When Patsy Y. Brawner married William Brawner in 1834, she wanted to preserve her sole ownership of two male slaves. She entered into a marriage contract with William Brawner that conveyed the slaves to trustees and allowed their sale only with her permission. In 1840, William took one of the slaves to the District of Columbia and sold him to a slave trader against the petitioner's wishes. With the eight-hundred-dollar proceeds, William purchased a piece of land from Maria Brawner. Before William received the deed to the land, however, he died intestate. Patsy explains that the personal property of William's estate is not sufficient to pay the estate's debts. The petitioner asserts her claim to eight hundred dollars worth of the land (the value of the slave her husband sold). She asks the court to issue decrees to compel Maria Brawner to execute a deed of sale of the land to her and to allow her to sell the land and claim her portion. Patsy Brawner also asks the court to subpoena Maria Brawner and her husband's six heirs, who live outside of Maryland.
Result: Partially granted.
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Repository: Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, Maryland
