Charles Mahoney v. John Ashton. Deposition of Henry Davis

 

John Hickman
vs
Dr Richd Smith

Chas Mahoney
vs
John Ashton

Petition for freedom in the General Court.

The deposition of Henry Davis of Prince Georges County aged sixty three seven years, being sworn on the holy Evangelists of Almighty God touching his knowledge in these causes, saith that he does not know John Hickman and that he has seen the defendant Richard Smith only once. That he has seen Charles Mahoney but had no acquaintance with him, that he has no acquaintance with Mr John Ashton; being asked if he knew Ann Joyce who lived in the family of Col Henry Darnall, answers he did not. That he has heard his father say he was a Joiner by Trade and worked at the Wood Yard where the said Darnall then lived, and he has often heard him say that he knew a Woman by the name of Joyce, she was a black woman, and was born as his father was informed in Barbadoes, that some of the family went to England and that the then Lord Baltimore brought her into England with him to Maryland in the Character of a Cook or waiting maid, she was called after she came to Maryland Lord Baltimores Cook, she was a young woman when she came in as Deponants father informed him: that his father did about the year seventeen hundred and seventy six and was in his ninetieth year when he died; that this   conversation he has often heard his father recite: and he has heard his father say she had four sons, one called Tom Crane, the other one called Frank, the other called David the name of the fourth he can't recollect; he cannot recollect the Sirnames of any but Crane, he understood they took their Sir Names from their fathers, and had different Sir Names. That his father was born in Prince Georges County about two miles from Upper Marlborough, and continued there until a few years before Deponants birth as he has frequently heard him say

This deponant further says he never heard his father say whether the said Joyce was a Slave or free; But he remembers she was carried from Barbados into England when very young, and was brought to this County when she was about seventeen years old.

This deponant further says, that he has frequently heard his father say that the four sons above named mentioned were Mulattoes, and that they were the strongest men he ever knew to come from one woman.

This deponant further saith that his father told him he knew the four sons of Joyce and he knew the woman who was called Joyce and that he had worked sundry times at the Woodyard. And he has heard his Uncle David Davis say that it was the report of the neighbourhood, that if she had justice done her she ought to have been free; and this he has   heard sundry times from his Uncle when talking the matter over. That his said Uncle has been dead many years. That he understood from his father that he had heard Mr Darnall say that Joyce came in with Lord Baltimore and that she was 17 about 17 or 18 years old when she came in and that she was left with Mr Darnall by Lord Baltimore when he returned to England.

That his father told him he worked at the Woodyard when Mr Darnall was building

Being asked if he heard his father say whether the Joyce was a Jet Black Woman answered he don't recollect no, but he said she was a black woman.

Sworn before the Subscriber this 22 day of May 1797 Allen Quynn

This deposition [illegible] to be read in evidence

W Cooke Jno Johnson

 

6 1/4 sds

Henry Davis Deposition
(Henry Davis -— Black Woman)
May 22d 1797.

2d Depn No 7

filed 20th May 1797

Deposition No D to be inserted Before No 11.

1st