In 1797, Ann Raines departed this life, having bequeathed to her relative, Samuel Jones Catlett, the petitioner in the case, a life estate of several slaves. At that time, Catlett was a resident of Virginia where he had been born and lived his entire life. By 1802, the life estate he had received from Ann Raines consisted of sixteen slaves, including two children who had not yet been named. That year, Catlett decided to try his luck in Georgia, where his brother, John Catlett, farmed; he left Virginia, taking his sixteen slaves with him. After three years in Georgia, however, he decided that it "would not be to his interest" to settle permanently in that state and he returned to Virginia. His slaves being at that time working on making a crop for his brother, an agreement was reached between the two men whereby the slaves would stay in Georgia until the first of January 1807. He has now discovered that Virginia has passed a recent law was to restrict the importation of slaves into the state; he will thus be prevented from bringing his slaves back to Virginia in early 1807 unless the legislature intervenes on his behalf. He explains to the legislature that he has "determined to reside permanently in this state" and that the use of the slaves "would be entirely lost to him unless he shou'd be authorized to bring them back." He provides assurances that he has no intention to dispose of the slaves as he has a responsibility as the owner of a life estate to steward the property for the person who will ultimately inherit it.
Result: Rejected.
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Repository: Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia
