James Becket, a man of color, states that John Chew, of Prince George's County, Maryland, specified in his last will and testament that Becket, “as the issue of” one of his female slaves, should “be set free and at liberty” upon arriving at the age of thirty. Becket is now about twenty-six years old and is the slave of Agnes Clarke, of Montgomery County, Maryland. For some time, Becket has been living in Washington and hiring himself out, paying his wages "from time to time" to Clarke or her agent. The petitioner states that a few days ago, William Glover, claiming to be an agent of Clarke, arrested and confined him to the private slave jail of Thomas Williams, a man known to be a slave trader. Becket avers that Glover has advertised him as a slave for life and is planning to sell him beyond the city of Washington. He seeks an injunction preventing Glover, Williams, and Clarke from selling him as a slave for life beyond the jurisdiction of the court.
Result: Granted.
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Repository: National Archives, Washington, D. C.
