The Collected Library, Including Americana and Early Photography

Formerly Enslaved Woman Owes a Debt for Buying Her Husband's Freedom 

[Virginia] March 12, 1860. Extremely scarce 1 pg. autograph document signed by E. P. Tucker, giving notice that an emancipated slave woman [ancestor of actor Laurence Fishburne] still owes money for the payment of her husband. In full: “Lucy Carpenter (a woman emancipated by the will of Eaton Carpenter, decd.) owes Dabney Sandige sixty six and 34/100 dollars for the purchase of her husband, Archy. Which sum was due on the 22nd October, 1852.”   

[Besides the scarcity of documents concerning the purchase of an enslaved person by their emancipated spouse, this particular document has a fascinating connection to a current noted actor. A recent (April 2025) PBS episode of “Finding Your Roots” revealed that Lucy Carpenter is the great-great-great grandmother of Oscar nominated actor Laurence Fishburne (e.g., Matrix, John Wick, etc. films). The episode did not indicate whether the name of Lucy’s husband was known or that his freedom was purchased by Lucy after she was emancipated. This document seems to provide this information. Eaton Carpenter of Amherst County, VA, died in 1848. In his will he emancipated all his slaves and, with the sale of other estate assets, provided these emancipated persons with financial help to start their new lives. Lucy Carpenter was among those emancipated. The document suggests that Lucy used all or part of the proceeds of Eaton’s estate to purchase from Dabney Sandidge the freedom of her husband, Archy Sandidge.  Edmund P. Tucker, who writes and signs this document, was the executor of his Eaton’s estate. A nice, historical item.