1850 REVEREND OWNS SLAVES. Rare South Carolina Reverend Slave Ownership Document

A very finely preserved c.1850 document, likely a taxation inventory, records the inventory of several citizens from Laurensville, South Carolina. 

Among the pots, pans, cows, wood, etc., we find the only citizen on the roster to own a slave is the pastor, Reverend William Hitt of Laurensville, South Carolina.

This is a classic example of one of the leading strategies of plantation owners of the 19th century in the south. They would often gift the pastor with a large house and estate, too much to be taken care of. Then, when the pastor was overwhelmed with the property, offer them a slave to assist in the care of the property, thus essentially rendering the pastor incapable of taking a moral stance against slavery in the public eye. 

A fine example.