Bernard Rodgers states that his father Joseph executed a will in which he left his estate, which included land and fifty to sixty slaves, to his wife Susan during her lifetime. Joseph's children from a previous marriage filed suit to have themselves declared heirs as well, but the suit failed. Bernard claims they then frightened Susan into agreeing to a division of the estate, taking advantage of his infancy. Subsequently, Henry Rodgers sold some of the slaves, although they had been in Joseph Rodgers's possession for a long time and "some of the men had wives & the women had husbands & all of them kindred among the other slaves yet all these ties were torn asunder." Bernard asks that the defendants be restrained from removing or selling any more of the slaves, that they be compelled to account for all slaves sold, and finally that all the slaves be returned and their hire be accounted for.
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Repository: Kentucky Division of Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, Kentucky
