Extremely interesting and rare document and letter: a copy of the 1836 Mount Sterling, Kentucky will of James

Crawford in which he sets forth the terms under which a slave Tom [Crawford] will be manumitted, and a rare

letter from Thomas Crawford, the former slave to his former owner and apparent father Thomas Mosley, also of

Mount Sterling.   “… I will that Tom a negro man that I purchased of Thomas Mosely be free at my decease and as I have heretofore emancipated Fanny his wife and her children part of whom now reside in the State of Ohio, it is my wish that Tom and his wife with their children on my death do remove to and reside in the State of Ohio, but it is not my intention to make his freedom depend on his removal, but he is to be free whether he removes or not, I only advise him to remove as I hope it would be to his interest to do so. … I will to said Tom and Fanny his wife all that may be due and uncollected of his hire at my death in Kentucky…”  Below the clerk certifies that the will is a true copy and was presented to Montgomery Co., Kentucky court in December 1841. Also signed and dated, with seal, May 3, 1842, James Howard, clerk; and May 18, 1842, Joseph Bondurant, justice of the peace; certifying the document is a true copy of the will. Also includes an autograph letter from the freed slave, Thomas Crawford, commenting on his new life in Delaware, Ohio, April 1, 1844, to Thomas Mosely Esqr. of Mount Sterling.  From the document above the information that Mosely was Thomas’s former owner can be seen, the letter’s salutation hints that Mosely was his father was well: “Dear Farther, I received your letters and received the money all safely and paid over this morning and lifted the note and mortgage there is a good deel of cunningness I think in old Kentucky. I never should hav thougt ov cutting a Bill in too But I soon saw threw the Matter if they had got wone half it would not don them enny good without the other. I hav Rented the place too a Dutchman to crop on the haves he dus all the work and funds the seed and gives mee wone half and Repares the fence we are all well at Present and Little Steward is the greatest Boy in the northern states Times ar dull But I make a living and keep out of det Nothing Moore at present But Remains Yours Thos Crawford” [sic] Both Thomas Crawford and his son Steward appear on the 1880 U. S. Federal Census in Delaware, Delaware County, Ohio. The records note both as “Black,” Thomas born about 1817 is listed as a retired barber, Steward Crawford, b. about 1843, is listed as an engineer. Rare letter from a former slave to his former owner and apparent father.