Warner Mifflin manumits his slaves, 1774
Warner Mifflin is said to have been the first man in America to voluntarily give freedom to his bondmen, and to make restitution to such of them as were past twenty-one, for the unrequited service which they had rendered him. Be that as it may, from 1775, until his death in 1799, Warner Mifflin, with tireless zeal labored with Friends personally, and with meetings in their official capacity, to drive the last remnant of slavery from the Quaker fold.
An anecdote
Ezekiel Coston, aged upwards of eighty years, related to Samuel Canby ... in the 2d month, 1825, the following ... That he was born a slave, in the family of Daniel Mifflin ... with whom he lived until about twenty years of age; about which period, Warner Mifflin, son of Daniel, married a daughter of Kensey Johns ... and settled near Camden... Ezekiel and five other slaves were given him by his father... He lived with Warner Mifflin about eighteen months, when he put him on a plantation of his, to work it, about six miles from his residence, where he continued about four years a slave.
At this period, Ezekiel was informed by his master that he had concluded to set his slaves free. And very soon after, his master came to his residence, and calling him from the field where he was ploughing, they sat down together, when he told Ezekiel his mind had long been uneasy with holding slaves, and that he must let him go. Ezekiel was so well satisfied with his situation, that he told his master he could not leave him. Their conversation on the subject produced such feelings of tenderness, that they both wept much. Finally, as an inducement to comply, his master told him he might remain on the farm; and they entered into a mutual agreement, which was carried into effect, and Ezekiel continued to live on the farm fourteen years. Warner then gave him a piece of land, upon which he built a house, where he remained until he came to reside in the neighbourhood of Wilmington.