Rachel Shorter et al. v. Ann Casanave. Answers to Petitioners' Interrogatories
Charles Nevitt aged seventy nine years being sworn on the Holy evangely of almighty god deposeth and saith
Int. 1st That about the year 1784 he was at his fathers house in Prince Georges County Md and heard his mother say who was a midwife that she had just come from Robert Darnalds and had delivered a servant woman of his of a child which said servant womans mother, he was informed by his mother, was a white woman, and had been pointed out to him about twelve years after at a cock fight as Ann Wells, and thinks the information came from William Chappel, and was an indented servant to Henry Darnald the said Robert Darnalds Farther
Int 2nd The question being asked if he knew or had ever heard the reason of the descendants of the woman said to be Ann Wells being kept in slavery answereth that he heard his mother say that it was a pity that these servants should be kept in slavery as they decended from a white woman by one of Henry Darnalds black men. The question being again asked him if to his knowledge Ann Wells was a white woman or not, and answereth not, but that he had heard his mother say she was he knows nothing of Betty Oakly.
Int 3rd Int answerth nothin[?]
Int. 4 the same
Int 5 the same
Int 6 the same
and further saith not
March 13th 1824
Enoch Campbell aged eighty one years being sworn on the Holy evangely of almighty God deposeth and saith
Int 1st That about 45 or 50 years ago he knew Ann Wells an english woman then an indented servant to Mr. Henry Darnall and about that time had a mulatto child but do not recollect whether it was male or female
Int 2 Answers nothing
Int 3 the same
Int 4 the same
Int 5 the same
Int 6 the same
and further saith not
19th April 1824
Thomas Soper aged 55 years being sworn on the Holy evangely of almighty God deposeth and saith
Int 1st answers nothing
Int 2nd the same
Int 3rd the same
Int 4th the same
Int 5th the same
Int 6th the same
And further saith not
John Sansbury aged 73 years, being sworn on the Holy evangely of almighty God deposeth and saith
Int. 1st I knew Ann Wells very well an english woman who belonged to Mr. Henry Darnall of Prince Georges County Md about 57 years ago. I know nothing about Betty Oakley nor her children.
Int 2nd I know nothing of the maner and cause of them or their descendants becoming slaves
Int 3rd I knew a yellow Girl that were frequently with Ann Wells and called her Mother but did not know her name, nor whether she was her child or not.
Int 4th I know nothing of the petitioners nor their descendants.
Int 5th I know nothing about them
Int 6th The same
and further saith not
April 3rd 1824
Mrs Mary Diggs aged 92 years being sworn on the holy evangely of almighty God deposeth and saith
Int. 1st Answer I know nothing about them
Int 2nd The same
Int 3rd The same
Int 4th The same
Int 5th The same
Int 6th The same
and further saith not May 21st 1824
Witness my hand and seal this 22nd May 1824
Richard I. Morsell (seal)
County of Washington to wit May 22nd 1824.
I Richard I. Morsell Commissioner appointed in the foregoing commission to take depositions having taken the oath annexed for the said commission to take, and having taken down the depositions annexed myself without any clerk which I could not get, return the said commission to the honl. court together with the interogatorys sent to me and the answers which were given by the several deponants thereto. all of whome took their respective oaths on the holy evangely of almighty god to make their respective answers to said interogatories before their respective answers were given. Aand I do herewith inclose under my seal the aforesaid interogatories and answers
