O Say Can You See

Be it Remembered that on the 15 day of Oct. AD 1791 Edward Queen by his atty exhibited to the Judges of the Genl. Court here in the court sitting his Petition for freedom agt the Revd. John Ashton in the words & figures following to wit— (enter Petn.) Whereupon it is ordered by the court here that the said Revd. J Ashton do not remove the afd E Queen out of this State, nor obstruct him from attending this Court from time to time in support of his Peto. for freedom preferred agt him the said JA. and in the mean time to feed, cloath & use the said Peto. well. And at the prayer of the afd EQ by GD & PBK his attornies afd sums. is ordered by the court here to issue to the Shff of AA Cy ag the afd JA to answer the Peto. afd which accordingly issued in the words and figures following to wit (enter Sums.)

And the Shff of AA Cy to whom the aforegoing precept was made & directed comes & makes return thereof to the court here thus endorsed to wit. sd. J Williams Shff

And the afd JA by WC. his atty comes & defends the complaint afd when & where the sd. court shall take the same into consideration & prays leave of the court to imparle hereunto until next court and he hath it: the same day is given to the said Peto. also. At which said next court to wit the 2d Monday of May being the 8 day of the same month AD 1792 comes again here into our Genl. Court as well the afd EQ. by his atty's afd as the afd JA by his atty afd: and the afd JA by his atty afd as before defends the complaint afd when & where the court shall take the same into consideration & prays further leave of the court to imparle hereunto until next court; and he hath it: the same day is given to the Peto. also.

At which said next court to wit: the second Tuesday of October being the 9 day of the same month AD 1792 comes again here into our Genl. Court, as well the afd EQ by his attornies afd as the afd JA by his atty afd: and the afd EQ by his attornies afd files in the Court here the following Depn to wit — (Enter Richd Disney & Thos Warfield Depositions)

And the afd JA by his atty afd as before defends the complaint afd when & where the court shall take the same into consideration & prays further leave of the court to imparle hereunto until next court; and he hath it: the same day is given to the Peto. also. At which said next court, to wit the second Tuesday of May being the 14 day of the same month AD 1793 comes again here into our Genl. court as well the afd EQ by his attornies afd & the afd JA by his atty afd: and the afd EQ by his attornies afd files in court here the following Deposition to wit (Enter Geo Davis's Depn)

And the afd JA by his atty afd as before defends the complaint afd when & where the court shall take the same into consideration, and prays further leave of the court to imparl hereunto until next court; and he hath it, the same day is given to the Petitioner also

At which said next court to wit, the second Tuesday of Octo. being the 8 day of the same month AD 1793 comes again here into our Genl Court as well the afd EQ by his attornies afd as the afd JA by his atty afd: and the afd EQ by his atties afd files in court here the following Depn to wit. (enter Caleb Clarkes Depn)

Thereupon further Process of & upon the premises afd between the parties afd by consent of the same parties by their attornies afd & by order of court here thereon is continued until the Second Monday of May next following. And now here at this day to wit the said second Monday of May being the 13 day of the same month AD 1794 comes again here into our Genl. Court as well the afd EQ by his attornies afd as the afd JA by his atty afd: and the afd JA by his atty afd files in court here the following Deposition & [strikethrough] Extract of Jas. Carrolls will to wit: (Enter Deborah Lusby Depn & Cert. of the Extract of Jas. Carrolls Will) And the said John by his atty afd (admitting that the said Edward is descended from Mary Queen mentioned in the said Petition) comes & says that the said Mary Queen the Grand Mother of the Petitioner from whom by Descent the Petitioner claims his freedom always was a slave: and this the said John is ready to verify without that, that the said Mary was free as alleged by the said Petition. And the said Edward by his atty afd saith that the said Mary Queen was not a slave at the time of the Birth of the issue of Mary Queen from whom the said Edward is descended as the said John above in pleading hath alleged: and this the said Edward prays may be enquired of by country and so forth: and the said John doth the like. Therefore let the Jury thereupon appear before the Judges of our Genl Court here immediately by whom [illegible] and who neither [illegible] to Recognize [illegible] because as well [illegible] who being called came that is to say (enter Juror) who being elected, tried & sworn to say the truth in the premises upon their oath do say, that the said Mary Queen the Grandmother of the Petitioner was not a slave, and that he the said Edwd Queen the Petitioner is descended from the said Mary Queen in manner and form as he the said Edward Queen in his said Petition to the Court here preferred agt the afd JA hath alleged.

Therefore it is adjudged by the court here that the said Edward Queen the Petitioner afd be hence freed & discharged of & from the service of the afd Reverend John Ashton, and that he the said Edward Queen the Petitioner afd go thereof without day & so forth. It is also considered by the court here that the said Edward Queen the Petitioner recover agt the afd Revd John Ashton the quantity of 1997 Tobo. by the court here unto him the said Edward Queen the Petitioner afd on his assent[?] adjudged for his costs & charges by him about his Prosecution of the Petition afd in this [illegible] out & expended: and that he have thereof[?] his Execution agt the afd J.A. & so forth.

[illegible]Judgt. was rendered in this cause on the 23d day of May AD 1794.

Test Jno Gwinn clk