In 1844, Mahala Bird's great-grandfather, Willis Wyndham, executed a deed of gift of six slaves to her and her siblings, George, Harriet, and Rebecca, whereby he and his wife would retain the slaves during their lifetime, and the children would inherit them at this death. When Willis Wyndham and his wife died, two or three years prior to the filing of the petition, the children were still minors and their father took possession of the slaves. Mahala is now married to William Trainor, but her father refuses to turn the slaves over until all of the children have reached adulthood. Mahala Trainor finds this arrangement "directly repugnant to said deed." She asks for a division, or sale, of the slaves, and one-fourth of the value of their "hire and labor."
Result: Granted.
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Repository: University of South Alabama Archives, Mobile, Alabama