A legal dispute filed in Frederick County, Maryland regarding the slave Ben. The text is written on one side with Court filing dated March 19th, 1790 on the back. The dispute is between Patrick Sim (abt. 1755-1819) and Osburn Williams.
1790. “According to the document, Osburn Williams, by Baker Johnson, his attorney complaints that the aforesaid Patrick on the first day of September in the year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred Eighty-nine at the County aforesaid in a certain place called the cornfield took the aforesaid negro man slave called Ben the proper slave of him. The said Osburn and the same negro doth unjustly detain against….and Pledges and so forth as is said wherefore the aforesaid Osburn said he is the worse and hath damage to the value of One hundred and fifty pounds current money and therefore he brings suit….”
The document measures 13” x 8” and shows evidence of having been folded. The script has two handwriting styles. The paper has slight browning along the edges as well as a couple of vertical lines along the folds. A few marginal chips affecting a couple of letters. Colonial American made paper. The watermark in the center of the paper is a circle with three tobacco leaves design with spades on top. Item #2431
Price: $1,200.00