On September 20, 1759 storekeeper Elijah Williams of Deerfield, Massacusetts charged Samuel Dickinson for two quarts of rum for a woman named Phillis. Samuel Barnard enslaved a woman by that name and it is possible that Dickinson bought the rum for her.
John Williams was also a storekeeper in Deerfield. On June 10, 1784, he charged Samuel Barnard for a purchase of "Gauze" by "Phillis Negro Dr." The date of the transaction raises the issue of whether Phillis was enslaved. Although Massachusetts judges ruled in separate court cases in 1781-1783 that slavery was unconstitutional under the new state constitution ratified in 1780, slavery was not formerly abolished in the state. In consequence, some Massachusetts enslavers continued to hold already-enslaved people in bondage in the years immediately following the end of the American Revolution.
| Entry | Source | Vol Name | Date | entry id |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Samuel Dickinson Dr To 2 qts Rum dd Phillis 3/6 | Elijah Williams Daybook | Dec 14, 1757-Jan 22, 1765 | 1759 Sep 20 | 161 |
| • June 10th To Gauze 7/3 £0 7 3 | Williams and Upham Account Book | 1782 -1785 | 1784 Jun 10 | 780 |
| • J Septr 22d By Charge to Samll Barnard -7.3- | Williams and Upham Account Book | 1782 -1785 | 1785 Sep 22 | 1776 |