William W. Handley and his wife Sarah E. Handley petitioned the Liberty County Superior Court, sitting in equity. They noted that before they married in 1851, they had contracted a marriage settlement in which eight shares of stock of the Bank of the State of Georgia were conveyed to trustee Gideon B. Dean in trust for them. They stated that they had little property other than the bank stock, and would accordingly prefer to sell the stock and reinvest the proceeds to purchase “Negroes as the amount of dividends from said Stock is not sufficient to pay the hire of the house servants necessary for the comfort of your Orator & Oratrix.” They had asked trustee Dean to make this transaction but he had refused, saying he did not believe he had the power without a Court order. The petitioners asked the Court to summon him and give such an order.
Dean appeared on December 5, 1853, acknowledged the facts of the case, and stated that it thought it would be beneficial to carry out the petitioners’ request.
Recorded in Liberty County Superior Court on February 20, 1854.
Source: Superior Court proceedings, Vol. 5, 1842-1855, Liberty County, Georgia, pages 534-6 ; database with images, “Liberty County Superior Court Proceedings, Vol 5 1842-1855,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3H3-QPCG : accessed 9 Feb 2023), Family History Library Film 008628085, item 2 of 2, image 642-643 of 658