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 seal  
                                                                                                        R. H. Rose seal

Approved by the court
S. A. Carrell, Chairman

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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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