Residents of Brunswick County support Godfree, a free man of color, in his effort to remain in Virginia. Godfree is an honest mechanic and "extremely useful to the publick." The petitioners ask that the "Honble Body" will pass a law "authorising Godfree to remain and enjoy his freedom within the commonwealth with his wife and children who are slaves the property of Mr. John T. Bowdoin and from whom he must be separated unless the favor asked for is granted to him." A related petition reveals that Godfree had recently been emancipated by John Bowdoin, the son-in-law of his previous owner, William Brown.
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Repository: Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia