Fanny McFarland, a free woman of color, recounts that William McFarland brought her "to this country" as a slave in 1827 and that he emancipated her in 1835 "in consideration of her long and faithfull services to him and his family." She further states that, "at the time of the mexican invasion," she was living in San Felipe De Austin "from which place she was driven by said invasion loosing all that she possessed in the world." Having moved to Houston in 1837 and acquired "a little property," she "would beg leave to urge upon your Honors the hardships of being obliged in her old age to leave her children to sacrifice her hard earned property to be obliged to part from friends of years standing to be obliged to leave her only home and be turned loose upon the wide world." McFarland states that "she has four children held as slaves in this Republic so that all her hopes and prospects in this life lie here." She seeks permission "to spend the few reminding days of her life as a resident and Citizen of this republic."
Or you may view all people.
Repository: Texas State Library-Archives Division, Austin, Texas
