Year of our Lord One Thousdand Seven Hundred sixty Two Witneƒƒeth, That Jacob Blount Thomas Pollock and Christopher Dawson Eƒqrs. Juƒtices of Craven County Court have put and placed Aaron a free negroe Boy an orphan of deceased, aged Nine Years an Apprentice to M^rs. Anna Bryan of the ƒaid County, with him [replaced with "her"] to dwell, reƒide, and ƒerve until he the ƒaid Apprentice ƒhall arrive at the Age of Twentyone Years, according to the Act of Aƒƒembly in that Caƒe made and provided ; during all which Time the ƒaid Apprentice his ƒaid Maƒter [replaced with "Mrs." ƒhall faithfully ƒerve in all lawful Buƒineƒs, and orderly and obediently in all things behave himƒelf towards his ƒaid Maƒter [replaced with "rs."], for and during the ƒaid Term, as an Apprentice ought to do. And the ƒaid Anna Bryan doth covenant, promiƒise and agree, to and with the ƒaid Juƒ;tices, and their Succeƒƒors, that (s)he the ƒaid Anna Bryan will provide and allow him ƒaid Apprectice convenient and ƒufficent Meat, Drink, Lodging, and Appearrel, and uƒe his beƒt Endeavours to inƒtruct him in the Art and Calling of Plantation Business and alƒo teach h to read and write before the Expiration of his Apprenticeƒhip. IN WITNESS whereof, the ƒaid Juƒtices by the Clerk of their County Court, and the ƒaid Anna Bryan hereunto Interchangeably ƒet their Heands and Seals, the Day and Year ƒirƒt above written.

     Signed, Sealed, and Delivered,
in the Preƒence of

Jacob Blount
Lom Lane (? hard to read, very fancy script which means it illegible, surname could be "Land")
Thom^s. Pollock
Stephen York
Chris^t. Dawson
Anna Bryan

*=This was left blank, but from court records, the month was April

Source Citation: (use this information to request a photocopy from the State Archives of North Carolina)

• Call number at the State Archives of North Carolina: C.R. 028.101.1
• Series: Craven County
• Box: Apprentice Bonds
• Folder: Apprentice Bonds and Records 1748, 1754, 1757, 1759, 1761-65, 1768-69
• Document: Aaron, April 7, 1762

Petition From the Inhabitants of Granville County, 1771

Hello folks!

Today's post is a transcription of a petition that was filed with the General Assembly in 1771. The petition was "rejected or not acted on" and was from citizens in Granville County who opposed a new law that required a tax paid on all wives of free Black citizens (unless the wife was a slave). Many of the signers I know to be free Blacks, but others are either white or unknown to me as of yet. An "*" replaces an unreadable letter and "(x)" is the person's mark

Petition from the inhabitants of Granville

1771, Entd.

To the Honble. the Speaker and Gentn. Of the house of Assembly
The Petition of the Inhabitants of Granville County Humbly Sheweth that by the Act of Assembly Concerning Tythables it is among other things enacted that all free Negroes & Mulato Women and all wives of free Negroes & Mulatoes are Declar'd Tythables & Chargeable for Defraying the Public country & Parish Leveys of this Province which Your Petitioners Humbly Conceive is highly derogatory of the Rights of Freeborn Subjects.

Your Petitioners therefore Pray that An Act may pass Exempting Such free Negroes & Mulatoe Women and all wives other than Slaves of free Negroes & Mulatoes from being Listed as Tythables & from Paying any Public County or Parish Leveys and your Petitions Shall ever Pray &c.

John Smith	John Wilkerson	Charles Moore
James Norris	Christopher Thims	Thomas Head
William *ingson	John Head	James Caudill
Isom Caudill	Carter Hedge Beth	Martha Knight
Frances Davenport	Nathan Chiles	Benjamin Hendrick
Cubird Hudjons	Willis Roberts	Isaac Head
James Williamson	Joseph Hill	William Thims
William Cawthon	Thos. Loew	Wm Wallis
Isham Johnson	Isac White	JnoTudor
Jno Badget	William Head	Groves Howard
George Fagans	Charles Spaulding	Henry Spaulding
Gibea Chavis	William Matthews	Benjamin Bass
James Downey	Richd Burton	Benjamin *aze
John Davis	Lewis Anderson	Davie Mircoll Negroe
William Chavis	Samuel Huckaby	Lewis Collins
Thomas Butler	John Gwin	George Witlock
Humphrey Davis	Josiah Stovall	Ben Bearden
Lovet Gates	Shadrach Roberts	Thomas Wittington*
William Whorton	John Harris	Robert Down
John Hart	Edward (X) Bass	Rubin (X) Bass
Lawrence (X) Pettiford	Agula (X) Snele

A few comments on the names:

1. The following a free Blacks that I'm currently/actively researching:

• Gibea Chavis (see the previous post for a land deed of his)
• Benjamin Bass
• Lewis Anderson
• Davie Mircholl (this should be "Mitchell")
• Wiliam Chavis
• Edward Bass
• Rubin Bass (often spelled "Reuben")
• Lawrence Pettiford (sometimes speclled "Laurence" and surnames variations include Petiford, Pettyford, and Petitford)

2. The following names are probably free Blacks, but I do not have enough information on them:

• Thomas, John, and William Head
• James and Ison Caudill
• George Fagan (I've come across this surname many times in connection to free Blacks in NC, but nothing definite one way or another. There was a line of free Blacks surnamed Fagan in VA and George could be a descendant)
  
• Charles and Henry Spaulding (Spaulding is a surname I see a lot in connection with free Blacks in NC)
  
• Samuel Huckaby
• John Gwin (this could be John Gowen)
• Humphrey Davis
• John Harris (both Davis and Harris are surnames of whites and free Blacks in Granville County. I don't know about these two individuals)
• Agula Snele (This is actually "Aquila Snell" or "Aquila Snelling". I've seen Aquila [both as Snell and Snelling] mentioned numerous times in connection with free Blacks in Granville County, and Aquila Snelling most likely married into the Chavis family according to research done by Paul Heinegg [Chavis, person #15, child v.])

NEXT BLOG: We're gonna move over to Craven County and I'll transcribe some apprenticeship records from the Spelman family.