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The act for the gradual abolition of slavery in Pennsylvania was passed finally on the I st of March, 1780, and among other things provided "that no child born hereafter of slave parents shall be held a slave, but a servant, until the age of twenty-eight years, when all claim for further service shall cease." At the organization of Beaver County in 1803 there were four slaves held within its limits. When the census was taken in 1810 there were eight in the county; in 1820 there were five. When the census was again taken in 1830 there were none - all having in the meantime died or passed by law from a condition of servitude to a state of freedom. It has been quite difficult to learn much of the history of the persons here referred to as slaves, but from the data accessible we append the following:
Mr. James Nicholson, a farmer residing in Big Beaver township owned the services of three of them. Their names were, respectively, Pompey Frazier, Tamar Frazier and Betty Mathers. By a deed dated May 6th, 1819, Mr. Nicholson and wife conveyed to the three "servants" here named the farm on which they resided, but the deed was to be void and of no effect as long as Nicholson and his wife lived. At their death the land was to be taken possession of by the "servants" and their issue, if any they had. Ten years after the deed was executed Nicholson died, and soon after one of the "servants" - Tamar - also died. Pompey and Betty continued to live with Mrs. Nicholson until her death some years later, after which they came into full and complete possession of the farm. Pompey died without issue, but Betty married a man named Henry Jordan, in 1804, with whom she had several sons and daughters, some of them being still residents of this county. The tract of land here referred to was sold by Betty, the greater portion of the town of New Galilee having since been built upon it. She died in 1872.
A colored man named Isaac Hall was bought at auction in Baltimore about the year 1810, and brought to this county by his purchaser, Capt. John Ossman, in whose service he continued for many years, and up until his (Hall's) death.
Early in the history of the county, Mr. Levi Dungan, who afterwards resided near the present site of Frankfort Springs, brought with him from Philadelphia two slaves, known as Fortune and Lunn. These persons were in his service until they died. One of them - Lunn - at his own request was buried beneath the spreading branches of a large apple tree, which is pointed out to this day, and is known as "Lunn's tree."
About the year 1820, the late John Roberts, Esq. of Hanover township, brought with him from Fauquier county, Va., two slaves named Henry and Henley Webster, with whom they lived for many years after coming to this county. One, or perhaps both, of them are still alive, and reside in the vicinity of Hookstown, this county.