O Say Can You See

To the Honorable Judges of the General Court of the Western Shore of Maryland.

The Humble Petition of Molly Butler, Sheweth that your petitioner is a descendant of a free white woman and as such is intitled to the Liberty and all the rights of a Freeman woman, that your petitioner has been most unjustly and wrongfully deprived of her liberty and is now held in Slavery by Francis Plowden of Saint Mary's County: your Petitioner therefore most humbly prays your honors will take her case into consideration and grant himer such relief as she is by law and Justice intitled to and that your honors will direct a summons to issue to the said Francis Plowden, to be and appear before this honorable Court by a certain day to be therein mentioned, to answer the premises and your Petitioner as in duty will pray & so forth

J. Toy Chase for Petitioner