The act for the gradual abolition of slavery in Pennsylvania was
passed finally on the 1st of March, 1780, and among other things provided
"that no child born hereafter of slave parents shall he 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, Tanar Frazier and Betty Mathers. By a deed dated
May 6th, 1819, Mr. Nicholon and wife conveyed to the three "ser-
vants" 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 anly 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 1840, 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 untilt his (Hall's) death.

Early in the history of the county Mr. Levi Dungan, who after-wards
resided Pear the present site of Frankfiurt 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

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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.

[Through an oversight on the part of the writer of the History of
the county, the name of Benjamin Wilde, Esq., was omitted as one' of
the gentlemen who established the Woolen Mills at New Brighton in
1842. The omission occurs on page 30.-PUB.]