Summary

Jean Baptiste Marly negotiates a contract for his wife Venus’s freedom. He agrees to serve her enslaver Jean Joseph Delfaut de Pontalba, an infantry officer and the commander at Pointe Coupée, as cook for three years. During that time, Pontalba will remain responsible for Venus’s care, providing necessities like food and medicine. After Marly’s three years of service, Venus will be free.

Transcription
Translation
Notes

Transcription (French, diplomatic)

[feuille 1 recto] [digital 2]

[Marginalia:] 1745
9 9^bre
marly negre
Engagement
avec pontalba

Command^[an]t

f^o. 29
(4096__.)

[Corps:]
(26917.)

fut present En sa personne Jean Baptiste Marly
negre Libre Lequel sera volontairement Et sans
Contrainte Engagé Envers le Sieur Jean Joseph
Delfau
de Pontalba officier d’Infanterie + [Command^[an]t]¹
a la pointe
Coupé[e] pour le servir En qualité de Cuisinier
Pendant LEspace de trois annees Consecutives
devolües et acomplies Lesquelles Commenceront
a Courir au premier de decembre prochain et
finiront
a pareil jour p^er [premier] decembre X ^{sept C} [dix-sept-cent] quarante huit
pendant Lequel tem[p]s il sera tenu de Le servir
En Lad[ite] qualité soit icy a la N^[ouve]lle orleans
au^d[it]
Poste de la pointe Coupé[e] ou ailleur si Le
Service
du Roy le demande et ce sans aucune interruption
de la part du^d[it] Marly, sobligeant monsr. sieur
[monsieur]
J[ean Joseph] de Pontalba de le Nourrir et
Medicamenter
pendant Lesd[ites] trois années aubout duquel
tem[p]s
Monsr. Sr. [monsieur] de Pontalba promet Et
s[‘]oblige
de donner La Liberté a Venus Negresse son
Esclave Laquelle est femme dud[it] Marly Mariés
Ensemble En face d’ [de l’] Eglise [;] que sil
arrivoit
que monsr. Sr de Pontalba Vint a mourir pendant
l’Intervalle desd[its] trois années Il asseure par
Ces
presentes La Liberte a Lad[ite] venus ladite
negresse
Laquelle se pourra servir des presentes pour
En Requerir La Confirmation par Mess^[ieu]rs Les
Gouverneur Et ordonnateur delad[ite] province

[feuille 1 verso] [digital 3] (26918.)

et Ce pour presenter a toutes Creances Et heritages si existe En Consideration des bons services que Luy a Rendu lad[ite] venus Et quelle pensserait Luy Rendre dans lavenir [;] Le mary et La femme, Lors estant Libre
depart Et dautre aubout desd[ites] trois années de se Retirer ou bon Leur Semblera sinon
Q[ui]ls nayment s’arranger pour servir
Ensuite monsr. [monsieur] de pontalba suivant Les Conventions quils pourront faire Ensemble [;] Comme aussy a Eté Convenu
entre Les parties que si led[it] marly venoit
amourir pendant Lesd[ites] trois annees il Consent permettre La Liberté de Lad[ite] Esclave ++ [bien Entendu que Lad[ite] Esclave servira Les trois années
monsr. Sr. De pontalba] ainsy quil a ete
Convenu Comme aussy que si pendant Led[it] tem[p]s Led[it] Marly venoit a se
deranger de son devoir par sa faute Monsr. [monsieur] de Pontalba Le Renverrait de Chez Luy sans quil puisse Rien pretendre
Non plus que sa femme [;] Car ainsy promet oblige et Chacun En droit luy Renonce [;] fait Et Passé a la n^[ouve]lle orleans En [l’]Etude Lan Mil Sept Cent quarante

[feuille 2 recto] [digital 4]
(26919.)

Cinq Le Neuf Novembre [en] presence
de Sieur Augustin Chantalou et
Marin Le Normant temoins y
demeurant Et ont signé ++ [bien Entendu
ue Lad[ite] Esclave servira Les trois années
monsr. Sr. De pontalba]

[Signé:] Chantalou
[Signé:] pontalba
[Signé:] jean baptiste Marly
[Signé:] normand
[Signé:] henry [Rubrica] N[otaire]

Translation (English, modern).

[page #1] [digital 2]

[Marginal note:]
1745
November 9
Marly, nègre,
Engagement
with Pontalba

fo. 29
(4096__.)

[Body:]
(26917.)

[Before the Council] Jean Baptiste Marly himself, free nègre, voluntarily and without constraint, will serve Sieur Jean Joseph Delfau de Pontalba, infantry officer commanding at Point Coupée, as a cook for a period of three consecutive years, allotted and completed, which will begin on the first [day] of next December and will finish on the same day, December first, seventeen hundred forty eight; during which time he will be obliged to serve him in this occupation either here in New Orleans, at the said post of Pointe Coupée, or elsewhere if the king’s service requires it, and without any interruption on the part of the aforesaid Marly, Monsieur Jean Joseph Delfau de Pontalba will be obligated to feed and medicate him during the said three years, at the end of which time Monsieur de Pontalba promises and obligates himself to give freedom to his négresse esclave Venus, who is the wife of the said Marly, married to each other before the church²; [and] if Monsieur de Pontalba were to die during the course of the said three years, he guarantees through those present freedom to the said Venus, négresse, who may use those present [the witnesses] to request confirmation from the Governor and Ordonnateur of the said province

[p. # 2] [dig. 3]
(26918.)

and this [document] to be presented to all claims and inheritances should [they] exist, in consideration of the good services that the said Venus rendered to him and that she will render him in the future; the husband and the wife, then each of them being free, at the end of the said three years, to withdraw wherever it seems good to them unless they want to arrange to serve monsieur de Pontalba thereafter, according to the conventions that they might make together; as it also has been agreed between the parties that if the said Marly came to die during the said three years, he consents to grant the freedom of the said slave ++ [it being understood that the said slave will serve Monsieur Pontalba the three years] as well as it has also been agreed that if during the said time the said Marly came to neglect his duty through his fault Monsieur Pontalba would dismiss him from his home, without him or his wife being able to claim anything; thus [he] promises, obliges, and each person waives their right; made and passed at the notary’s office in New Orleans, the year one thousand seven hundred and forty-

[p. # 2] [dig. 4]
(26919.)

five, the ninth November, in the presence of Sieur Augustin Chantalou and Marin Le Normant, witnesses
residing there, and have signed ++ [it being understood that the said slave will serve Monsieur Pontalba the three years]

[Signed:] [Augustin] Chantalou
[Signed:] [Jean Joseph Delfaut] Pontalba
[Signed:] Jean Baptiste Marly³
[Signed:] [Marin Le] Normant
[Signed:] [Nicolas] Henry [Rubric], Notary

Notes.