Petition #21184427
- St. Louis County, Missouri. October 27, 1844. - circa October 27, 1844.
- Court: Circuit
- Salutation: To the Hon. the Judge of the St Louis Circuit Court
Abstract
Martha Drusilla was born free in Alabama. She represents that she is "so near white, that she has not got one fourth of negro blood in her veins." When Martha was one year old, her mother indentured her to John Cotton. Martha lived with Cotton until his death, which occurred in Arkansas at the residence of his son-in-law, Thomas Isbel, with whom he and Martha had been living. Martha continued to live with the Isbels until September 1844, when Thomas's brother William took her up the Missouri River and tried to sell her in Lexington. Martha claims that Isbel "would not dare to attempt to sell her in Alabama or Arkansas, where the fact of her being born free is well known." William Isbel then brought Martha to St. Louis and placed her in the possession of Richmond J. Curle, a “General Agent, for selling & leasing property, as well as the buying and selling of negroes.” The petitioner charges that Curle "intends sending your Petitioner out of the state of Missouri, and down the Mississippi river and sell her as a slave, tomorrow." She therefore prays "that a warrant may issue as is provided by ... an act to enable persons held in slavery to sue for their freedom."
Result: Petition granted; plea of trespass filed, granted.
- Number of petition pages: 2
- Related documents: Order, ca. 27 October 1844; Bond, Richmond J. Curle, 28 October 1844; Order, 28 October 1844; Plea of Trespass, Martha Drusilla, November Term 1844; Copy of Order, ca. 27 October 1844; Sheriff's Report, 28 October 1844; Copy of Writ of Habeas Corpus, Martha Drusilla, 28 October 1844; Sheriff's Return, 4 November 1844; Notice, Martha Drusilla, 28 October 1844; Sheriff's Return, 4 November 1844; Plea, Richmond J. Curle, 19 November 1844; Motion, Richmond J. Curle, 7 March 1845; Summons to Testify, John Watson, 5 May 1845; Notice, Richmond J. Curle, April Term 1845; Deposition, James A. Little, 5 May 1845; Affidavit, John Watson, 7 May 1845; Bill of Exceptions, Richmond J. Curle, 8 May 1845; Motion, Richmond J. Curle, 7 June 1845; Summons, James Little, Francis Murdock, 7 February 1846; Summons, Lewis Newell, et al., 7 February 1846; Summons, Richmond Curl, 7 February 1846; Affidavit, Richmond J. Curle, 10 February 1846; Instructions to Jury Refused, ca. 13 February 1846; Instructions to Jury, 13 February 1846
- Pages of related documents: 36
4 people are documented within petition 21184427
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Citation information
Repository: Civil Courts Building, St. Louis, Missouri
- Records of the Circuit Court
Subjects
