Petition #20483102

• Washington County, District of Columbia. May 4, 1831. - January 2, 1835.
• Court: Circuit
• Salutation: To the Honorable the Judges of the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia, sitting in Chancery for the County of Washington

Abstract

Benjamin Lear seeks the settlement of a debt. Lear and Edmund Law endorsed a promissory note for Dr. George May, enabling May to pay Thomas Fenwick for the purchase of his slave Basil Fletcher, whom May had hired. The sale was conditioned on Fletcher's manumission at the end of five years of service. Now several years later, May is unable to pay the debt, Edmund Law has died, and his father Thomas Law has moved to England, leaving Lear to assume the entire debt. Lear considers Thomas Law to be indebted to him for the sum of $159.48.

Result: Granted.

• Number of petition pages: 6
• Related documents: Bill of Revivor, George Bomford, 5 April 1834; Bill of Revivor, George Bomford, 25 November 1834; Order, 2 January 1835
• Pages of related documents: 7

5 people are documented within petition 20483102

• 1 Enslaved
• 1 Defendant
• 1 Petitioner
• 2 Others

Or you may view all people.

Citation information

Repository: National Archives, Washington, D. C.

• Records of the United States Circuit Court, Chancery Dockets and Rule Case Files
• Record group: 21
• Folder: 20

Subjects

• owner(s)/citizens manumit/free slave
• Hiring value (enslaved)
• Term slavery
• Veterans