Franklin v. Armfield

Source

The court case involved the estate of the late Isaac Franklin.

Jean Baptiste Contencinau, Prisoner In Detroit

Early land transfers, Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan ...(also Film # 008188502):

Image 73

Contencinau, Jean Bapte., prisoner and former hired man in the service of Abbott and Finchelay of Detroit, and Chas. Landry, both confessed, Oct. 11, 1774, having stolen goods, money, furs, etc. during the fire. Vol. A, P. 275

Contencinau, Jean, prisoner, confessed...Nov. 12, 1774, having set fire to the store with lighted cartridge given him by Ann Wyley (colored) and that during the blaze he stole the cash-box... . Vol. A, p. 294

More about the case here (he was hung).

Jurors:

Source

Broussard Testimony In Vermilion Parish

Records of the field offices for the State of Louisiana, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1863-1872:

Source

State of Louisiana, Vermilion Parish

28 February 1868

Sarazin Broussard v. Henry, freedman

Lucien S. Broussard (Testimony)...freedgirl Caroline, was left in charge of Sarazin Broussard...her mother left the Parish in 1863...child is now about 9 years old...Henry and Hetty (the mother of the freed girl) have never been legally married...

Browns In The Bahamas

University of Florida Digital Collection (Bahama Gazette):
Forty Dollars Reward.
Run away from the Subscriber’s Plantation upon Derby Island, the 12th instant, the following
Negroes: WILL, a Carpenter...―MARY, alias LYDIA, his Wife, late the Property of Lieut. Col. Brown... .

Run away from the Subscriber’s Plantation...London, an old Fellow, late the Property of Lieut. Col. Brown—

29 January 1790...Run away...named JESSE, who formerly belonged to Colonel Brown...

More information about the Browns in Homeward Bound: A History of the Bahama Islands to 1850 with a Definitive ..., By Sandra Riley, Thelma Peters

Abner Bush

 Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927 Davidson Inventories, Wills, 1784-1794, Vol. 01, C" index:

Source
11May 1788

James Gillespie Birney (Saginaw)

James Gillespie Birney in the Calendar of the Papers of John Jordan Crittenden:

Source

Source

Brandenburg And Horace Bell

"His [Horace Bell's] adventures in the role of an overlander to California during the gold rush...; a filibusterer with William Walker in Nicaragua; a participant in abolitionist activities in Kentucky...spy in Cuba...compose a tale of a life that is as strange as fiction." [Source]

29 Oct 1858 Chicago Tribune

There is a story of how the Bells were distressed over the slave trade just across the border line of their state [Indiana], and that they won the ill will of the slave-traders by their denunciation of the Dred Scott decision and fugitive slave law.

A letter was sent to Horace Bell that he would be shot the moment he set foot on Kentucky soil. This message, however, had little effect on tho young man... .

Harrison County, Indiana, Map - LOC 
Also See Brandenburgh

The authorities of Kentucky knew something of the man who had made this threat, and they took the precaution of ordering to Brandenburg a battalion of militia. The commander of that battalion, however, had served under Horace Bell at Nicaragua, and was not anxious to take up arms against his former commander, so he was not over-vigilant in watching for any outbreak that might be expected. [Source]

Against Richard And Thomas Bandy

Source

This case also appeared in Cases Decided in the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia, Volume 5, By Virginia. Supreme Court of Appeals.

A Girl Named Mary

From a virtual exhibit at McGill University in Montreal, Canada:

Source

"Z.B. Oakes  A Brown Girl Named Mary warranted Sound...".

Charleston, South Carolina

29 November 1856

Charles S. Desel Estate

Was Sarah A Legal Heir? Yes

From The American probate reports: containing recent cases of general value ...

....Sarah's mother, Ann Settles, was a slave, her father, James Scott, a free person of color.......

This case has a Facebook page.  Further infomation: James Scott was the grandson of Mary Hemings of Monticello.

"Thomas and Mary Bell's free daughter, Sally Jefferson Bell, married Jesse Scott, an accomplished musician. Scott and his sons played for dances and entertainments all over Virginia." [Source]

Death Of Crispus Attucks

The Black Phalanx...:

Crispus Attucks

Sold In Montreal

Montreal In A Later Era

Slavery mentioned in the John Askin Papers, the sale unto John Turner...

"...To have and hold the said Negro-man by these Presents, bargained, sold, released, granted, and confirmed unto the said John Turner to the only proper Use and Behoof of the said John Turner, his Executors, Administrators, and Assigns for & during the Term of his natural Life. And I the said Elijah Cooper for myself, Executors, and Administrators..."

"IN WITNESS whereof I the said Elijah Cooper hath here-unto set my Hand and Seal at Montreal aforesaid the eighteenth Day of February in the Year of Our Lord, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty-five."

Sarah Prather's Will

Maryland, Register of Wills Records, Allegany Wills 1790-1850 vol A:

Will of Sarah Prather
9 August 1824

Image 134  Page 230
Granddaughter, Elizabeth Riely
Daughter, Ruth Collins
Children: James, Sarah, Ruth, Charles, Basil, and Je__? - daughter Jane has had an advance...
...sufficient and legal proof that she [granddaughter] will liberate Jane at the age of 28 years...

...said children of [slave] Susanna....

Witnesses: John Jacobs, Susan Jacobs, Sophia Lantz

Transcription can be found here.

Jacob v. The State

He [Return Jonathan Meigs] was a thoroughly trained lawyer, not only in the common law of England and the practice in Tennessee courts...as applicable to this country.  He was regarded as a great advocate, and specially distinguished himself in defense of the negro slave Jake Bradford, who was indicted for killing his master. [Source]

Source

The story of Jake Bradford was found in the New York Times via a book entitled Runaway Slaves, Rebels on the Plantation, By John Hope Franklin and Loren Schweninger: 

"On 17 August 1840, the day of a great Whig political convention in Nashville, Tennessee, Jake, a slave owned by an old and respected farmer, Robert Bradford, refused to go to work. Like other blacks in the neighborhood, he wanted to go to the convention, listen to the speeches, and attend the celebrations. The overseer informed Bradford that Jake was "in an ugly mood" and asked him what to do. Bradford said he would speak with Jake and see if he could calm him down. Bradford was unable to placate the black man and ordered his overseer to tie him up for a whipping. Jake quickly drew a knife. "Whether he aimed to cut the rope or the Overseer no one knew," a Nashville slave recalled, "but he made a wild thrust which killed Mr. Bradford on the spot."'

Freedom Documented In A Probate Record

"...freeing a certain negro man named Gilbert, the property of  Cullen Williams" was found in the Illinois, Probate Records, 1819-1970 Pope Probate records 1822-1838 vol B:

February Term, February 3, 1834

Page 97, Image 59

Here's what the Illinois State Archives  has in the Servitude and Emancipation records for Cullen Williams in Pope County, Illinois:

Search Criteria: County: POPE, Other Party: williams

Name of Servant, Slave or Free Black Name of Other Party Sex Race

ANTHONY        WILLIAMS, CULLEN M M

PARMA              WILLIAMS, CULLEN F N

REDDICK          WILLIAMS, CULLEN M N

Name of Servant ANTHONY

Name of Other Party WILLIAMS, CULLEN

County POPE

Sex M

Race M

Age 5.

Page 73I

Document Type EMANCIPATION

Amount 0.00

Date 09/29/1829

Remarks ANTHONY IS THE SON OF REDDICK AND PARMA

Memo CULLEN WILLIAMS OF SIMPSON CO., KENTUCKY TESTIFIES THAT ANTHONY AND HIS FAMILY HAVE BEEN EMANCIPATED

Horace King - From Slave To Carpenter And Architect

HORACE KING

SEPT 8, 1807

MAY 27, 1887

MASTER COVERED BRIDGE BUILDER

The marker above was taken during an earlier visit to the Stonewall Confederate Cemetery in LaGrange, Georgia.
Horace King was born into slavery and purchased his freedom in 1846.  A more detailed description of Mr. King's life and career can be found here. He also had a hand in constructing the Alabama State Capitol:  "During the early 1850s, the state of Alabama hired King to perform carpentry work, including elegant circular staircases, on the new capitol building in Montgomery."

We visited the Alabama State Capitol and forgot to snap a photo of Horace King's handiwork.