The next of kin of Reuben and Polly Bracken Searcy seek to protect their right as remaindermen to certain slaves, in whom the Searcys hold a life estate. They aver that William Bracken devised certain slaves "unto my brother in law and friend Reuben Searcy & his wife Polly ... during their natural lifes & at their decease to be equally divided among the children of him the said Reuben Searcy." They further submit that said Reuben "has sold and disposed of all of said negroes, except Clement, who is now old and worth but little." Declaring that "they are entitled to the negroes and all the descendants ... upon the termination of the life estate," the petitioners "charge and believe that all of said negroes and their descendants ... are now in the possession of and owned by the respondents." They note that "said Searcy & wife are old and infirm and may not live long" and that "most of said respondents live within a few miles of the Kentucky line and that all of said negroes might in a few hours be removed out of the state where the rights of your complainants would be defeated or they would be put to great trouble and expense in enforcing their rights and interests." They ask that rights be "protected by this Honorable Court." [The petition is missing pages.]
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Repository: Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee
