[SLAVERY & ABOLITION]. Partly printed bill of sale for enslaved man Will. [Fairfax County, VA], 5 January 1789.

1 page, 4to, 9 1/4 x 10 3/8 in., partly printed, toning, separations along old folds with some repairs to verso, modern ink inscription to upper right. Undersigned with seal. Docketed to verso.

An early bill of sale for an enslaved man named Will, about 18 years old, for a term of 12 years. The document details that he was one of several enslaved individuals from the estate of John Colville of Fairfax County, VA. Henry Astley Bennett oversaw the sale of Colville's estate to the late Earl of Tankerville, and here, to William Herbert.

Henry Astley Bennet (d. 1815) was a child of Charles Bennet, 3rd Earl of Tankerville (1716-1767), who owned thousands of acres of Virginia land, a copper mine, livestock, and enslaved individuals. These were left to him by John Colvill, whose estate was encumbered with debt and numerous and took over 30 years to reach a final settlement. George Washington was even named an executor of Thomas Colvill's will, brother of John, and both his chief heir and creditor. (See: “From George Washington to Tankerville, 20 January 1784,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/04-01-02-0045. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Confederation Series, vol. 1, 1 January 1784 – 17 July 1784, ed. W. W. Abbot. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1992, pp. 64–66.])

Property from the James Milgram, M.D., Collection of Broadsides, Ephemeral Americana, and Historical Documents

This lot is located in Cincinnati.

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Katie Horstman

VP, Head of Department, American Historical Ephemera and Early Photography

[email protected]513.666.4958

Ms. Horstman has spent over a decade specializing in historic photography and Americana at auction. During her tenure, she has overseen several notable single owner auctions, including property from the inventory of celebrated Americana and antique arms expert Norm Flayderman. During her time with the firm, she has maintained an active membership in the Daguerreian Society. Ms. Horstman holds an MA in Art History from the University of Cincinnati and a BA in Art History from The Ohio State University.

African Americana

[SLAVERY & ABOLITION]. Partly printed bill of sale for enslaved man Will. [Fairfax County, VA], 5 January 1789.

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