O Say Can You See

Be it remembered that heretofore to wit, on the twenty seventh day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety two; Monica Shorter   Shorter by Gabriel Duvall her attorney preferred and filed in the General Court here, her petition for Freedom against Edward Hazle, which is in form following to wit.

To the honourable, the Judges of the General Court. The petition of Monica Shorter humbly sheweth that she held in slavery by Edward Hazle of St Marys County; and she is advised that she is entitled to her Freedom being descended on the female line from a free white woman named Elizabeth Shorter. She therefore prays your honours the premises being considered to discharge her from the Custody of the said Edward Hazel; if she should prove her descent as aforesaid, and that summons may issue for the said Edward Hazel to answer this petition and she will pray and so forth. G. Duvall for the Peto.

Whereupon in pursuance of the rule of the Court here in such cases made and provided, the said Monica Shorter by her attorney aforesaid on the day and year aforesaid prosecuted and sued forth out of the General Court here the writ of the State of Maryland of Subpoena ad respondendum against the said Edward Hazle, directed to the sheriff of Saint Marys County in form following to wit.

The State of Maryland Sct. To the sheriff of Saint Marys County Greeting. We command you that you Summon Edward Hazle late of Saint Marys County that all excuses and delays set a side he be and appear before the Judges of our General Court to be held at the City of Annapolis on the second tuesday of May next to Answer unto Monica Shorter preferred against him for freedom. Hereof he is not to fail and fail not at your peril and have you then and there this writ. Witness the honourable Samuel Chase Esquire Chief Judge of our said Court the 14th day of February Anno Domini 1792.

Issued the 27th day of March 1792. GD. Jno Gwinn Clk.

At which said 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, and the day of the return of the aforegoing Summons, comes into the General Court here the said Monica Shorter by her attorney aforesaid; and the sheriff of Saint Marys County aforesaid to whom the said Summons was in form aforesaid directed, makes return thereof to   to the Court here thus endorsed to wit.

Summoned F. Hamersley Sheriff, St Mary's County.

Whereupon comes into the General Court here, the said Edward Hazle by Philip Barton Key his attorney: And Thereupon further process of & upon the promises aforesaid between the parties aforesaid by order of the Court here is continued until the second Tuesday of October next, the same day is given to the said parties aforesaid, then and so forth.

At which said second Tuesday of October being the ninth day of the said month in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety two, come again into the General Court here as well the said Monica Shorter by her attorney aforesaid as the said Edward Hazle by his attorney aforesaid; And the parties aforesaid by their attornies aforesaid agree that all depositions taken in this case on ten days notice to the petitioner or Defendants Counsel before a justice of the peace shall be received and read in evidence in all the cases of Petitioning negroes under the name of Shorter claiming their freedom as descendants of a certain Elizabeth Shorter or her female Ancestors to Freedom under the Laws of this Country; Thereupon further process of and upon the premises aforesaid between the parties aforesaid by order of the Court here is further continued until the second tuesday of May next; the same day is given to the said parties then &soforth.

At which said second Tuesday of May being the fourteenth day of the same month in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety three come again into the General Court here as well the said Monica Shorter by her attorney aforesaid as the said Edward Hazle by his attorney aforesaid; Thereupon further process of and upon the premises aforesaid between the parties aforesaid by order of the Court here is further continued until the second Tuesday of October next; the same day is given to the said parties then and soforth.

At which said second Tuesday of October being the Eighth day of the same month in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety three, come again into the General Court here as well the said Monica Shorter by her attorney aforesaid as the said Edward Hazle by his attorney aforesaid; Thereupon further process of and upon the premises aforesaid between the parties aforesaid by order of the Court here is further continued until the second Tuesday of May next; the same day is given to the said Parties aforesaid then and soforth.

At which said second Tuesday of May being the thirteenth day   day of the same month month in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety four, come again into our General Court here as well the said Monica Shorter by her attorney aforesaid as the said Edward Hazle by his attorney aforesaid; Thereupon further process of and upon the premises aforesaid between the parties aforesaid, by order of the Court here is further Continued until the second tuesday of October next; the same day is given to the said parties then and so forth.

At which said second Tuesday of October being the fourteenth day of the same month in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, come again into the General Court here as well the said Monica Shorter by her attorney aforesaid as the said Edward Hazle by his attorney aforesaid; Thereupon further process of and upon the premises aforesaid between the parties aforesaid by order of the Court here is further continued until the second Tuesday of May next; the same day is given to the said parties then and so forth.

At which said second Tuesday of May being the twelfth day of the same month in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety five, come again into the General Court here as well the said Monica Shorter by her attorney aforesaid as the said Edward Hazle by his attorney aforesaid; Thereupon further process of and upon the premises aforesaid between the parties aforesaid by order of the Court here is further continued until the second tuesday of October next; the same day is given to the said parties then and so forth.

And now at this day to wit, the said second Tuesday of October being the thirteenth day of the same month in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety five come again into the General Court here as well the said Monica Shorter by her attorney aforesaid as the said Edward Hazle by his attorney aforesaid; And the said Monica Shorter by her attorney aforesaid files in Court here sundry depositions which are in form following to wit.

The deposition of Terry Shorter aged fifty eight years being sworn on the holy evangely of Almighty God deposeth and saith that she knows Teresa Shorter who petitioned against Joseph   Joseph Boarman and has known her eighteen or nineteen years; that she is sister of Charity Shorter who obtained her freedom against Ignatius Matthews and also a Sister of Basil Shorter who petitioned against Charles Carroll and obtained his freedom. That Robert Shorter who petitioned against Mary Neale now Mary Simms by Intermarriage with Robert Simms is also a brother of Basil who petitioned against Charles Carroll, being the son of Lucy Shorter who formerly belonged to William Neale near Port Tobacco. That Jim Shorter who petitioned against Mrs Bradford is also son of Lucy aforesaid and brother of Basil who obtained his freedom against Charles Carroll. That Stephen Shorter who petitioned against John Boarman is son of Jenny who petitioned against Mrs Bradford which Jenny is full sister of this deponent and this deponent obtained her freedom against Mrs Chunn. That Anne Shorter who petitioned against Raphael Boarman is also a daughter of this deponents Sister Jenny aforesaid. That Monica Shorter who petitioned against Edward Hazle is the daughter of Jenny Shorter who belonged to Henry Neale of St Marys County, which Jenny is sister of Basil who obtained his freedom against Charles Carroll. That Priscilla Shorter who petitioned against John Smith is daughter of Appy and sister of George Shorter who petitioned against Henry Neale. That Baptist who petitioned against the said John Smith is son of the said Priscilla. That Ignatius Shorter who petitioned against John Fenwick is the son of Nanny Shorter which Nanny is aunt of this deponent and this deponent knew Nanny ever since she the said Nanny was a child and she is about five years younger than the deponent that Nanny was the daughter of Patty Shorter who belonged to old John Lancaster and was a grand mother of this deponent; that she had understood that said Nanny is now in Kentucky with Mr Fenwick who claims Nase. That Phillis Shorter who has petitioned against Mary Boarman is daughter of this deponents Sister Jenny who petitioned against Mrs Bradford, and Letty who has petitioned against the said Mary Boarman is daughter of said Phillis. That Thomas Shorter who belongs to Richard Jordan she has always understood was son of the deponents Sister Betty that Bettys mother was the deponents mother, and Betty was many years younger than the deponent and the deponent knew her ever since she the said Betty was a Child being both born in the same family. That when the deponent went to see her Mother and her sister at John Smiths on patuxent the said Tom was   was a boy and appeared to be about six or seven years old, that the deponents mother Nelly was then sick at Mr Smiths and died of that Illness; that this deponent had never seen the said Tom but once before that, she then seemed to be about two years old; that her said Sister Betty was then big with her next child and Tom always past for Bettys child and whenever heard it contradicted or questioned. That Clem Shorter who petitioned against Raphael Neale is about three years older than Tom and she has known Clem ever since she knew Tom having first seen them at the same time, and Clem always past as the son of the deponents Sister Betty aforesaid and she never heard it contradicted, and he was owned by Betty as her child. That Ignatius Shorter who petitioned against Henry Howell is brother of this deponent and son of her mother Nelly and the deponent has known him ever since he was a Child. That Gerrard Shorter who petitioned against Mary Boarman is son of this deponent's Sister Jenny who petitioned against Mrs Bradford. That Patty Shorter who has petitioned against Thomas Stone this deponent has known ever since she was a child, she is daughter of Betty who was aunt of this deponent and sister of this deponent's mother Nelly and was always reputed as such and she never heard it contradicted, the said Betty was daughter of Patty who belonged to old John Lancaster as the deponent always understood and never heard it Contradicted.

Sworn this 17th day of October 1795, before Jno Randall. Taken before John T. Mason and Gabriel Duvall.

Sarah Butler of a Anne Arundel County aged fifty three years and upwards being sworn on the holy Evangely of Almighty God deposeth and saith that she knows Priscilla Shorter now present and has known her ever since she was born; that they were both born in the family of Henry Neale deceased who was son of Roswell Neale; the said Priscilla Shorter is daughter of a Appy Shorter now deceased; the deponent knew Appy well, she belonged to the said Henny Neale; that Appy has been dead about nineteen years; that she had Eleven Children to wit, Henny, Joshua, Anthony, Jenny, Shadrack, Nelly, Peter, Prissy   Prissy and Lucy and Gerrard; that Henny Joshua, Jenny, Shadrack, George, Nelly, and Gerrard are dead, that Lucy belongs to Henry Neale of St Marys County son of Henry Neale deceased beforementioned, and has petitioned against him. That the deponent knew Jenny Shorter very well and Appy was always reputed the daughter of Jenny Shorter, and they always claimed one another as mother and daughter, and she never heard it contradicted. Sworn 27 Oct. 1795 before J. Bullen.

Priscilla Shorter aged between forty and fifty years being sworn on the holy evangely of Almighty God deposeth and saith that the petitioner Leonard Shorter now present is the son of the deponent and her master John Smith sold him to Philip Ford four or five years ago, and Philip Ford gave him to the defendant who married his daughter. That Baptist Shorter who petitioned against John Smith is also son of the deponent and is older than Leonard and is now about twenty four years of age. Sworn to this 30th day of October 1795, Before J. Bullen.

Jenny Shorter aged sixty two years and upwards being sworn on the holy Evangely of Almighty God deposeth and saith that she knows Terry Shorter who petitioned against Joseph Boarman; she was daughter as the deponent always understood of Lucy Shorter who belonged to William Neale near Port Tobacco, and afterwards to the widow of said Neale, which Lucy was sister of Henny who petitioned against Henry Barnes, and of Basil who petitioned against Charles Carroll; that she knows Robert Shorter commonly called Bob Russeton who was always reputed to be the brother of the said Lucy, Henny and Basil. The deponent also saith that Anne Shorter who petitioned against Raphael Boarman is daughter of this deponent and was sold and sent to the Havanna as she has been informed; that the said Anne was sent away by Raphael Boarman sometime after she had petitioned; being asked if Raphael Boarman knew that she had petitioned, answers she thinks he did, he was in the house when the deponent heard Benjamin Wakefield read the order of Court about her petitioning, that she was to be used well and the like, and she was sent away some months afterwards; that it was at the house of the within of Raphael Boarman when the deponent heard the order of Court read, and from said house she was sent That Nell Shorter who petitioned against William Chandler Brent is daughter   daughter of this deponent and the deponent knew said Nell ever since she was a child. That Phillis who petitioned against Mary Boarman is daughter of this deponent, and Letty who petitioned against said Mary Boarman is daughter of said Phillis. That Tom who petitioned against Richard Jordan this deponent has known ever since he was about two years old; he is the son of Betty who was Sister on the mother's and father's side of this deponent. That Clem who petitioned against Raphael Neale is a full brother of said Tom.

Sworn to this 16th day of May 1796 before J Bullen.

Whereupon all and singular the premises between the parties aforesaid by the Court here being seen, heard and fully understood, and mature deliberation thereupon had, for that it appears to the Court here, that the said Monica Shorter the petitioner aforesaid is entitled to her freedom being descended in the female line, from a free white woman named Elizabeth Shorter as she by her petition to the Court here hath alledged; therefore it is considered by the Court here the the said Monical Shorter the petitioner aforesaid be free and discharged of and from the service of the aforesaid Edward Hazle and that she the said Monica Shorter the petitioner aforesaid, go thereof without day, &c. It is further considered by the Court here, that the said Monica Shorter the petitioner aforesaid, the petitioner aforesaid, recover against the said Edward Hazle the quantity of six hundred and ninety nine pounds of tobacco by Court here unto here the said Monica Shorter on her assent adjudged for her costs and Chargers by her about the prosecution of her petition aforesaid laid out and expended, and that She have thereof her execution, &c.

Test John Gwinn Clk.