Petition #20985926

• Baltimore City, Maryland. January 25, 1859. - February 2, 1859.
• Court: Orphans
• Salutation: To the Honorable The Judges of the Orphans Court for Baltimore City

Abstract

In September 1858, the Criminal Court of Baltimore convicted Eliza Jane Curtis, a free woman of color, for stealing property of Benjamin H. Harrison. The court sentenced her to five years as a term slave in Maryland. On 27 September 1858, Benjamin Chaney purchased Curtis "for a term of years." After he purchased her, Curtis stole several items, including clothing, and ran away several times, causing Chaney "great expense and trouble to regain possession of her again." Chaney asks the court to extend Curtis's term of servitude and to allow him to sell her out of the state.

Result: Partially granted.

• Number of petition pages: 3
• Related documents: Copy of Record, Baltimore City Criminal Court, 27 September 1858; Certificate, State v. Eliza Ann Curtis, 27 September 1858; Order, 2 February 1859
• Pages of related documents: 4

2 people are documented within petition 20985926

• 1 Free person of color
• 1 Defendant
• 1 Petitioner

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Citation information

Repository: Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, Maryland

• Schweninger Collection
• Page: 291
• Microfilm: M 11026

Subjects

• Freedom seekers
• Theft by enslaved
• Insubordination
• Management (enslaved)
• Term slavery