Billey Kelley seeks his freedom. Kelley states that he was the slave of Abner Kelley until 1829, when "he bought himself, or purchased his Freedom from said Abner Kelly." The petitioner lived as a free man until 1835, "a period of nearly six years, when one Henry Trott Jr. took forceable possession of Your orator, under a fraudulent and pretended purchase of Your Orator from said Abner Kelly, forced him again into bondage and slavery, and took possession of the papers, evidencing Your Orator's freedom, and destroyed the same." The petitioner remained in Trott's possession until 1838 when he was sold to Samuel H. Laughlin, "who continued to hold your Orator in slavery until his death which took place sometime in the year 1850." Kelley is now in the possession of Thomas C. Smartt, Laughlin's administrator and legatee, who "is deeply interested in retaining Your Orator in Slavery." Kelley prays that the court decree him free by virtue of his self-purchase and that it enjoin all interested parties from removing him from the jurisdiction. Related documents reveal that Kelley "has been a strict member of Methodist church, and a preacher of fair standing for a Black man," that Kelley's wife was the slave of Laughlin and that they had at least three children.
Result: Denied; appealed.
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Repository: Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee
