James Iredell permission pass
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of three items: an original handwritten permission pass signed February 12, 1783 by James Iredell and John Johnston, for London, an enslaved person, to carry a gun as overseer on a plantation in Bertie County; a pre-printed card from "Francis D. Winston, of Bertie" describing the item; a transcription of the document.
Dates
- 1783
Creator
- Iredell, James, 1751-1799 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
There are no restrictions on the use of this material except where previously copyrighted material is concerned. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain all permissions.
Biographical / Historical
James Iredell immigrated from England and worked as the deputy collector of Edenton, a port in North Carolina, starting in 1774. In 1778 he was elected a judge of North Carolina's superior court, and was attorney general from 1779 to 1781. In 1790 he became a Supreme Court associate justice after being nominated by George Washington.
Francis D. Winston was lieutenant governor of North Carolina from 1905 to 1909 and raised on "Windsor Castle" plantation in Bertie County. Winston was an attorney after graduating in 1879 from the University of North Carolina. He served in the North Carolina Senate in 1887, representing Bertie and Northhampton Counties. Elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 1898, he assisted in heading the "white supremacy" campaigns of the Democrats in 1898 and 1900.
Extent
.08 Linear Feet (1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The permission pass illustrates the financial cost and special arrangement needed for an enslaved person to carry a firearm in 18th century North Carolina, and that London was classified as "property" by the lawyers issuing the permission.
Arrangement
Folder contains both pieces of a handwritten document identified on separate pre-printed card as "Bond permitting a Negro Overseer to carry a gun. Signed 1783, by James Iredell, Justice Supreme Court, United States. Presented by Francis D. Winston, of Bertie", and transcription of the document.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Unknown
Physical Description
The document is fragile and ripped into two pieces with deterioration around fold lines and edges of paper. The upper piece is almost separated into two and has three remaining pieces still affixed of what appear to be green paper tape preprinted with lettering.
- Firearms ownership -- North Carolina -- History Subject Source: Local sources
- Iredell, James, 1751-1799
- Plantation life -- North Carolina -- History -- 18th century Subject Source: Local sources
- Plantation overseers -- North Carolina -- Bertie County -- History Subject Source: Local sources
- Slaves -- North Carolina -- Bertie County -- History Subject Source: Local sources
- Title
- Finding Aid for the James Iredell Permission Pass
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Various processors.
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Edition statement
- Various processors. Updated by Amy McDonald, 2012; Stephanie Barnwell, 2019; Beth Morris Weiss, 2019.
Repository Details
Part of the North Carolina Collection Archives Repository
