To the Worshipful, the Court of Hustings for the town of Alexandria.
The petition of Ann Williams Humbly sheweth unto your Worships
That your petitioner was removed from the State of Maryland about the year 1785 by Doctor James Craik and has since been detained by him as a slave. Your petitioner conceiving that by the laws of this State, under existing facts, she has a just claim to her freedom, prays that inquiry may be made therein, and that leave be granted her to commence suit in forma pauperis for that purpose.
Witnesses to support the petition
Ann McHenry
Robert Evans
John Janney
Mary Goodrich
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Thomas Swann prosecutor for the Corporation of Alexandria being assigned by the Court as Council for the within Petitioner states to the Court that the within representation of the Petitioner is a correct statement of facts from the best information he can obtain and that the Petitioner is intitled to her Freedom under the Act of Assembly of this Commonwealth unless she comes within the exceptions therein mentiond.
Tho Swann
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THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
To the Sergeant of the Court of Hustings, in the town of Alexandria,
GREETING:
YOU are hereby commanded to take
James Craik
if he be found in your Bailiwick, and him safely keep so that you have his body before the Justices of the said Court of Hustings, in the town of Alexandria, on the First Monday in the next month to answer Ann Williams of a plea of Trespass, Assault, Battery and false Imprisonment
Damage Five hundred pounds
and have then there this Writ. Witness PETER WAGENER, Clerk of the said Court, this 9th Day of August 1797.
P. Wagonor
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On the petition of Negro Ann Williams setting forth that she has been illegally imported into this State, leave is given her to institute a Suit in forma pauperis against James Craik. And it is ordered that he do not remove her out of the Jurisdiction of this Court unless he gives bond in the Penalty of £100, to have her forthcoming at the trial of this cause.
P. Wagonor
Executed August the 12th 1797
James Williams
Williams
v
Craig
For illegally holding
the Pltf in Slavery
1797
Sep Co
Octo Contd
Nov do
Decd. removed by Certiorari
