Heading: (African American, 1864)
Author:
Title: Manuscript record of court proceedings regarding a free Black in Texas who petitioned to be bound as a slave to an “owner and mistress”, one Sephrony Kerr, only to be stymied by a former owner who claimed he was never free
Place Published: San Antonio, Texas
Publisher:
Date Published: 1864
Description:

9 leaves of blue lined paper, written in ink on rectos only. 31.5x20 cm (12¼x8"), set in custom-made half cloth folder.

Official court document from Bexar County, Texas, summarizing the case of "Jim Owen a free person of African descent, thirty years of age a resident of said county and state," who "desires to choose an owner and mistress, and has selected for his mistress Sephrony Kerr..." Owen states that "he was brought from the State of Illinois to his state in 1850 before he was of lawful age by one John H. Burrus... who has since said time assumed a kind of guardianship over your petitioner without lawful authority..." All seemed on track until John H. Burrus filed suit, stating that he was the "owner of said petitioner Owen" and "proof was not made that said petitioner is a free man of African descent," and "the negro Jim Owen... is his slave that he was brought to this State by the respondent in January 1850 as is slave and has been so held and owned up to the present time..." A new trial was granted, and Kerr and Owen's petition denied. An appeal was allowed, contingent on paying to Burrus a surety bond of $1,500. A fascinating glimpse into the legal morass surrounding slavery as the Civil War raged and the "peculiar institution" of slavery was soon to be ended by force of arms.

Fine with old folds.