Free Men of Color
Lawrence County, Tennessee
The information below was taken from County Court Minutes & Loose Original Petitions for Lawrence County, Tennessee and is typed exactly as written. If you would like a copy of the actual document, please contact the Lawrence County Archives, 2588 Hwy. 43 S, Leoma, TN 38468; by email or telephone 931-852-4091.
State of Tennessee }
Lawrence County }
Know all these men by these presents that we hereby bind ourselves unto the
State of Tennessee in the sum of five hundred dollars for the payment
whereof we hereby bind ourself our heirs & personal representative witness our
hand and seal, this the 2nd day of July 1860.
The condition if the above obligation is such that where as on the first Monday in June 1860 Hugh Gardner a free person of color filed his petition in the County Court of Lawrence County to be Registered as required by law and the cost being satisfied that said Hugh Gardner was born free, and is a resident of said County of Lawrence and as such free person of Color is entitled to be registered in said County of Lawrence, and to have issues to him a certificate of freedom, upon his executing bond as required by law. Now therefore if the said Hugh Gardner should conduct himself properly, and should not become a charge upon said County of Lawrence for his susport and maintainance there the above obligation is to be void, but should he become a County charge, then the above obligation is to be in full force and effect, this the day of date above written.
James L. Stribling sealApproved by the court
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Hiram McManus
Exparte
Petition &c
Be it remembered that
To the County Court of the County of Lawrence sitting at the
Court house in the town of Lawrenceburg on the first Monday in January 1854.
The petition of Hiram McManus a free man of color, and resident of said County of Lawrence. Your petitioner would most respectfully state and show that he was born free in the State of Tennessee and at a very early age was bound out under the laws of said State to John Fondren as an apprentice until he should arrive at the age of twenty one years, that he is now of full age having served out his apprenticeship with the said John Fondren and being now twenty one years of age he is entitled to his free papers as provided by the act of the General assembly of said State, that he is give feet ten inches in hight, and a molatto, and one hundred and fifty eight pounds the premices considered your petitioner prays that an order may be made granting him his free papers as provided for by law, and such other orders as the nature of this petition may require, and as in duty bound will ever pray &c.
Hiram McManus
Hiram McManus
Exparte Petition &c
Be it remembered that this cause coming on this the second
day of January 1854 before the County Court of Lawrence County upon the petition
of the said Hiram McManus and the proof of John Fondren, Samuel McBride and Wm.
McMasters, three respectable and redible witneses who deposed to the freedom of
said petitioners, and from whose testimony the Court is fully satisfied that the
said Hiram McManus was born free in the State of Tennessee, and is entitled to
his free papers as provided for the laws of said state.
It is therefore ordered adjudged and decreed by the Court
that the Clerk of the Court furnish the said Hiram McManus a copy of the
proceedings herein, that he certify the same under the seal of this Court,
and that the chairman of this Court also certify the same as provided by law,
and that the said petitioner pay the cost of this application and the cost of
said Certificate.
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Moses Weakfall, free man of color, this day (Monday, April 5, 1847) came into court by his attorney S.E. Rose petitioned as follows to wit;
Your petitioner, Moses Weakfall, a free man of color, would respectfully show to your worships that he was born free in the county of Lawrence and state of Tennessee on the 18th day of July 1824 and has resided in the county of Lawrence since that time, and he respectfully solicits your worships to permit this his petition to be filed in your worshipful court, and testimony be introduced in evidence hereof, and such other testimony as may attest his freedom and identify his person and upon the reception of your petitioner’s petition and the introduction of said testimony, he prays your worshipful court to cause to be spread of record this petition together with such testimony as he shall introduce and that a certified copy of the same be furnished him with the seal of said county affixed thereto.
As in duty bound he will ever pray. S.E. Rose for petitioner
And it appearing to the satisfaction of the court upon the testimony of James Y. Lucus, F. Buchanan and Wm. A. Edmiston that the facts contained in said petition are true, and that said Moses is a verry dark mulatto man, and about five feet nine inches in height. It is therefore considered by the court that his said petition be received and recorded, and that a certified copy of his said petition together with the testimony introduced be issued to him with the county seal affixed thereto as evidence of his right of freedom upon his payment of the cost thereof.
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John Wesley Weakfall, a free man of color, this day (Monday, April 5, 1847) came into court and by his attorney S.E. Rose, petitioned as follows, to wit:
Your petitioner, John Wesley Weakfall, would respectfully represent to your worshipful court that he was born in the state of South Carolina free on the 4th day of July 1820 and removed to the county of Lawrence and state of Tennessee about the year 1823 or 1824 where he has lived ever since and respectfully solicits your worships to permit this his petition to be filed in your worshipful court and testimony introduced in evidence thereof and such other testimony as may attest his freedom and identify his person, and upon the reception of your petitioner’s petition, and the introduction of said testimony, he prays your worshipful court to cause to be spread of record this petition together with such testimony as he shall introduce and that a certified copy of the same be furnished him with the seal of said county affixed thereto.
As in duty bound he will every pray. S.E. Rose for petitioner
And it appearing to the satisfaction of the court upon the testimony of James Y. Lucus, F. Buchanan, and Wm. A. Edmiston that the facts contained in said petition are true and that said John Wesley is a man of color and about five feet ten inches in height. It is therefore considered by the court that his said petition be received and recorded and that a certified copy of his said petition, together with the testimony introduced be issued to him with the county seal affixed thereto as evidence of his right of freedom upon his payment of the cost thereof.
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Robert Weakfall
Exparte petition to obtain free papers
(An ex parte judicial proceeding is conducted for the benefit of only one
party).
From Lawrence County, Tennessee County Court Minutes (Roll 20, 2nd Index, page
252):
To the worshipful County Court of Lawrence County at the January Term of 1854
sitting at Lawrenceburg for the County of Lawrence.
The petition of Robert Weakfall, a free man of color, and citizen of said
county.
Your petitioner would respectfully represent and show unto your Worships, that he was born free in said County of Lawrence and was twenty-one years of age on the 8th day of April 1853 and would respectfully ask of your Worhips to order proof as to his age, complexion, size, and the fact of his having been born free and that you cause such proof to be spread of record and that copy of this petition, together with each order to be made by your Worshipful court with the official seal of the clerk attached thereto be issued to your petitioner, that the same may be a passport and evidence of his freedom as in duty bound will ever pray. &c
Robert Weakfall
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Robert Weakfall
Exparte petition to obtain free papers
Be it remembered that this cause came on for hearing this the
2nd day of January 1854 upon the petition filed in this case and it appearing to
the satisfaction of the court from the evidence of James Y. Lucas and Henry C.
Angel, two respectable and credible witnesses that Robert Weakfall, a free man
of color, aged between twenty-one and twenty-two years of age of light-brown
complexion, weighs about 140 pounds and is about five feet seven and
three-quarter inches high and that he was born of a free mother, and is entitled
to his freedom. It is therefore ordered by the court that his petition together
with the said evidence of James Y. Lucas and Henry C. Angel by spread of record
(as stated in the order being sufficient as to said testimony) and that a copy
of said record be issued to said Robert Weakfall, certified by the Clerk of this
Court with his official seal attached thereto and that said Robert Weakfall pay
the cost on this behalf expended as well as for issuing the copy aforesaid.
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Free African-Americans
Taken from 1838-1860
City of Lawrenceburg Tax Book
Lawrence County, Tennessee
Bailey, Ned (Free boy) - 29, 48
Emmit, William (Free boy) - 50
Emmitt, William (Free boy) - 35
Lyons, Thomas (Free boy) - 35, 50
Thompson (Free boy) - 23, 29, 35, 48, 50, 52, 55
Weakfall, Frank (Free boy) – 29, 48
Weakfall, John W. (Free boy) - 35, 50
Weakfall, Moses (Free boy) - 35, 50
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Last Updated February 10, 2013 by Kathy Niedergeses