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Petition of Lucinda to the General Assembly
27 November 1815.
Manuscript
RG 78, Legislative Petitions.
To the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Virginia,
The petition of Lucinda, lately a slave belonging to Mary Matthew of
King George county respectfully sheweth.
That the said Mary Matthews by her last will and testament, among
other things, emancipated all her slaves, and directed that they
should be removed by her executor to someplace where they could
enjoy their freedom by the laws there in force.
That all the slaves so emancipated (except your petitioner) were
removed this year to the State of Tennessee, but your petitioner
declined going with them, as she had a husband belonging to Capt:
William H. Hooe in King George county, from whom the benefits and
privileges to be derived from freedom, dear and flattering as they
are, could not induce her to be separated: that, in consequence of
this determination on her part, a year has elapsed since the death
of her late mistress Mary Matthews, and your petitioner is informed
that the forfeiture of her freedom has taken place under the law
prohibiting emancipated slaves from remaining in this State; and
that the Overseers of the Poor might now proceed to sell her for the
benefit of the Poor of the county: Your petitioner, still anxious to
remain with her husband, for whom she has relinquished all the
advantages of freedom, is apprehensive that, in case of sale of her
by the Overseers of the Poor, she may be purchased by some person,
who will remove her to a place remote from the residence of her
husband: to guard against such a heart-rending circumstance, she
would prefer, and hereby declares her consent, to become a slave to
the owner of her husband, if your honorable body will permit it, and
for that purpose she prays that you will pass a law vesting the
title to her in the said William H. Hooe and directing that all
proceedings on the part of the Overseers of the Poor for King George
county to effect the sale of her may be perpetually staid;
And your petitioner will pray &c
Lucinda
Novr 27th 1815
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