Deed of Manumission, 1826
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The Deed of Manumission (The Deed), dated 1826, is a manuscript fragment. The Deed is a register of enslaved Africans who bought freedom for themselves and their loved ones, mainly in the regions of Essequibo and Demerara in Guyana (then known as British Guiana). Recorded next to each name, in Dutch currency, is the amount paid for the transaction as well as the name of the former "owner" of the enslaved person. Entries in The Deed were made in ink on paper which has now become very fragile.
The Deed is also a source of information on Africans who were brought to Guyana from the West Coast of Africa by Dutch traders to work on Guyanese sugar plantations during the 17th century.
The Deed of Manumission was inscribed in the Memory of the World, Regional Register for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2014.