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Petition of Nancy to the General Assembly
6 December 1815
Manuscript
RG 78, Legislative Petitions
To the Honourable the Assembly of Virginia
Your petitioner Nancy begs leave to State that her late Master John
A. Binns decd of the County of Loudoun who made Several wills in all
of which as well as by his last will & Testament left her free when
she arrived to the age of twenty five Years, which period has
arrived and she is the Mother of three children from whom she will
be torn which will be almost as severe as the loss of life unless
your Honourable body will thro’ pity to a Mother altho’ of Sable hue
who has all the feelings of an affectionate Mother towards her
Children pass an act allowing her to reside in the State as she is
informed that under the Existing laws she will she will be compelled
to leave the Commonwealth
As to her Character she bring Sundry persons to vouch for her
uniform good Conduct & Industry whilst a Slave & trusts that if
allowed to Stay with her Children & place where she was raised She
Shall find a double inducement to prompt her to Industry and good
behaviour—She begs leave to refer You to a Certificate of a few, She
has thought it unnecessary to add More as some of them are well
known to several of your Honourable body as also in the Senate.
In Hopes & earnest expectation that you will take pity on your
Petitioners forlorn Situation if compelled[?] to leave her Children
& relieve her by passing an Act to allow her to reside within the
Commonwealth She will very pray &c
We the undersigned do hereby Certify that the within petitioner has
always behaved herself as a faithful and Industrious Servant—And we
have no doubt that if she is permitted to Remain that she will
behave herself with equal Rectitude and Industry and maintain
herself in a respectable manner. Given under our hands this 8th day
of Decr 1814
Dewanner Binne
J Binns
Charles Bennett
Jane D. Hamilton
Ann A. Durham
Kitty A. Durham
Nancys Petition & Certificate of Reputation
Decr 6th 1815
Refd to Cts of J.
Reasonable 8th Decr 1815
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