Charles Mahoney v. John Ashton. Deposition of Ann Cooke

 

Charles Mahoney
aft
John Ashton.

Deposition for freedom

The Deposition of Ann Cooke aged about Seventy Six years being sworn in the above Suit on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God, answered the Several Questions as follows.

1st Question. Do you know the parties, or either of them?

Answers I have seen Mr Ashton at his chappel, have no acquantance with him, never saw Charles Mahoney until the taking my Deposition before Mr Hepburn.

2nd Quest Did you know Anne Joice who formerly lived with Henry Darnall at the Woodyard? And how long she has been dead.

Ansr She remembers being at her grandfather Hills when she was a small Girl, when the Cook came in and told her grandfmother, that Joice was come, her Grandmother [illegible] for her in, and talked with her, she appeared to be an Elderly Mulatto Woman, she never heard that Joice had any pretensions to freedom, nor did she know with whom she lived or when she died.

3d Quest Had Joice any Children that you know or have heard of; relate their names, with whom they lived and died and from where you had yr Information, & when?

Ansr Since giving my first deposition my Uncle Henry Hill & myself had some conversation respecting   Anne Joice and he told me that Old Joice was Nellys GrandMother; and that Sue was Joice's Daughter and Nelly's Mother. That Old Sue died at Mr Willm Diggs and Nelly at Mr Clt Hill's as she has heard.

4th Quest Do you Know any of the Grand Children of Joice, with whom Do the live that you know or have known, and from which of Joice's Children are they descended that you know or have heard?

Ansr I remember a mulatto Woman by the Name of Sue the property of old Mrs Carroll at Annapolis that used to come to my grandfather Hills to see Nelly and who called Nelly Sister, there was another woman that old Mr Basil Warring had by the name of Polly that Nelly said was also her sister, and also a man by the Name of Johnny belonging to my Grandfather Hill brother to the said Nelly.

5 Questn Did you Know any of the great Grand Children of Joice & how are they descended from her relate yr Knowledge & if from hearing, from whom you had it.

Ansr I know that Polly had children, but I do not know any of them Nelly had none

6th Questn If you have any further Knowledge, state it fully & freely?

Ansr I have none.

Sworn before me the Subscriber one of the Justices of the Peace for Prince Georges County this 28th day of May 1796
Robt Bower

 

4 1/2

Mahoney vs Ashton

Ann Cooke

Filed 24th Oct 1796

2d depn No 9.