Transcription and Interpretation
by Tricia Barbagallo February 2022
Catalog No: MS-2368 #2 (Old No. EV-749)
Item Date: c. 1740-1750, 20 Aug
Title:[1] Letter to Mr. Douw about purchasing the indenture of George Pook
August tho 20 Day Mr. Douw these are to Acquaint you
That as I was returning home that I Lit[2] of
this Boy George Pook and he said he had arrived
to make it up with me and as he wase[3] tolking[4]
his master of his under Mr. Look Cald[5] to me
and Desired of me to Come thard[6] and it was
Down by the Fezy[7] in a porch seting[8] and I did
with that he asked his Sath[9] he will you take
Fiften (sic) Pounds for this Boy I sayde no I wont[10]
with that he says Get along in Be damd for
you shant have him at this Said time
the Boy Said that he wold[11] not I asked and
more to Rather thon I should take his indenture
home Again he Says for if I D’Skrious[12] I Can
make that Fellow Pay it that Pershaided[13] me
Away[14] Pay it soon I Came Down and I will Come
now I Desire you would Race that thirty Pound
out and set down 40 Pounds in the Place of it
for if I got that I shall loose by him
for if he comes down he can get it of this Fellow
[1] This is likely not a slave document. It is a letter about an indentured servant, but we do not know the race of the person considered for sale. Key words such as slave and “negro” which were nearly always used in letters about sales, are missing from this document. Slaves generally did not have surnames in the early 1700s, which this boy has. The watermark on the document is a royal British oval, a three-jeweled crown with a cross pattèe – a typical British watermark seen on paper until the early 1800s. Nothing is written on the reverse of the document. There is no wax seal or signature. The date of the document cannot be determined but the Old English penmanship, the watermark, ink, and language suggest the document dates from about 1740-1750. The penmanship has a hint of Old Dutch style.
[2] Let, meaning to let or lease, or like
[3] was
[4] talking
[5] Called, called on me
[6] There – toward there (thard)
[7] Ferry?
[8] Setting – meaning the person was sitting
[9] Saith – he asked sayeth, or he asked and said…
[10] Won’t
[11] would
[12] desirous
[13] Persuaded?
[14] A way – meaning - a means to pay for the boy
