Jane was an African American woman residing in Pasquotank County, North Carolina. Jane had been enslaved by William Albertston, a Quaker. In about 1776, due to his religious beliefs, Albertson freed Jane. Later, North Carolina passed a law stating that enslaved people could not be freed without permission of the courts. In 1778 local officials arrested Jane, arguing that she had violated the law even though she had been emancipated prior to the law, and sold her labor at public auction. Any further information regarding this individual has not been located.
In the 1778 writ, the individual named Albertson listed after Jane is likely an error. Rather than being a separate enslaved individual, Albertson is likely a reference to Jane's enslaver.
