O Say Can You See

Be it remembered, that at this Term towit, the second Tuesday of May being the Eighth day of the said month in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety two; come into the General Court here, as well Ignatius Butler by Gabriel Duvall his attorney, as William Craik in his proper person: And, by consent of the said Ignatius Butler by his attorney aforesaid and the said William Craik in his proper person aforesaid, it is agreed, that a Petition for Freedom be Docketted, wherein the   said Ignatius Butler shall be the Petitioner, and the said William Craik, the Defendant, and that all Errors by occasion thereof be released; Whereupon, the said Ignatius Butler by his attorney aforesaid, prefers and files in Court here, his Petition for Freedom against the said William Craik, which is in manner and form following towit. To the honorable the Judges of the General Court. The Petition of Ignatius Butler, humbly sheweth, that he is held as a Slave by William Craik of Charles County, although he is entitled to his Freedom, being descended from a Free woman. Your Petitioner is the son of Elizabeth Butler who was the Daughter of Philis Butler who was the Daughter of Agijail Butler who was the Daughter of Eleanor Butler a Free woman. He therefore prayeth, that your honors would take his case into consideration and discharge him from the custody of the aforesaid William Craik, and that Summonses may Issue for his Witnesses, andsoforth. G. Duvall for Pet

And the said Ignatius Butler by his attorney aforesaid, files in Court here, the Deposition of John Butler; which is in the words and of the tenor following towit: (here insert it as in page 62.) Whereupon, the said William Craik in his proper person, saith that he cannot deny the complaint aforesaid of the said Ignatius Butler, the Petitioner aforesaid, so as aforesaid made, nor but that the said Ignatius Butler, the petitioner aforesaid, is entitled to his Freedom, being descended from a Free woman, in manner and form, as the said Ignatius Butler, by his said Petition to the Court here preferred against him the said William Craik, above hath alleged; And thereupon, the said Ignatius Butler by his attorney aforesaid, prays that he may be dismissed and discharged from the service of the said William Craik, together with his costs and charges by him about the prosecution of his said Petition, to him to be adjudged, andsoforth: Therefore it is considered by the Court here, that the said Ignatius Butler, the Petitioner aforesaid, recover of and against the said William Craik, his Freedom, and that he be hence freed and discharged of and from the service of the said William Craik, and that he the said Ignatius Butler, the petitioner aforesaid, go freed and discharged thereof without day, andsoforth. And it is further considered by the Court here, that the said Ignatius Butler, the Petitioner aforesaid, recover against the said William Craik, the quantity of       pounds of tobacco, by the Court here unto the said Ignatius Butler, on his assent adjudged, for his costs and charges by him about the prosecution of his said Petition in   in this behalf laid out and expended, and that he have thereof, Execution, andsoforth.

Test. John Gwinn Clerk.