John Walton complains that his term slave named Catharine Brown "has been in the habit of running away and depriving your Petitioner of her services and putting him to great trouble and Expense in reclaiming her." He cites that Brown once persuaded his male cook to escape with her. Walton states that a justice of the peace has read the law to her and has explained to her the consequences of running away. Being unwilling to take her back to his home, Walton took her to a "home of her own choosing" and promised that if she "behaved herself" he would authorize that she would receive "one dollar out of each months pay." According to her employer, however, Brown became "worthless" after a week of good behavior and "could not be kept from going out at night." Walton asks the court to extend the term of service for four years to compensate him for his expenses and to permit him to sell her out of state if he sees fit to do so.
Result: Granted.
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Repository: Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, Maryland
