Peter and others v. Susanna Elliott and Rachell Elliott
Negroes, Peter, Will, Jack, Amos, Joe, Job, Sam, Cesar, Phillis, Violet, Sabina, Sal, Darkey, Rose, Peg, Nan, Esther, Dinah, Andrew, Fann, Sue & Daniel
against
Susanna Elliot & Rachell Elliot Executrix's of John Elliot
Be it remembered that the second Tuesday of April to wit on the fourteenth day of the same month Anno Domini one thousand seven hundred and eighty five, the aforesaid Negroes Peter, Will, Jack, Amos, Joe, Job, Sam, Cesar, Phillis, Violett, Sabina, Sal, Darkey, Rose, Peg, Nan, Esther, Dinah, Andrew, Fann, Sue, and Daniel by Robert Wright their Attorney presented to the Judges of our General Court here, the following Petition, to wit:
To the honorable the Judges of the General Court.
The Petition of the following Negroes, to wit, Peter, Will, Jack, Amos, Joe, Job, Sam, Cesar, Phillis, Violet, Sabina, Sal, Darkey, Rose, Peg, Nan, Esther, Dinah, Andrew, Fann, Sue, Daniel humbly sheweth, that they are unjustly detained as Slaves by Susanna Elliott and Rachell Elliott, Executrixes of John Elliott, deceased, of Queen Ann's County, they therefore pray your honors to grant them a Subpenea against the said Susanna and Rachel, to answer to their complaint afd and to give them such Relief herein as to your honors may seem meet, &c and on Duty &ca.
Peter, Will, Jack, Amos, Joe, Job, Sam, Cesar Phillis, Violet, Sabina, Sal, Darkey, Rose, Peg, Nan, Esther, Dinah Andrew, Fann, Sue, Daniel . . .
and the said Negroes Peter, Will, Jack, Amos, Joe, Job, Sam, Cesar, Phillis, Violet, Sabina, Sal, Darkey, Rose, Peg, Nan, Esther, Dinah, Andrew, Fann, Sue, and Daniel by their attorney aforesaid files in Court here the following Deed of Manumission, to wit:
Queen Ann's County, to wit; October 28th 1784, The following Instrument of writing was brought to be Recorded, Vizt.
Know all men by these presents, that I John Elliott of Kent Island, Queen Ann's County in the State of Maryland, do hereby give and grant full Liberty Freedom and Manumission (which Liberty, Freedom and Manumission shall commence on the twenty fifth day of December next) to each and every one of my Slaves called and known by the names as follow, to wit, Negro Man Peter aged forty five years, negro Man Will aged thirty eight years, negro Man Jack aged thirty two, negro man Amos aged twenty five, Negro Man Joe, aged twenty two, negro man Job aged twenty, Negro Lad Sam aged nineteen, Negro Lad Cesar aged sixteen, Negro Woman Phillis aged forty nine, negro woman Violet aged forty seven, negro woman Sabina aged thirty one negro woman Sal aged thirty, Negro Woman Darkey aged twenty four, Negro Woman Rose aged twenty five, Negro woman Peg aged Seventeen, Negro Girl Nan aged fourteen, Negro Girl Esther aged thirteen, Negro Girl Dinah aged nine, negro Boy Andrew aged nine years, Negro Girl Fann aged three, Negro Girl Sue aged two years and Six Months, Negro boy Daniel aged eight months, Negro boy Isaac aged twelve months.
Witness my hand and Seal this twenty third day of October seventeen hundred and eighty four.
John Elliott (Seal)
Test. Wm Earickson, Henry Carter Jr.
I hereby Certify, that on the twenty third day of October seventeen hundred and eighty four, John Elliott appeared before me, and acknowledged the within Instrument of writing to be his act and Deed for the purposes within mentioned
Jacob Ringgold
True Copy for C. Downes Clk.
Read the full case on O Say Can You See: Early Washington, D.C., Law & Family
- Title
- Peter and others v. Susanna Elliott and Rachell Elliott
- Description
- This freedom suit was brought forth by 22 enslaved people who were freed by a deed of manumission that was then contested by the executrixes of the former enslaver upon his death. The court found in favor of the re-enslavement of Peter and the other 21 freedmen.
- Excerpted
- Yes
- Date
- 1787
- Subject
- African Americans
- Temporal Coverage
- Early Republic
- Procedural History
- General Court of the Eastern Shore
- Document Type
- Court Case
- Document Category
- Primary Source
- Archival Source
- Maryland State Archives, General Court of the Eastern Shore (Judgment Record), MSA S482-2
- Digital Repository
- O Say Can You See: Early Washington, D.C., Law & Family
- Title
- Peter and others v. Susanna Elliott and Rachell Elliott
- Description
- This freedom suit was brought forth by 22 enslaved people who were freed by a deed of manumission that was then contested by the executrixes of the former enslaver upon his death. The court found in favor of the re-enslavement of Peter and the other 21 freedmen.
- Excerpted
- Yes
- Date
- 1787
- Subject
- African Americans
- Temporal Coverage
- Early Republic
- Procedural History
- General Court of the Eastern Shore
- Document Type
- Court Case
- Document Category
- Primary Source
- Archival Source
- Maryland State Archives, General Court of the Eastern Shore (Judgment Record), MSA S482-2
- Digital Repository
- O Say Can You See: Early Washington, D.C., Law & Family