A Fuller Measure of Witherspoon on Slavery
Life and Books and Everything
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The Status of Negro Witherspoon
The slaves are nowhere mentioned in Witherspoon's last Will Intestiment. The will only stipulates who is to receive portions of his settled estate. It seems they were treated as free Negroes in their own household, but also at some sort of agreement willingly or unwillingly so long as John was alive and needed assistance. In 1795 Ann had 494 acres in her possession; this went down to 211 acres the following year.
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