O Say Can You See

Interrogatories

1. Do you know the petition, and the defendant, or either and which of them?

2. Did you know Anne Joyce a mulatto woman, from whom the petitioner alleges he is descended, who formerly lived with Henry Darnall of Anne Arundel County.

3. Do you know, or have you heard & from whom, that the said Ann Joyce was a Servant for years; and how was she treated in the Darnall family, was she considered as a Servant for years or a Slave?

4. Do you know, or have you heard & from whom that the said Anne Joyce was adjudged to serve for a term of years for having children in Mr Darnall's family; and have you heard & from whom that her children or any of them were bound out to serve until 31 years of age, and to whom were they bound, & was not some of them bound to John Chapman by Prince George's County Court.

5. When and where did the said Anne Joyce die, and how many children had she and what were their names, and to whom do they belong?

6. Do you know Patrick Mahoney who lives with the Revd John Ashton, and Charles Mahoney, who liveds with Mr Ashton (alleged to be descended from the said Joyce), and who have petitioned for their freedom?

7. Did you know Sue the daughter of Anne Joyce, and did you know Mary the daughter of Sue; Mary died the property of Basil Waring, and Sue the property of Ignatius Digges deceased?

8. Did you know Molly, one of the daughters of Anne   Joyce, and Kitty or Killy another daughter, or either and which of them; and did you know Sarah who died in possession of Henry Darnall about 18 months ago, and who was daughter of Sue who was daughter of Anne Joyce.

9. Do you know Will the Son of Sarah mentioned in the preceding interrogatory? The property of Richd Darnall.

10. Did you know, or have you heard of, Anne Joyce Cross bound to John Chapman in the Year 1701, and was she the reputed daughter of the aforesaid Anne Joyce?

11. Have you any further Knowledge of this Subject, that will tend to the benefit of the petitioner; if yeah, relate it fully and freely.

The Revd Mr Digges, aged about 781 years being first sworn on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God deposeth and saith to the 1st Interrogatory

answers, he knows the Defendant, but not the Petitioner

2nd Intery. answers. No.

3rd Inty. answers. he knows nothing about it. he has heard of the name of Joyce. has some notion that he has heard that a Woman of the name of Joyce lived with Mr Hall, the father of the late Frank Hall.

4 Inty. answers. he knows knothing about it.

5 Inty. answers. he knows knothing at all about it.

6 Inty. answers. he knows nothing about them.

 

7th Inty. answers he knew one Sue, but does not know that she was the daughter of Joyce, it is said that Sue died the property of Mr Ignatius Digges

8th Inty. answers. he knows nothing abou them.

9. Inty. ansr. no.

10 Inty. ansr. knews nothing about [illegible]

11 Inty. ansr. nothing.

Sworn to this 134 April 1792 before me one o the Justices of the Peace for Prince G County
John Smith Brookes

Thomas Digges

The Deposition of Mr. Henry Hill aged about 84 years being first sworn on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God deposeth and saith to the

1st Inty. answers. he knows Doctr Smith very well, but does not know the Petitioner.

2 Inty answers no he knew nothing of a Woman by the name of Ann Joyce living with Mr Darnall, but he knew of a Woman by the name of Joyce that lived at the Wood yard, the property of Henry Darnall, and after him to his son Henry, but she was a black negro.

3rd Inty ansr he allways understood the Joyce he knew was a slave, and treated as such.

objected to

4 Inty ansr never that he heard of, and the children [illegible] the Joyce that he knew were allways considered as slaves and very good ones.

5 Inty ansr

 

5th Inty ansr the Joyce he knew, he beleaves died at the Wood Yard. the property of Mr Darnall

6 Int ansr he does not know of any of that name that lived with Mr Ashton

7 Inty ansr he knew one Sue who died at Mr Digges and who he beleaves was the Daughter of Sue.

8 Inty ansr he did not Knows nothing of this Inty

9. Inty ansr no.

10 Inty ansr no. he never heard of an Ann Joyce till lately.

11 Inty ansr he knows nothing more about it being asked if he ever understood that the Joyce he knew was ever in England. Anwers he never did

Henry Hill

Sworn to before me, one of the Justices of the Peace for Prince Georges County this 14 April 1792
John Smith Brookes