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It was noted in the Court proceedings filed
in 1809, that some of the depositions from the earlier Brunswick County
hearings had been "lost" from the district courthouse. A recent posting
(11/29/2015) on the Afrigeneas forums by Paul Heinegg, alerted me to the
fact that those missing pages have been found in the Brunswick County
District Court Records, copies of which I also obtained from the Library of
Virginia website, and which I am posting my transcriptions of them. I
am also including the original images of the documents attached at the
bottom of this page. This information has further helped to give more
accurate dates for the families involved and I hope that you will take note
of those changes in the Evans-Gibson
Timeline. |
To the Honorable James Henry Esqr. Judge of the
Brunswick District Court.
The petition of Amey Evans, Charles Evans, Susanna Evans, Sinar Evans,
Solomon Evans, Frankey Evans, Sally Evans, Milley Evans, Adam Evans and
Hannah Evans, humbly showeth.
That your petitioners are lineally descended from a certain Francis Evans,
who lived and died a free-woman.
That the said Frances Evans having bound one of her daughters named
Frances as an apprentice to a certain _________ Lightfoot of New Kent
County, the said Lightfoot did sell her as a slave [crossed out:
to a certain Meriwether], and in consequence of the said sale the said
Frances Evans and your petitioners her descendants have been detained
in slavery, and are now detained in slavery by a certain David Allen of
Mecklenburg county.
Your petitioners therefore pray that your honor will permit that they bring
a suit in this honorable court in forma pauperis against the said David
Allen for their freedom, counsel may be assigned to them, & your petitioners
as in duty bound will pray.
Having examined into the circumstances of the above stated case, I am humbly
of opinion that the petitioners are entitled to their freedom.
E D Saylor Practicing in the Brunswick District Court.
Amey Evans &al
Allowed to Sue
In forma pauperis
Amey Evans & al Pett
vs David Allen... Deft in CHB VA
And the said dft by protestation not confessing or denying the assault,
battery and trespass in and by the said declaration charged and alledged,
saith that the said plaintiff ought not to have or maintain his action
thereof against him, because he saith that the said plaintiff is the proper
slave of him the said dft, and that he the said dft holds and detains the
said plf as his own proper slave, and this he is ready to verify. Wherefore
the said dft prays judgment whether the said plf ought to have or maintain
his said action against him &c.
J D Feild Atty for Deft
Amey Evans vs
David Allen
filed
The Deposition of Ann Meriwether taken this day at the Eagle Tavern in the
City of Richmond in a Suit now defending in Brunswick District Court between Aimey Evans & others pltfs and David Allen Deft due notice having been
given.
This deponent aged as she supposes about seventy odd years being first sworn
on the Holy Evangelist of Almighty God deposeth and Saith that about forty
years ago as well as she recollects Richard Merewether Brother to this
deponents Husband applead to this deponent to get her to take Amey Evans
a girl in his possession about Thirteen years of age to learn her to
sew. This deponent says she did take the said girl with her where she staid
sometime and was again returned to Richard Merewether who sent her to his
quarter in Albemarle that at the Decease of Richard Merewether the said
Amey Evans was left to Thomas Merewether that some time after the said
Thomas Meriwether [crossed out: by being about to removed to Georga to]
removed to Hallifax that one of David Allens negro men had the said Amey
for a wife in consequence of which an exchange took place between Thomas
Meriwether & him so that the said Allen became possessed of the said girl
Amey.
This deponent farther saith that the said Amey Evans was a daughter
of Sarah Colley who was a sister to Hannah Evans the mother of
Thomas Gibson alias Mingo Jackson who recovered his freedom of David
Ross.
The said Hannah Evans was sold to David Ross by Thomas Meriwither at the
time he lived in Hallifax. Sarah Colly was called by that name from her
being the daughter of a white man named James Colley which he had by
Francis Evans and this deponent has often heard her husband say in
his lifetime that Francis Evans was of Indian decent and from the complexion
& strait black hair of Sarah Colley this deponent believes they were
decended from indians.
This deponent farther saith that she was informed by her Husband that his
father Colo. William Merewether took the said Francis Evans for a debt which
was oweing him from a man by the name of Lightfoot & further this deponent
saith not.
Ann Meriwether
City of Richmond to wit
Sworn to before us this 22nd day of June 1798
Wm Richardson
Wm Duval
Evans vs. Allen } Depon
May 1799
Abated Deft Dead
Mr. David Allen,
Please to take notice that I shall proceed on the 22nd day of June next at
the Eagle Tavern in the City of Richmond between the hours of ten o'clock in
the Morning and sunset of the said day to take the depositions of sundry
witnesses for me & others in a suit brought on my behalf & others against
you in the District Court of Brunswick.
May 28th 1798
Aimey Evans
Halifax County to wit,
This 28th day of May 1798, Isaac Medley of lawful age made Oath before me a
Justice of the Peace for the said County that he this day gave David Allen a
notice of which the above is a Copy and informed him of the purport thereof.
Given under my hand the Day & Year aforesaid in the County aforesaid.
Wm. W. Crawford
Evans
to } Notice
Allen
To be sent to
George K. Taylor, Esq'r
near Petersburg
by post
Brunswick District J.C.
The Commonwealth of Virginia to John Barret, Wm Duval & Wm Richardson
Gentlemen Greeting. Know ye that we trusting to your fidelity and
providential circumspection in diligently examing all such Witnesses that
may appear before you as well on behalf of Amey Evans and others pltfs as
David Allen deft.
Command you or any two or more of you that at such certain time and place as
you shall appoint you assemble yourselves and the witness aforesaid before
you, you call and cause to come and diligently examine on the Holy
evangelist of Almighty God and examination into our District Court of Brunsk
distinctly and plainly without delay you send and certify inclosed under
your hands and seals. sending also to us this writ witness Harrison Randolph
Clerk of our said Court this ____ day of ___ 1797 In the 22nd year of our
foundation.
H Randolph
The Execution of the within Commission will appear by the annexed Deposition
Wm Richardson
Wm Duval
Amey & al.
vs Allen } Com'r
The Commonwealth of Virginia To the Sherif of Mecklenburg County Greeting
You are hereby commanded to take David Allen if he be found within your
Bailiwick and him safely keep so that you have his body before the Judges of
our District Court held at Brunswick Courthouse on the first day of the next
Court to answer Amey Evans, Charles Evans, Susannah Evans, Sinar Evans,
Solomon Evans, Frankey Evans, Salley Evans, Milley Evans, Adam Evans and
Hannah Evans of a plea of Trespass Assault Battery and false imprisonment
damage one thousand Dollars And have then there this Writ Witness Harrison
Randolph Clerk of our said Court the 23rd of February 1796 In the 20th year
of our Foundation.
H Randolph
Evans & al
vs } Capias
David Allen
Rtble to Apl
1796
Executed the 14th
March 1796
R H Walker
Dep of
Wm Davis Shff
For the Defts detaining the Plaintiffs in Slavery
Taylor Esqr.
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View Documents below
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Notes: These records seem to indicate that the first Jane
Gibson was born ca 1640 and that her daughter, Jane Jr., was born ca 1660. Jane Gibson Jr. was married to Morris Evans, and judging by the ages
indicated in these records, it is apparent that this would have been the Morris Evans whose age
I estimate as born ca 1665, and who left a will & estate
in 1739 York County, Virginia. From these petitions and the estate records for Morris Evans, it appears that he and Jane may have been separated by the time
of his death, since there is no mention of Jane, but his 2 sons, Charles & Morris were listed among the heirs, along with Rebecca Hulet, listed as "friend",
and her daughter, Elizabeth. Jane Gibson-Evans was called a "widow" in these petitions, but it would not have been unusual for her to have actually been
separated or divorced and for it not to have been public knowledge at the time. The next page contains an
additional more definitive chart of the Evans-Gibson family as submitted in the various Court actions. A timeline of dates for each individual is also
on the following pages. |
