Petition Woman to be divorced & Negro & c.

Slavery Collection, 1709-1864

1780-03-30

Two document on one leaf. On front, petition dated January 4, 1709, by "Jack O [sic] Negro]" of Boston [Massachusets] to marry "Esther, a Negro servant" despite witheld consent from his master, Mr. Gutteridge. On back, petition dated March 30, 1780, by Mercy Turner to divorce her husband Philip Turner.

nyhs_sc_b-06_f-02_002
Mss Collection - Slavery Collection

Slavery--Massachusetts--Boston
Divorce--Massachusetts--Boston
Marriage--Massachusetts--Boston
Petitions--Massachusetts--Boston
Betrothal--Massachusetts--Boston

Petitions

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[On Recto] , , To the Hon’ble, the Justices of her Maj’ties Court of Peneral [?] Sessions of the Peace holden [?] at Boston on the first Tuesday of January Anno Domini 1709. , , The Humble Petition of Jack Negro Servant to Samuel Bill, , Sheweth, , That a marriage has been some time since agreed upon between your Petitioner and Esther a negro woman servant to Mr. Robert Gutteridge, to which your Petitioners Master and Misses are consenting. But the said Mr. Gutteridge refuses to give his consent. , , Yo’r Petitioner also humbly craves leave to offer to your honours that in and by end cause in an Act of the General Court of this Province Entitled An Act for the better – preventing of a spurious and[…] & […] provided. That no master shall unreasonably deny marriage to his Negro with one of the said Nation of which your Petitioner deserves the benefit. , , Yo’r Petitioner therefore humbly prays yo’r hono’s that the s’d Mr. Gutteridge may be ordered to appear before yo’r hono’s and that if he have no reasonable objection against it yo’r Petitioner & s’d Esther may be Marryed [sic] together. , , And shall ever pray etc. , , Signed, , Jack O [sic] Negro