O Say Can You See

Be it remembered, that heretofore towit, on the Seventh day of December in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety, Sarah Butler by Henry Ridgely her attorney, preferred and filed in the General Court here, her Petition for Freedom against Henry Sothoron, which is in form following, towit: To the Honorable the Judges of the General Court: The Petition of Sarah Butler, humbly sheweth, that she is held as a slave by Henry Sothoron of Saint Marys County, altho' she is entitled to her Freedom being descended from a Free white woman, whose name was Eleanor Butler. Your Petitioner is the Daughter of Sarah Butler, who was the Daughter of Nelly Butler, who was the Daughter of Sarah Butler, who was the Daughter of Eleanor Butler, the Free white woman aforesaid. She therefore prays your honors to take her case into consideration, and discharge her from the custody of the said Henry Southoron, and that Summons may issue for her witnesses, andsoforth. H. Ridgely for Petitioner

(enter the remainder of the proceedings in this case, as in that of Sarah Butler against Henry Sothoron, page 102 in this Book)

Test John Gwinn Clerk