Henry Love and his wife, Susan M. Love, and their minor children Henry J. Love and Laura L. Love, represented by their next friend Henry Love, petitioned the Liberty County Superior Court, sitting in equity. The petitioners noted that Micheal T. Dorsey*, late of Chatham County, had died in October 1848 having made a will that was attached as an exhibit. In that will, they said, Dorsey had appointed William E.W. Quarterman as executor and Quarterman had qualified as such. They pointed to the part of the will that said, “The other three fifths of my estate I give devise & bequeath to my three daughters Rosamond M. Hall, wife of John Hall, Susan M. Love wife of Henry Love & Sarah C. Thomas wife of George Thomas that is to say one fifth part to each for their separate use and benefit and that of their children free from the debts or contracts of their present or future husbands and I hereby appoint my son William E.W. Quarterman their Trustee to hold the said estate hereby bequeathed to my said daughters and to apply the income thereof to their support and benefit.” The petitioners noted that Quarterman had accepted the trusteeship, and that “in the division of the negros belonging to the Estate of the said Micheal T. a certain negro girl named Lucy fell to and became the property of your oratrix Susan M. Love wife of your Orator Henry & this constitutes part of the trust estate for which the said Defendant [Quarterman] is trustee.”
[*Clearly spelled Dorsey in these documents, but also seen in other documents as Dawsey.]
The petitioners stated that “the said negro Girl Lucy is wholly unprofitable being not used to and unfit for field labour and your orators & oratrixes being already amply supplied with house servants they are desirous to sell the said negroe Girl Lucy & reinvest in the purchase of another negroe or negroes who may be profitably employed on a farm or plantation the occupation of your orator Henry Love.” They believed that Lucy could be sold “at a large price to wit the sum of eight hundred dollars.”
They had applied, they said, to trustee William E. W. Quarterman to make the sale, but he refused to do so without permission of the Court. They asked that he be summoned for that purpose.
Dorsey’s will was appended and appeared as follows: “Georgia, Chatham County } I Micheal T. Dorsey being sick in body but of sound and disposing mind and memory and understanding do make and declare this my Last Will and Testament. I direct my just debts to be paid by my Executors. As for my worldly estate I give devise and bequeath the same as follows: I give devise and bequeath one fifth of all my estate real & personal of whatsoever kind it may consist unto my son in law William E.W. Quarterman and his heirs I give devise & bequeath one fifth of all my estate as aforesaid unto my son in law Richard F. Baker and his heirs. The other three fifths of my estate I give devise and bequeath to my three daughters Rosamond M. Hall wife of John Hall, Susan M. Love wife of Henry Love and Sarah C. Thomas, wife of George Thomas, that is to say one fifth part to each for their separate use and benefit and that of their children free from the debts or contracts of their present or future husbands and I hereby appoint my son William E.W. Quarterman their Trustee to hold the said estate hereby bequeathed to my said daughters and to apply the income thereof to their support and benefit. I hereby appoint my son William E.W. Quarterman Executor of this my last Will & Testament. Signed sealed published & declared by Micheal T. Dorsey the Testator as his last Will & Testament before us who in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereto set our hands as Witnesses this 21st Oct 1848 at Savannah. F.S. Bartow, R. Wayne Augustus ?Boleman? J.P. “
Quarterman gave his sworn testimony on November 29, 1852, saying that he agreed with all the facts of the case and that it would be beneficial to the estate to sell Lucy.
Recorded in Liberty County Superior Court on January 22, 1853.
Source: Superior Court proceedings, Vol. 5, 1842-1855, Liberty County, Georgia, page 481-485 ; database with images, “Liberty County Superior Court Proceedings, Vol 5 1842-1855,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3H3-QL5Q : accessed 9 Feb 2023), Family History Library Film 008628085, item 2 of 2, images 615-617 of 658.