Know all men by these presents that I Zachariah Gill Adm’r of Thomas T. Gill dec’d of the County of Edgecomb and State of North Carolina have bargained and sold unto Hilliard Thomas of the County and State aforesaid Two negroes named Mary and Warren for the consideration of the sum of Five hundred and Sixty three dollars and sixty cents in hand paid the receipt I do hereby acknowledge and therewith fully satisfied I do bind myself my heirs executors administrators and assigns forever to defend the right and title of said negroes as far as is vested in me as Administrator promise unto the aforesaid Hilliard Taylor his heirs and assigns forever against the lawful claim or claims of all or any person or persons whatsoever In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal Oct 6th 1849 Zachariah Gill Adm Test Jos. Barbee H. Etheridge
Edgecomb County Court The execution of the foregoing Bill of Sale is duly acknowledged in open Court by Zachariah Gill, the maker thereof for the purposes therein mentioned and is ordered to be registered. Test Jno. Norfleet clk
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Judging by their combined price, my guess is that Mary and Warren were young children.
Hilliard Thomas is listed in the 1860 slave schedule of Joyners and Gardners district, Wilson County, with eight enslaved people — boys and men aged 12, 13, 40, and 74, and girls and women aged 13, 19, 38, and 57.
Deed book 25, page 317, Edgecombe County Register of Deeds, Tarboro, N.C.
SHAMEFUL DISGRACE….then and even reading it now.