An inventory of all the goods and chatels of the estate of Mr. John Cant ... the first day of June 1694... [manuscript], 1694 September 3.

Middlesex County, Virginia, 1694 September3.

1 item ; 16 x 39 cm

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Severe iron gall ink damage compounded by acid migration from earlier backing.

FAST ACC 272491

Ordered from Bernard J. Shapero, D9505, 2021-29-07, Transatlantic Book Fair, July 22-27, 2021 From dealer's description: Middlesex County, 3 September 1694. Folio (15.5 x 3 9 cm), manuscript, ink on single sheet of paper. Signed off at foot (Robert Dudley, John Smith, Edwin Thacker), a few closed tears along folds, some old ink burns not affecting legibility, part of watermark visible (a horn), paper lightly toned, edges uncut. This early American manuscript inventory records 'all the goods and chatels of the estate of Mr. John Cant' of Middlesex County Virginia, on 1st June 1694. The son of Major David Cant, John Cant is recorded as a burger of Middlesex County in 1692. The text begins with a record of his nine slaves, six men and three women ('negroe Sam, negroe Sambo, negroe Jak ...'). An indentured servant, 'An English lad named Robert Brown, six years to serve' is also listed. The list of chattels includes 'one large feather bed new and good ... two court cuberts, one good table, ten old leather chairs ... two pairs of fire tongues, one fire shuffell, one large new looking glass ... one smoothing iron ... six pounds one ounce three quarters of silver ... three horses, two mares and a coult ...' and various other accoutrements and fabrics. Significant numbers of African slaves were brought to Virginia in the seventeenth century, and the present document is a valuable original record of the slave trade."

272491