Ishmael, an enslaved person, was purchased by Eleazar Wheelock in 1757
A bill of sale dated February 2, 1757, records the purchase of a man named Ishmael by Eleazar Wheelock from William Clark of Plymouth in Plymouth County. This is likely Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony, as opposed to the Colony of Connecticut, where Wheelock lived, and where Wheelock purchased most of the individuals he enslaved. Wheelock paid £50 for Ishmael, who is described in the document as “sound and free from encumbrance.”
Beyond this generic description, nothing more is recorded about Ishmael, whose name would have been derived from the common practice of naming enslaved persons after biblical figures. His age, the type of work he performed, the length of time he remained with Wheelock and his eventual fate all remain unknown.