Marley and Jason Braun donate Slave Bill of Sale to the Rubenstein Library
Marley Braun recently contacted the Rubenstein Library because she wanted to find a proper home for a very peculiar “letter” that belonged to her great-grandmother, Mrs. Edna Balderston. Perhaps Mrs. Balderston was shocked when she opened the “letter” envelope to find that it actually contained two bills of sale for 3 slaves in Baltimore dated October 11, 1805. The slaves listed in the bills were named Elizabeth, age 20, Harriet (her daughter), 6 months, and Delilah, age 14, for a total of $493.
Bill of Sale, October 11, 1805
The slave bills stayed in the family for a few generations behind glass until Marley, a former 10-year Duke employee, and her husband Andy, ’92 Duke alum, decided the bill deserved a place where it could not only be cared for but shared with people interested in its history. Marley and her son Jason came to the Rubenstein this past week to donate the bill of sale and view other bills of sale currently held by the Rubenstein in the African American Miscellany Collection. The bills within this collection span from 1757-1863 and this new addition will further help document the experience of African Americans during the era of slavery; thanks to the Braun family, Marley, Andy, Jason, and Hayley for this fascinating addition to our collections.
Bill of Sale, Delilah, age 14
Bill of Sale, Delilah, age 14
Post contributed by John Gartrell, John Hope Franklin Research Center Director.
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Welcome to the blog of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Duke University.
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New Books and Other Publications at the Rubenstein Library- Scraps
- Letters
- Paul Derval, a le plaisir de vous presenter Une vraie folie : superspectacle en 2 actes et 40 tableaux de Michel Gyarmathy.
- Casino de Paris : Tout Paris, revue en 2 actes et 45 tableaux de M.M. Albert Willemetz, Saint Granier et Jean Le Seyeux, présentée par Léon Volterra.
- Premier album descriptif de Montmartre en 1927
- New Rubenstein Library Materials Added to the Internet Archive
- Le tabac et les fumeurs May 20, 2013
- The Whitin Machine Works, Whitinsville, Mass. builders of cotton machinery : cards, railway heads, drawing frames, spinning frames, spoolers, wet and dry twisters, reels, long chain quilling machines, looms, etc., etc May 20, 2013
- A progressive course of inventive drawing on the principles of Pestalozzi : for the use of teachers and self-instruction : also with a view to its adaptation to art and manufacture May 20, 2013
- Bilder aus der Zukunft : zwei Erzählungen aus dem vierundzwanzigsten und neununddreissigsten Jahrhundert May 20, 2013
- Now May 13, 2013
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