An enslaved man in the household of Bernardo Pargas and Ortauna Maria del Carmen, the free woman of color who shared his home. The 1820 Spanish census of Pensacola lists Bernardo Pargas as a pulpero (which can be translated as “grocer” or “tavern keeper”) born in Spain.
Born about 1805. Race is recorded as negro.
In his 1836 will, Bernardo Pargas bequeathed five years of George’s service as a slave to Manuel and Nicholas, two free men of color he had recently manumitted from slavery. At the end of that five years, George was to be set free. Bernardo died on 16 January 1837.
Deed of Manumission: 17 January 1842 – Joseph E. Caro and Charles Evans, Executors of the estate of Bernardo Pargas, manumitted George after having completed the five years of service as required by Bernardo’s will. George was described as being about 39 years old. (Escambia Co. [FL] Deeds, H/15)
SOURCES:
Will of Bernardo Pargas, 9 DEC 1836 [Ancestry.com. Florida, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1827-1950 [accessed 18 SEP 2021]
Coker, William S. and G. Douglas Inglis. “Census of Pensacola, 1820.” The Spanish Censuses of Pensacola, 1784-1820: A Genealogical Guide to Spanish Pensacola. The Perdido Bay Press, 1980, pp. 93-126