Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History & Culture Enduring Connections: Exploring Delmarva's Black History

Source Information

Manumissions in Sussex County Land Records, 1639-1843

Manumission & Freedom • 747 Records • Uploaded April 28, 2025

This source consists of abstracts of manumissions recorded in the Delaware Public Archives’ Deed Records of Sussex County, Delaware between the years of 1639 and 1843; the majority of the entries are manumissions recorded between 1797 and 1840. Also included are a few other documents that mention enslaved people, such as bills of sale, found in the book series Sussex County, Delaware Land Deeds by Leslie & Neil Keddie and Land Records of Sussex County, Delaware by Mary Marshall Brewer.

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Fields Included

The list below shows the data fields included in this source. If a field is marked as Indexed, it is searchable.

  • Name of Enslaved Person(s) Indexed
  • Name of Slaveholder Indexed
  • Previous Owner(s) Mentioned Indexed
  • Volume
  • Page
  • Date
  • Conditions To Be Free Indexed
  • Description, Age, and Other Information about Enslaved Person Indexed
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