Jonathan Sutton in Fugitive Slave Petition Book

year:1850

National Archives Identifier 278912

Transcribed as follows:

entitled An Act to amend and supplementary to the Act entitled An Act respecting fugitives from justice, and persons escaping from the service of their Masters approved February 12th one thousand seven hundred and ninety three and as in duty he will pray ye

Jonathan Sutton

United States of America

District of Maryland, to wit,

Be it remembered that on the twenty second day of October A>D>1850, before me John Carrera, a commissioner appointed by the Circuit Court of teh United States for the fourth Circuit in and for the Maryland District pursuant to the Act of Congress entitled "An Act for the more convenient taking of affidavits and bail in civil causes depending in the Courts of the United States," personally appeared Jonathan Sutton the petitioner above named and made oath in due form that the several matters and things set forth and contained in the above petition are true as therein stated.

John Carrera

Commissioner Co Court M.D.

Be it remembered that on the 22nd day of October in the year Eighteen hundred and fifty personally appears in open Court James L. Sutton a witness of lawful age who being duly sworn does depose and say that Jonathan Sutton of Harford County in the state of Maryland purchased of the deponent the negro slave James Ramsay mentioned in the petition to this Court of said Jonathan Sutton, as a slave for life at and for the sum of four hundred and thirty five dollars, that at the time of said sale the said James Ramsay belonged to this deponent as his slave for life and had been purchased bu this deponent of Dr. Joseph Brownley who acquired his title and ownership to said James Ramsay as a slave for life from the estate of John Forwood that in July 1843 this deponent bought said negro or slave from said Brownley and said negro slave remained in his possession as his slave for life from that time until November 1843 when he sold him to said Jonathan Sutton in whose possession he remained until last February (the 28th of February) when he ran away from his said Master and deponent has not seen him since. Deponent knows said negro well, and has known him from boyhood -- said negro having been owned and raised on the farm adjoining the farm on which deponent was raised - he recollects him well and distinctly for the past thirty five years and knew him before that time, and when he first knew him he was the slave for life of John Forwood. He further says that said negro slave James Ramsay is about forty five years of age, six foot one inch or thereabout in height well made stout muscular, but not fleshy, regular features and a good looking man and of a copper colour. Dark copper colour he would call it altogether he is a much more than ordinary good looking and well proportioned negro.

Fugitive Slave: James Ramsey Title: Jonathan Sutton's Original Fugitive Slave Petition and Ownership Documentation: Witness' Affidavit Coverage Dates 07/1843-09/18/1850

Media: Textual records

Control No.: NRBPA-21-24M103A-3-1

Control No.: NRBPA-21-24M103A-3-2

Control No.: NRBPA-21-24M103A-3-3

Creating Org. United States. District Court. District of Maryland.

Scope & Content Mr. Sutton requests permission of the court to seek out and recover his fugitive slave, James Ramsay.