O Say Can You See

The Deposition of Jane St Clair taken at her own house in Fairfax County State of Virginia. pursuant to agreement between the parties (herewith returned) to be read as evidence in a case now depending in the Circuit Court for the District of Columbia for Washington County wherein Sam and Edmund are petitioners for their freedom and Lewis & Gabriel Childs & Hiram I[?] Emerson are Defendants on this 4th day of January 1832.

The Deponant being of lawful age and first duly sworn deposeth and saith.

Question by Defendants
Were you or not acquainted with Gabriel L Childs late of Fairfax County Virginia

Answer I was

Question by Same
Did you or not know the negroes he then had in possession

Answer I know that he was in possession of several negroes

Question by Same
What were their names & ages as well as you can recollect

James Rosett Alley & John

Question by Same
Do you or not know the children of Rosett & Alley and their ages

Answer I know they had two children Sam and Edmund but do not know their ages. Edmund was the son of Alley and Sam I believe was the son of Rosett

Question by Same
Were they or not born since the death of Gabriel D Childs while their mothers were in the possession of sd Childs widow as slaves in the County of Fairfax Virginia

Answer they were

 

Question by Same
How long since you first became acquainted with sd Childs

Answer Twenty five years or more I cannot exactly recollect

Question by Same
Have you or not ever since lived a near neighbour and was well acquainted with the two girls Rosett & Alley

Answer Not since I left the neighborhood where they resided in possessions of Mr Childs

Question by Petitioners
How do you know the names of said slaves and their ages

Answer From having generally heard them so called in the family as to ages I do not Know

Question by Same are you acquainted with the ages of Rosett & Alley from your own knowledge how do you know them

Answer As to their ages I am not certain but know him from having frequently seen them

Question by Same
How many children had Rosett & Alley each what were their names & ages

Answer of their ages I am not certain nor how many they had

Question by Same
Were not Rosett & Alley manumitted and at what time

Answer they were manumitted but when I do not know

Question by Same
Were not Sam and Edmund born before or after their mothers were set free

Answer they were born before their mothers were set free but how long I know not

 

Question by Same
Did not Gabriel D Childs die leaving a widow who afterwards intermarried with William Glover and when was she so married

Answer I do not recollect the year

Question by Same
Was Rosett and Alley or either of them set free before the marriage of the said widow Childs

Answer I do not know

Question by Same
Were Sam & Edmund or either of them born before the said marriage

Answer before the marriage how long I do not know

Question by Same
What is the differance between the ages of Sam & Edmund

Answer I do not know

And further this deponent saith not

Also the Deposition of Emily Ager taken at the same time and place to be read as evidence in the same suit

The Deponant being of lawful age and first duly sworn deposeth and saith

Question by Defendants
Were you not acquainted with Gabriel D Childs late of Fairfax County Virginia

Answer I was

Question by Same
Did you not know the negroes he had in possession at and before his death if so what was their names and ages

Answer
Jim Alley Rosett and John as to   their ages I do not know

Question by Same Do you not know the children of Rosett and Alley and their ages particularly Sam and Edmund

Answer I know Rosetts children was Lucy Alfred Sam and Thornton I believe Sam to be about twenty one years of age. Alley's children was Kit Charlott Edmund and Caroline. Edmund I think is about twenty years of age.

Question by Same Were they or not born while their mothers were in the possession of Gabriel D Childs widow as slaves a short time after the death of said Childs

Answer Yes they were

Question by Petitioners How do you know the names of said negroes

Answer because I was well acquainted with them and always heard them so called

Question by Same How do you know the ages of Sam and Edmund

Answer From my recollection of the time Edmund was born and knowing Sam was a year the oldest

Question by Same How many children had Rosett and Alley each and what are their names & ages As to that I have answered and given their names

 

Question by Same
Were not Rosett and Alley manumitted and at what time

Answer I think it has been about 18 or 19 years since Rosett was manumitted and about 15 years since Alley was

Question by Same
Were Sam and Edmund born before or after their mothers were set free if before how long

Answer I do not recollect how long but it was some considerable length of time before their mothers were free

Question by Same
Did not Gabriel D Childs die leaving a widow who intermarried with William Glover and when did she marry

Answer she did and I think she married in 1816

Question by Same Was Rosett and Alley or either of them set free before the marriage of the widow

Answer Roset was but Alley was not I think until two or three weeks after the marriage

Question by Same
Were Sam and Edmund born befor or after the marriage

Answer before four & five years as well as I can recollect

And further this Deponant saith not

 

Also the Deposition of Ann Ager taken at the same time and place to be read as evidence in the same case

The Deponant being of lawful age and first duly sworn deposeth and saith

Question by Same
Did you not know Gabriel D Childs late of Fairfax County Virginia and the negroes she had at and some time before his death what was their names

Answer Jim Roset Alley and John

Question by Same
Did you not know the children of Rosett and Alley chur names & ages

Answer Yes

Question by Same What is the ages of Sam and Edmund

Answer Sam is about 21 years old and Edmund about 20

Question by Same
Were they not born since the death of Gabriel D Childs while their mothers were in the possession of his widow in Fairfax County Va

Answer Yes
Question by Same Have you or not been present all the time Emily Ager was engaged in giving in her deposition and did you or not hear the different questions propounded to her and would or not your answers to the rest of the interrogatories put by both parties be substantially the same as hers

Answer Yes exactly And further she saith not