History Tid-Bits From The Old Records In The Clerk’s Office

In Springfield, Washington County, Kentucky

I, Will B. Booker, one of the Justices assigned to keep the peace for the County aforesaid do certify that Solomon Lawrence came before me and made oath that he brought with him to this State in the month of May last the following Negroes to wit Sarah, Ruth and Mary, for his own private use and not for the purpose of traffick or sale.  Given under my hand this 24th day of June 1818.  William B. Booker, W. C.

Know all men by these presents that I, Thomas Keats, of the County of Washington and State of Kentucky, for and in consideration of my Negro man named Daniel Williams, having heretofore behaved himself as a faithful, honest, obedient and industrious servant.  Now I do hereby emancipate and set at liberty and forever quit claim to said Daniel and permit him to go at large as a free man.  Witness my hand and seal this 8th day of March 1819.  Thomas Keats.  Witness John Hughes, Jr., Ezra Howe.

Know all men by these prsents that I, Martin D. McHenry, of the County of Washington in the State of Kentucky, do hereby emancipate, set free and forever discharge from slavery a small mulatto girl named Maria, about seven years old last fall, being the same that was raised in the family of my deceased father and being the child of a Negro woman, Phoebe, who lived in my father’s family and a reputed child of Harry, a mulatto man who was emancipated by my father.  Given under my hand and seal this 1st day of April, 1835.  M. D. McHenry.  Teste.  John R. Wharton, D. H. Spears.

Know all men by these presents, that I, Ann Spalding, widow of John Baptist Spalding, deceased, possessing an entire estate during widowhood, by virtue of the last will and testament of the aforesaid John B. Spalding, in a mulatto man-slave, named Phillip; and I, Stephen Spalding, the only claimant to the remainder of the said slave, at the marriage or death of the aforesaid Ann Spalding, (the other claims to the remainder of the aforesaid being extinguished by purchase), do solemnly agree to relinquish and abandon, our several and respective rights and titles to the ownership of the aforesaid Phillip.  And the said Phillip is by force of this instrument, freed and emancipated from all service, which we and our heirs, have a legal claim to.  In witness whereunto we hereto set our hands and seals, this 8th day of January, 1804.  Ann Spalding.  Stephen Spalding.  At a County Court held for Washington County, the 2nd day of February, 1807.  This instrument of writing was acknowledged by the within named Ann Spalding and Stephen Spalding to be their act and deed and ordered to be recorded.  Teste.  John Feed.  CWC.