Manumissions at Friends Historical Library

A manumission is a formal legal document certifying the release of an enslaved person into freedom. As Quakers became convinced that the institution of slavery was contrary to their religious beliefs, they began to free their slaves. In 1773, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends made owning slaves a disownable offense.

Below is a partial list of manumissions held at the Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. The index below includes manumissions from the following collections:

• Bucks Quarterly Meeting Records (RG2/Ph/B860)
• Chester Monthly Meeting Records (RG2/Ph/C433)
• Chesterfield Monthly Meeting Records (RG2/Ph/C470)
• Collection of manumissions (SC 079)
• Concord Monthly Meeting Records (RG2/Ph/C610)
• Uwchlan Monthly Meeting Records (RG2/Ph/U900)
• Westbury Monthly Meeting Records (RG2/NY/W453)

Additional Friends Historical Library collections with manumissions were not included in this list. Search the Friends Historical Library website to discover other collections with manumissions.