Description:

VIRGINIA LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT BEQUEATHS SLAVES BY DRAWN LOTS
Interesting manuscript document, 3pp. legal folio, Norfolk County, VA Sep. 19, 1859, a true copy of the last will and testament of an Elizabeth R. Tatem, bequeathing her estate to various members of her family. The estate includes several enslaved persons, the pertinent section reading, in part: ‘... The principal part of my Estate is my undivided interest in Negroes owned jointly with my sisters Ellen & Lydia subject to my mothers life Estate therein and consequently no legacy can be claimed or paid before my mothers death, and I make the request or condition that my legates will not consent to the sale of the negroes to effect a division between them and my sisters nor after such division to sell what may be adjudges my part for a division among themselves nor after such division among themselves to sell them except for insubordination or bad conduct…' The copy is identified as such and signed at the conclusion by two county clerks, indicating that it was recorded with the county court. Shows expected folds, otherwise in very good to fine condition. The document is accompanied by four 3.75 x 1.25 slips of paper listing the names of twelve of the slaves in question, with prices alongside: ‘Old Sam', ‘Jerry', ‘Elizabeth & Child', ‘Dick', ‘Czar', ‘Elizabeth', ‘Kate', ‘Hamett', ‘Susan', ‘Iseah', ‘Charlotte', and ‘Hagen'. The verso of one slip bears the pencil inscription ‘Lydia C Drummond draws lot No 3', giving the name of an individual listed in Tatem's will described above. This indicates that the slaves included in the bequest were divided into lots and apportioned to Tatem's inheritors at random, with little regard to their actual relationships to each other. These slips show folds and splits, with three showing interior paper loss, otherwise in very good legible condition.

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November 14, 2025 10:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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