In 1846, in her will, Leah Gums bequeathed to her nephew William M. Gums a life estate in seven slaves. In 1852, the nephew sold five slaves, including two in the original bequest and three born afterwards, to Alanson Capeheart, who in turn sold some of them "at a greatly advanced price" to slave trader Alexander Nelson of Guilford County. Nelson took them to Richmond, Virginia, sold them to a Tennessee man, and "they have not been since heard of." William Gums died in 1854, and his widow and children now assert they have been defrauded of their life estate and seek monetary damages.
Result: Granted.
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Repository: North Carolina Department of Archives and History, Raleigh, North Carolina
