More scans from The Public Notice. The one above is a poster advertising sale and leasing of slaves, from the West Indies in 1829. Although I was obviously aware that slaves were sold on to other owners, it never previously occurred to me that they’d also be rented out just like horses were (“On the usual conditions of the Hirer finding them in Food, Clothing and Medical –––––––––ance”: the latter word is mostly unreadable). The slaves for sale were Hannibal, “an excellent House Servant of Good Character”, William, curtly described as “a Labourer”, and Nancy, “an excellent House Servant and Nurse”. The slaves listed as “To be let” are also mostly divided into “House Servants” and “Labourers”, the latter being considered worth much less money, and commonly referred to as field negroes/niggers. Notice also the final item on the bill is “that celebrated English horse, Blucher”.
A similarly blasé, callous elision of the difference between owning horses and owning humans is demonstrated in another announcement reproduced in The Public Notice: an 1850 poster for an American raffle in which a dollar stake put you in the way of winning the first prize, which was “a dark bay horse” called Star. Second prize was “a mulatto girl” called Sarah.
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