Dorothy Burgdorff asks the court's permission to sell a slave family deeded to her by her father-in-law after the death of her husband, Charles Burgdorff. At the time of his death, Charles was administrator for the estate of his late brother, John Burgdorff; all of John's estate went to his father, Christopher Burgdorff, who, in turn, gave the slaves of the estate to Dorothy to enable her to "support of herself and family during her life." The petitioner states that the slaves "are of very little present value to her in consequence of the tender years of said negro children and the insolence and disobedience of said woman" and that "they will be a source of constant trouble & perplexity to her & her said children"; the petitioner insists that "said negro woman & her said children received every indulgence & enjoyed as great liberty during the lifetime of the said John Burgdorff as they would have done had they been free white persons." Dorothy Burgdorff seeks permission to sell Dinah and her four children "and either invest the proceeds of the sale in other property or put it out at interest."
Result: Granted.
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Repository: Florida State Archives, Tallahassee, Florida
