1 - Front Cover.p65 - ProQuest

Reel 25 Texas
0871 (Accession # 21585505). Travis County, Texas. Ellen Duval hired out her twenty-year-old
slave Margaret, valued at $1,000 and “of excellent qualities,” to pick cotton for Andrew Davidson
at a weekly hire of $3.50. The petitioner informs the court that Margaret, while hired to Davidson
and under his care and custody, was beaten to death by James M. Morris, “a cruel and
passionate man,” who was Davidson’s overseer. Duval insists that Davidson “became liable for
the said misfeazance” of his employee, as well as for the value of the slave, her hire, and “all
damages resulting to your petitioner.” In a deposition, Curtis Garrett, Duval’s son’s agent,
described arriving at Davidson’s plantation to find Mr. Davidson “shedding tears” over
Margaret’s death. He recounted viewing the body after Davidson had it “hauled to the house”
and opined that her death “was caused by a severe beating with a strop.” He also reported that
the overseer Morris rode off on one of Davidson’s mules “to get some persons to hold a jury
over her,” but Morris never returned to the plantation. Garrett characterized Davidson’s view of
slave management and punishment in the following way: he “wanted his negroes to be made to
mind, but not to be abused.”
0887 (Accession # 21585507). Brazoria County, Texas. Emily and Henry Lloyd ask to be
appointed legal guardians of “the person and estate” of Ann McNeel [McNeil] Westall. Westall is
the daughter of Emily Lloyd and the late slaveholder Henson Westall.
0891 (Accession # 21585508). Brazoria County, Texas. A. T. Morris asks to be appointed the
legal guardian of Ann McNeel [McNeil] Westall. Morris states that Henry and Emily Lloyd were
appointed Ann’s guardians, but they have “not given the Bond and taken the Oath as prescribed
by Law.” He attests that he is willing to do so in order to gain “all the rights and powers vested in
Guardians by law.”
0899 (Accession # 21585509). San Augustine County, Texas. John and Sarah Wilson amend
their bill (the “original petition” is unavailable) to include the names of “the increase of the said
Negro Women in the possession of the said William N. Sparks and the said Drucilla Sparks.”
The Wilsons, daughter and son-in-law of Jesse and Mary Wadlington, both deceased, seek the
partition and distribution of their estates, which include slaves. They assert that Sarah’s siblings
now have in their possession slaves and property, which “should be recovered to the Estate of
the said Jesse Wadlington and Mary Wadlington.”
0913 (Accession # 21585511). Travis County, Texas. Joel A. Burditt asks to be reappointed
legal guardian of his three minor children. He states that a fourth child, a daughter, is over the
age of fourteen and should be allowed to choose her guardian. He explains that the children
have unsettled interests in land and slaves from the estate of their maternal grandfather, who
died in Mississippi. Less than a year after filing the petition, Burditt renounced the right to his
children’s guardianship in favor of his brother, Giles H. Burditt.
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1856
Texas cont.
0002 (Accession # 21585601). Travis County, Texas. Levin Horan Luckett asks that a guardian
be appointed for Alfred and Mary Jane Luckett, the minor heirs of Noland M. Luckett. The
petitioner represents that the two minors “have considerable estate coming to them.” Luckett
requests that Mary, who is over fourteen years of age, be allowed to choose her own guardian.
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