Administrative Information

Access

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Publication Rights/ Restrictions on Use

Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Librarian/ Associate Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts, and the holder of the copyright, if not the Rockefeller Library at Colonial Williamsburg.

Preferred Citation

James Mercer Slave Pass, Manuscript MS 01771OCT30, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Acquisition Information

Gift, 1975.

Alternative Form

Transcript (TR/00/1771/Oct 30) and microfilm (M-1561) also available.

Biographical/Historical Information

James Mercer was a planter and politician of Fredericksburg, Va. He served in the House of Burgesses, General Assembly, the Virginia constitutional convention of 1776, the committee of safety, and in the Continental Congress. He also served as a judge of the general court and of the court of appeals.

Scope and Content Information

Safe conduct pass for two slaves, "Negro Bobb, coachman & Negro George, postillion", to travel from Fredericksburg, Virginia to Williamsburg "with a coach and six horses". Signed by Mercer's steward, Thomas Oliver. Requests the slaves be afforded hospitality at inns along the way; reverse contains an account of expenses signed by Jonathan Martin.

Index Terms

Persons:

• Martin, Jonathan, fl. 1771.
• Mercer, James, 1736-1793.
• Oliver, Thomas, fl. 1770- 1790.

Subjects:

• Slavery--Virginia--History--18th century--Sources.
• Travel costs--Virginia--History--18th century--Sources.

Geographical Names:

• Fredericksburg (Va.)--History--18th century-- Sources.