Emancipation Petitions
Lawrence County, Tennessee
Petition for Emancipation: Moses, Sarah and son Moses, 1845
“Moses a free man of color appeared in open court and petitioned as follows viz. (to wit);
The petition of Moses a colored man by his next friend John Stephenson:
To their worships the Justices of the county court of Lawrence County in the state of Tennessee.
Moses, a colored man, his wife Sarah, and their son Moses, by their next friend John Stephenson, humbly petitioning, respectfully state and show unto your worships that in the year 1836 said Moses became entitled to his freedom and property in his said wife Sarah by the payment of a large sum of money (to wit) the sum of one thousand and four hundred and fifty dollars to their late owners as will more fully appear by reference to exhibit A which said petitioners pray may be taken and considered as a part of this petition which said exhibit (A) is expressed and written in the words and figures following (to wit). Whereas in the year 1836 Moses then a negro and slave for life and the property of one Dickson C. Goff by agreement with said Goff, paid into my hands the sum of one thousand dollars as the price of his freedom which sum I paid over into the hands of said Goff and whereas said Moses paid at a subsequent time into my hands the sum of four hundred and fifty dollars as the price of his wife Sarah, a negro and slave for life and the property of William Groves by a similar agreement with said Groves which said sum of four hundred and fifty dollars I paid over into the hands of the said Groves and owing to the difficulty of procuring the manumission of slaves under the laws of Tennessee where said Moses and his wife resided at that time and wished to continue to reside and owing to the non-residence of said Goff, I took from said Goff a bill of sale for said Moses and also a bill of sale for his said wife Sarah and from said Groves not as my own property but for the mere purpose of protecting them from the penalties of the laws of Tennessee prescribed against free persons of color and whereas said Moses and wife have removed to the county of Lawrence and state of Tennessee and I am unwilling longer to be responsible for their acts in any way and whereas M. H. Buchanan of said county of Lawrence has consented to take charge of Moses, his wife Sarah and therefore for these considerations I do hereby convey unto the said M. H. Buchanan his heirs and assigns forever, all the right, title and interest which I have in and to said Moses and his wife Sarah warranting said title against myself and those claiming under me but no further. Given under my hand and seal September 3rd 1842 (signed: Thomas Martin seal which said exhibit has upon it the following endorsements (to wit) state of Tennessee-Giles County; personally appeared before me Edward D. Jones clerk of the county court of Giles County the within named Thomas Martin with whom I am personally acquainted and who acknowledged that he executed the within bill of sale for the purposes therein contained. Witness my hand at office this 2nd day of September 1842 (signed) E. D. Jones clerk
State of Tennessee
Giles County Registers office
The within bill of sale and clerks certificate are duly registered in this office in Book Q and page 125 and 126 this 2nd day of September 1842
(signed) P. T. L. McCandless Register
Your said petitioner by his said next friend further states that in the year 1842 he became by purchase the lawful owner of his son Moses as will more fully appear by the following bill of sale and the endorsement thereon the original of which is also herewith exhibited marked Ex. B. to wit state of Tennessee Giles County: Know all men by their presents that I, Lewis Conner, for and in consideration of the sum of six hundred dollars to me in hand paid, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, I have this day bargained sold and delivered unto M. H. Buchanan of the county of Lawrence a certain negro boy named Moses about thirteen years of age and warrant the said boy to be sound in body and mind and a slave for life and agree to defend the title thereof unto the said Buchanan his heirs and assigns from me and my heirs and all other persons given under my hand and seal this 13th day of December 1842.
In presence of (signed) Lewis Conner seal
Test
State of Tennessee
Giles County
Personally appeared before me Edward D. Jones clerk of the county of Giles County the within named Lewis Conner with whom I am personally acquainted and who acknowledged that he executed the within bill of sale for the purposes therein contained.
Witness my hand at office this 13th day of December 1842 (signed) E. D. Jones clerk
State of Tennessee
Giles County Registers office
The within bill of sale and clerks certificate are duly registered in this office in book Q, page 216, this 13th day of December 1842
(signed) P. T. L. McCandless Register
State of Mississippi
Monroe County March 16th 1845
This is to certify that the within bill of sale was executed to me in consequence of my being bound for part of the purchase money promised for the within named slave Moses: but as the purchase money was fully paid by his father Moses Lewis I disclaim all interest in the within slave named either in law or equity given under my hand and seal date as above in presence of
(Test) F. C.
(signed) M. H. Buchanan seal
And now your petitioner being desirous to remove himself and his said wife and son beyond the limits of this state within the time prescribed by law he prays that this worshipful court may consent to his manumission and that of his said wife and son and that he and they may have and receive the necessary papers to establish his and their freedom in any other place out of this state and your petitioner, will ever pray & c John Stephenson
Lawrence County Court April Term 1845
Moses, a colored man, petition for emancipation
Which said petition having been read and by the court fully considered and two-thirds of said justices considering the reasons set forth therein to be sufficient if true to entitle the said petitioners to their freedom. The said petition is by order of the court referred according to the statute in this behalf made and enacted to the chairman of this court to examine and report to this term of the court whether it is for the interest and policy of the state to grant said petitioners their request. And the chairman reports that he hath examined said petition and the exhibits thereto annexed and that it is consistent with the policy and interest of the state to accede to the prayers of said petitioners. A. L. Alexander, chairman
Lawrence County Court April Term 1845
Moses petition for Emancipation - Decree
Which said report being read in open court and no exceptions taken thereto by any justice of said court it is therefore ordered adjudged and decreed by the court that said petitioners Moses and his said wife Sarah and his son Moses be and they are hereby manumitted and declared to be free upon the said Moses entering into bond as by law directed and thereupon came the said Moses into open court and for himself and his said wife and son entered into bonds according by which bond is in the words and figures following (to wit)
State of Tennessee
Lawrence County
Know all men by these presents that we Moses Lewis, a free man of color, and John Stephenson of the county of Lawrence, are held and firmly bound unto James C. Jones governor of said state of Tennessee and to his successors in office in the sum of eight hundred dollars to [be] paid to the said James C. Jones or to his said successors in office which payment will and truly to be made we bind ourselves and each of our heirs executors and administrators jointly and severally by these presents witness our hands and seals this 7th day of April 1845.
The condition of the above obligation is such that whereas the above bounden Moses a man of color has this day obtained the consent of the county court of said county of Lawrence in due form of law to his manumission together with the manumission of his wife Sarah a woman of color and of his son Moses by purchase as appears of record in the said court on condition that he the said Moses shall remove himself and his said wife and son the said Sarah and Moses beyond the limits of the state of Tennessee within the space of twenty days from his receiving from the clerk of said county court a certified copy of the records of this court in this behalf. Now if the said Moses shall so as aforesaid remove himself together with his said wife and son then this obligation to be null and void otherwise to remain in full force according to the true intent and meaning thereof.
Moses Lewis seal
John Stephenson seal
Which bond is by the court approved and accepted as a sufficient compliance with the statutes of the said state. It is therefore further ordered adjudged and decreed by the court that the said Moses his wife Sarah and his son Moses aforesaid be and each of them are hereby manumitted and declared to be free persons of color and it is further ordered by the court that the clerk do make out a full complete copy of the proceedings in the premises and duly certify and deliver the same to the said Moses according to the prayer of his said petition and that the petitioner pay the costs.
County Court Minutes
Roll # 19 3rd index
January 1835-December 1846
Petition for Emancipation: Fanny and Jim
Saturday, September the 6th 1856:
B.F. Matthews next friend of Fanny and Jim
Petition for Emancipation
Be it remembered that this cause coming on to be heard by the Honor B. M. Moore, judge of the County Court & c upon the petition of petitioners exhibit and proof in said cause and it appearing therefrom that the late John H. Beeler emancipated the said Fanny and Jim in the event of the marriage of his widow Mary F. Beeler and it appearing that said widow intermarried with one John G. Anthony on the 20th day of January 1856 whereupon by the terms of said will and the occurrence of the contingencies therein mentions they became and were emancipated by the laws of Tennessee.
State of Tennessee
Lawrence County
To the honorable B. M. Moore, Judge of the County Court of said county
The petition of Jim and Fanny person[s] of color and heretofore slaves of John H. Beeler, deceased, file this their petition by their next friend Benjamin F. Matthews, all of whom are citizens and residents of the county of Lawrence and State aforesaid.
These petitioners by their next friend, the said Benjamin F. Matthews, would most respectfully represent and show unto your Honor that they were for nearly forty years the slaves of Daniel Beeler, deceased, that at his death which occurred sometime in the year 1843 in the County of Lawrence aforesaid that they by purchase became the property of the said John H. Beeler, deceased, the younger son of the said Daniel Bealer [sic], deceased, to whom they belonged and lived as his slaves until sometime in the month of February 1852 when their master, the said John H. Beeler departed this life in the County of Lawrence aforesaid that since the death of their master the said John H. Beeler they by certain item in the last will and testament of their master the said John H. Beeler, deceased, they lived with his widow in accordance with said will of the said John H. Beeler, deceased, whose possession they have obediently remained.
Your petitioners would respectfully represent further unto your Honor that they assisted in raising, providing and maintaining their master, the said John H. Beeler, deceased, and his children that they were always faithful, dutiful and obedient to the will, desire and requirements of their late master that they raised and that there was strong attachments existing between them and their master, the said John H. Beeler, deceased, up to the time of his death that the said John H. Beeler, deceased, their master often informed them that in consideration of their faith, obedience and attention to him in infancy as well as in manhood and to his infant children that he would make for them some suitable provisions in their declining years.
Your petitioners would further state unto your Honor that previous to the death of their master, the said John H. Beeler, executed his last will and testament as before mentioned which is herein filed marked (exhibit B) and prays to be taken as part of this their petition that executor appointed in and by said will refused to qualify and therefore Samuel G. Buchanan was appointed by the County Court of Lawrence County administrator with said will annexed who died sometime about the month of October 1853-4 when the County Court at its next time appointed Mary F. Beeler, the former wife and widow of the said John H. Beeler, deceased, with said will annexed that the said Mary F. Beeler intermarried with one John G. Anthony on the 19th day of January 1856.
Your petitioners would further state that by the terms of said will they were to be emancipated at the time of marriage or death of the said Mary F. Beeler, widow of the said John H. Beeler and that said will provided for their support in the event the petitioners were unable to maintain themselves by their labours.
The premises considered, your petitioners pray your Honor upon the final hearing of this cause to decree unto them their freedom and emancipation under the laws of the State of Tennessee in such cause made and provided and for all such other relief as to your Honor may seem right, just and proper in the premises as in duty bound will ever pray, & c
Benjamin F. Matthews
Atto & c
B.F. Matthews, next friend of Fanny and Jim
Petition for Emancipation
Be it remembered that this cause coming to be heard by the Honorable B.M. Moore, Judge of the County & c, upon the petition of petitioners exhibits and proof in said cause and it appearing therefrom that the late John H. Beeler emancipated the said Fanny and Jim in the event of the marriage of his widow Mary F. Beeler and it appearing that said widow intermarried with one John G. Anthony on the 20th day of January 1856 whereupon by the terms of said will and the occurrence of the contingencies therein mentioned they became and were emancipated by the laws of Tennessee and it further appearing from the proof in this cause that said negroes are unable to make a voyage to the western coast of Africa from age and that the Act of 1853-4 is not applicable to them.
It is therefore ordered adjudged and decreed that Fanny and Jim, persons of color, are hereby declared free from servitude and entitled to all the rights, power and privileges of free persons of color the state hereby assenting to the same upon entering into bond as required of free persons of color by the laws of Tennessee.
Court adjourned. B.M. Moore Judge
County Court Minutes
Roll # 20
January 1847-September 1858