A slave named Marie Coffy prays for her emancipation and that of her six children. Mary and her three brothers are the children of the late Mr. Coffy, a free man of color, and the late Louise Almonaster, a slave owned by the widow Castillon. In 1789, her father contracted with André Almonaster to buy his children's freedom for $2,500, against which he put down a $316 deposit. Since that time her father, her mother, and one of her brothers have died. In 1799 a judgment, rendered in a Spanish court, granted freedom to Marie and her brothers against payment of $2,500. Yet in 1817 Marie is still a slave. She is now asking the court to order her current owner, the Widow Castillon, as well as one Mr. Pontalba and his wife, whom she believes have a stake in her ownership, to "manumit" her and her children, and to pay her $1,400, the "surplus" money paid for the unfulfilled emancipation. She also asks the court to order that what is left of her father's estate be used to pay for whatever will be necessary to complete her emancipation and that of her children.
Result: Denied; appealed.
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Repository: University of New Orleans
