United States, Indenture and Manumission Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
Indenture and manumission records for the following states and localities:
 * Alabama: Mobile County
 * District of Columbia:
 * Georgia: Morgan and Taliaferro Counties
 * Indiana: Knox County
 * Kentucky: Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bracken, Butler, Caldwell, Carlisle, Floyd, Fulton, Hickman, Livingston, Lyon, Marshall, McLean, Muhlenberg, Nicholas, Ohio, Spencer, Taylor, Todd, Trimble, Woodford Counties
 * Louisiana: Orleans Parish
 * Maryland: Carroll and Worcester Counties
 * Mississippi: Lowndes, Wilkinson Counties
 * New Jersey: Essex, Gloucester, Middlesex and Salem Counties
 * North Carolina: Bertie, Buncombe, Camden, Chatham, Chowan, Craven, Davie, Duplin, Forsyth, Gates, Orange, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Randolph, Wayne, Wilson and Yadkin Counties
 * Ohio: Greene, Logan and Miami Counties
 * Pennsylvania: Philadelphia (Pennsylvania Abolition Society)
 * South Carolina: Charleston
 * Virginia: Accomack and Surry Counties


 * See also Benjamin Joseph Klebaner. American Manumission Laws and the Responsibility for Supporting Slaves Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 63 (1955): 443-453.


 *  Additional National Archives Collections
 * Domestic Claims Commission. Definitive List of Slaves and Property, ca. 1827–ca. 1828
 * Department of the Tennessee. District of West Tennessee. Lists of Fugitive Slaves and Details, 1862–1863
 * Department of the Cumberland. Subdistrict of Mississippi. Register of Former Slaves, 1864 ?–1867 ?

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 2

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the enslaved individual
 * Name of the owner

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add the new information to your records
 * Use the information to find the person in other records
 * Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Try searching by surname only

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the United States.
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * United States Research Tips and Strategies

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog
Manumissions
 * Alabama, Washington County, Bonds, manumissions, slave sales, probate records, 1800-1850
 * Delaware, Kent County, Copy of records 1795-1800, v. 1-2; and copy of book of deeds of manumission of slaves, 1774-1792 kept of record by Duck Creek Monthly Meeting of Friends, in Kent, on Delaware
 * Illinois, St. Clair County. Emancipation record, 1812-1813, 1822-1843
 * New Jersey, Bergen County, Manumission of slaves, 1804-1841
 * New Jersey, Essex County, Certificates and deeds of manumissions, 1805-1856
 * New Jersey, Gloucester County, Manumissions of slaves, 1787-1813, 1817-1840
 * New Jersey, Middlesex County, Manumissions, 1800-1825
 * New Jersey, Salem County, Manumissions, 1800-1825
 * New Jersey, Salem County, Manumissions, 1800-1841
 * New Jersey, Sussex County, Manumissions of slaves, 1802-1838
 * Ohio, Greene County, Emancipation record, 1805-1844
 * Ohio, Logan County, Manumission record, 1843-1857
 * Ohio, Miami County, Manumission record, 1833-1847
 * Pennsylvania Abolition Society, Manumissions and indentures, ca. 1780-1840

Additional Collections  Publications 
 * Illinois, St. Clair County. Registry of negroes and mulattoes, 1846-1863
 * North Carolina, Pasquotank County, Records of slaves and free persons of color,1734-1861, 1866, 1892
 * Ohio. Auditor of State. Special enumeration of blacks immigrating to Ohio, 1861-1863
 * Ohio, Belmont County, Record of blacks and mulattoes, 1809-1854
 * Ohio, Greene County, Register of blacks and mulattos, 1805-1844
 * Ohio, Highland County, Register of Blacks, 1825-1859
 * Ohio, Logan County, Register of blacks and mulattos, 1831-1857
 * Ohio, Miami County, Register of blacks and mulattos, 1833-1847
 * Ohio, Montgomery County, Register of blacks & mulattos, 1804-1805
 * Ohio, Pickaway County, Records of black and mulatto persons, ca. 1819-1848
 * Ohio, Ross County, Record of Negros, 1804-1855
 * Pennsylvania, Bucks County, Register of slaves, ca. 1783-1830
 * Virginia. Accomack County, Overseers of the Poor, Indentures, 1798-1835
 * Virginia. Surry County, Indentures, 1699-1903
 * New Jersey Supreme Court. Cases adjudged in the Supreme Court of New Jersey relative to the manumission of Negroes and others holden in bondage. Burlington, N.J. by Isaac Neale, for the New Jersey Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery, 1794. FS Library 974.9 P2n
 * Ellen Thorne Morris, compiler ; George H. Moss, Jr., editor Manumission book of Monmouth County, New Jersey, 1791-1844 Freehold, New Jersey : Office of the Monmouth County Clerk, 1992 FS Library 974.946 H6m
 * Helen Hoban Rogers, comp. Freedom & slavery documents in the District of Columbia : Recorder of Deeds Office - bills of sale, certificates of freedom, certificates of slavery, manumissions 3 volumes. Baltimore, Maryland : Gateway Press, c2007-2008;Baltimore, Maryland : Otter Bay Books, c2009 FS Library 975.3 H6r
 * Jerry M. Hynson, Maryland freedom papers 3 volumes. Westminster, Maryland : Family Line, 1996-c2001 FS Library 975.2 P48h
 * Elaine McGill, transcribed, Manumission records, 1806-1864; Dorchester County, Maryland Riverdale, Georgia : E. McGill, 2001? FS Library 975.227 H6m
 * Marsha Lynne Fuller, African American manumissions of Washington County, Maryland Hagerstown, Maryland : Desert Sheik, c1997 FS Library 975.291 H68f
 * Henry McGilbert Wagstaff Minutes of the M. C. Manumission Society, 1816-1834Chapel Hill, North Carolina : University of North Carolina Press, 1934 FS Library 975.6 B4b v. 22 no. 1-2
 * Augusta County Genealogical Society, comp. Set free : Augusta County emancipations and manumissions Fishersville, Virginia : Augusta County Genealogical Society (Virginia), 2011 FS Library 975.5916 H6as

Citing This Collection
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