William P. McConnell and his wife Mrs. Ann McConnell petitioned the Judge of the Superior Court of the Eastern District of Georgia, sitting in equity, along with James D. McConnell and Samuel D???? McConnell, their minor children represented by their next friend William P. McConnell. The petitioners stated that they had contracted a marriage settlement in 1822 in which all of the property belonging to Mrs. McConnell was conveyed to Joseph Law and James Lambright to be held in trust for the separate use of her and her children. Lambright and Law having died since then, the trusteeship had passed

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

Jacob Mances [or Manses] sued Benjamin Lane in Liberty County Superior Court for $1000, saying that on January 3, 1851 in Savannah, he had purchased from Lane for $600, which he called “a large price,” “a certain negro man Slave named Andrew about twenty years of age as and for a sound and healthful negro.” He claimed that Lane knew that Andrew was “unsound, deseased in his leg and otherwise diseased,” adding that Andrew “was of little or no use and value to your petitioner.” He requested damages in the amount of $1000. Lane was summoned by the Court on

Henry M. Stevens and his wife Elizabeth S. Stevens, as well as Henry Porter Stevens, John M. Stevens, James E. Stevens, Matilda L. Stevens and an unnamed infant, all minor children of Henry and Elizabeth Stevens represented by their next friend Henry M. Stevens petitioned the Liberty County Superior Court. They noted that in a marriage settlement between Henry M. And Elizabeth S. Stevens dated March 9, 1843, “certain negro slaves particularly named in said Deed of marriage settlement” were conveyed to Peter W. Fleming, Josiah S. Law, and Joseph Law, all of Liberty County, in trust for the sole

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

Edward F. Way petitioned the Liberty County Superior Court, saying that Nathaniel J. Way of Liberty County had died on [date left blank], leaving his widow Mrs. Sarah Jane Way and his children by a previous marriage Jane Augusta Way and Mary E. Caroline Way as his only surviving heirs. He said that after the death of Nathaniel J. Way, Sarah Jane Way had applied to the Liberty County Ordinary and had obtained letters of administration on his estate and letters of guardianship for the children, all of whom lived in Liberty County. Way also said that prior to Nathaniel

Equity Court: Mrs. Ann McConnell petitions for sale of enslaved women Nanny and Eliza, 1852 Thomas R. McConnell and William R. McConnell, as trustees for Mrs. Ann McConnell, petitioned the Liberty County Superior Court, sitting in equity, to permit retroactively the sale of enslaved women Nanny and Eliza . The trustees pointed to the original marriage settlement that named Col. Joseph Law and James Lambright Esqr as trustees, and the court decision appointing the two McConnells as replacements for them after their deaths. They noted that until new trustees had been named, Dr. William P. McConnell had taken the trust

George T. Maxwell and his wife Hetty A. Maxwell, formerly Hetty A. Jones, petitioned the Liberty County Superior Court, sitting in equity, to name new executors for their marriage settlement, dated December 12, 1848, which had put property in trust for her. They stated that in [year left blank] they had moved to the state of Florida ‘carrying with them most of the personal property mentioned in said Deed of Marriage settlement.” They noted that the their interests and the interest of the trust property now required that they have someone in Florida appointed as trustee to act with Richard

William B. Bennet, formerly of Liberty County and now of Stewart County, petitioned the Liberty County Superior Court, sitting in equity. Noting that his father Mathew Bennet, of Liberty County, had died intestate in [date/year left blank], leaving a considerable “real and personal estate consisting principally of land and negroes.” Bennet charged that the defendant, William N. Way, also of Liberty County, had obtained letters of administration on the estate on March 2, 1829. Way had allegedly possessed himself of the estate, which Bennet claimed had few or no debts. Bennet added that he himself was then a minor and

In October 1848, James B. Mell and his wife Anna Maria Mell, plus her trustee George W. Walthour, petitioned the Liberty County Superior Court, sitting in Equity, against Edwin H. Bacon. The complainants cited their marriage settlement, dated October 12, 1836, and October 18, 1847. They stated that on October 12, 1836, contemplating marriage between Anna Maria Mell, then Anna Maria McIntosh, and her intended husband Albert T. Bacon, they executed a marriage settlement with Charles West and Barrington King to be Anna Maria’s trustees. Bacon put into the trust that was created “the following named negro slaves named Tom,

Charles S. McKinne, his wife Ann E. McKinne and Julia Winn, all of Liberty County, petitioned Liberty County Superior Court, in chambers and sitting in equity, The petitioners stated that Charles S. McKinne was administrator on the estate of Edward L. Winn, late of Liberty County, and that on January 25th, the Judge had granted a decree of Court in Chambers authorizing him as the administrator to sell at public or private sale “two negroes named Fanny and Dianna” belonging to the estate in order to use the proceeds from the sale to pay the estate’s debts and to divide

The Liberty County Superior Court, in chambers and sitting in equity, was petitioned by Enoch Daniel and Jane N. Bradley of Liberty County, administrators of John S. Bradley, late of Liberty County; and Cornelia N. Bradley, William H. Bradley, Joseph M. Bradley and Daniel E. Bradley, children of John S. Bradley and Jane N. Bradley, now their natural guardian. According to the petition, when John S. Bradley died intestate in 1859, he left a small estate both real and personal in Liberty County for his wife and four children. The petitioners stated that his residence was in a “remote and

Wm. [William] Nathaniel Varnedoe and Josephine Varnedoe, minor children of N.J. Varnedoe represented by S.M. Varnedoe their trustee, petitioned Liberty County Superior Court, in chambers and sitting in equity, for authorization to have their trustee sell named enslaved people and land. According to the petition, S.M. Varnedoe was appointed trustee for “certain property” belonging to Wm. Nathaniel Varnedoe and Josephine Varnedoe during the spring 1860 term of the Liberty County Superior Court. The “property” consisted of “Plenty aged seventy years, Raymon [alt: Raymond] aged forty five years, Sambo aged eighteen years, Henry aged twenty six years, Margaret aged twenty seven

The Liberty County Superior Court, in chambers and sitting in equity, was petitioned by Solomon Barnard and Ann Mary (formerly Walthour) his wife; William Curtis and Amanda his wife (formerly Walthour); Augustus S. Morrale and Charlotte C. (formerly Walthour) his wife; Augustus G. Walthour; Mary A. Walthour; and Alice, Taylor, Russel C. and Robert H Walthour minor children of the late George W. Walthour represented by their next friend Mary A. Walthour. The petitioners stated that when Solomon Barnard married Ann Mary, the daughter of George W. Walthour, Walthour had advanced to his daughter the sum of $5400. In 1850,

The Liberty County Superior Court, in chambers and sitting in equity, was petitioned by Henry W. Bacon, his wife Julia A.C. Bacon, her next friend Edmund B. Way, and Julia Bacon (minor child of Henry and Julia) with her next friend and guardian Edmund B. Way. The petitioners stated that Henry W. Bacon and Julia A.C. Bacon married around 1839 and until recently lived together with their only child, Julia Bacon. They separated via a deed of separation, with Julia represented by her trustee Edmund B. Way. In 1832, Henry W. Bacon had conveyed in trust to Edward Way for

The Liberty County Superior Court, in chambers and sitting in equity, was petitioned by Caroline E. Allen, widow and administratrix of Benjamin W. Allen; Mary O. Sabal and her husband Adolphus M. Sabal; Margaret Allen, Clara M. Allen, Benjamin F. Allen and Sumner W. Allen, minors represented by their next friend and guardian John N. Fennell. The petitioners stated that part of the estate of Benjamin W. Allen consisted of a tract of land in Cherokee County, Georgia, and “also a negro named Charles about thirty years of age and a negro girl named Sally, about eighteen years of age”

The Liberty County Superior Court, in chambers and sitting in equity, was petitioned by Emma A. Harris, wife of Columbus S. Harris, of Liberty County; Raymond B. Harris, her next friend; and the minor children of Emma A. Harris and her late husband Stephen N. Harris: Mary Louisa Harris, Emma Adelaide Harris, Elizabeth Evelyn Harris, and Stephen Raymond Harris. The heirs of Stephen N. Harris, who died intestate in 1854, requested the sale of a city lot in Savannah, Chatham County, at the corner of Harris and Whitaker Streets, known as lot #10 in Jasper Ward. This lot was subject

Stanton Haymons and Susan G. Haymans his wife, who resided in Liberty County, petitioned Liberty County Superior Court, in chambers and sitting in equity, to force Richard Clark and John Clark, executors of Nicholas J. Clark, to deliver Susan G. Haymans’ portion of the Clark estate to her. Stanton and Susan G. Haymons stated that Elias Perry of Bryan County, had died intestate on March 1, 1853, and that he had property valued at about $13,000 when he died and left children, heirs and distributees, with Susan G. Haymons being his granddaughter. She stated that her mother (name not given)