Nelly Richards, a woman of colour v. William Sewel This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.

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 March 17, 1831 March Term, 1831

The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.

 Nelly Richards, a woman of colour v. William Sewel March 17, 1831 March Term, 1831 Richards, Nelly Sewel, William Trespass False Imprisonment Assault Battery 2 St. Louis Circuit Court Carr, William C. Garner, J. C. Gamble, Archibald Walker, John C. Strother, George F. BJ deciphered unclear tags to end KT added legal encoding KT removed comment tags, etc. CM performed final review of legal encoding APJ checked vertical and horizontal rends Plaintiff's Petition for Leave to Sue as a Poor Person

This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.

The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.

 Plaintiff's Petition for Leave to Sue as a Poor Person Garner, J. C. St. Louis Circuit Court

Nelly Richards Petition--

Filed 17 March 1831, A Gamble Clk Order Permitting Plaintiff to Sue

This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.

The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.

 Order Permitting Plaintiff to Sue Carr, William C. Strother, Geroge F. Gamble, Archibald Walker, John K. St. Louis Circuit Court To the Hon. Judge of the Circuit Court of the ThirdJudicial Circuit, Saint Louis County State of Missouri . March Term 1831.

Your Petitioner Nelly Richards Represents to this Honourable Court that she was born in Charles County Maryland , lived there until she was fourteen years old the property of Kitty Middletonat whose death she was left free , after the death of KittyMiddleton her daughter sent the Petitioner to Virginia Forquier County to William Sewel the Husband of Kitty Middleton's daughter , about four years since the said William Sewel moved with his Family to Indiana and the Town of Indanopolis, of where your Petitioner was allowed allowed freedom by the Judgment of the Court of that State, that after that the said Sewel removed your Petitioner to Louisville Kentucky and broughther from that place to the City of Saint Louis That your Petitioner is Twenty four years old_ Your Petitioner states that she is still held in slavery by the said William Sewel in the County of Saint Louis and State of Missouri where she is advised and believes that she is entitled to her freedom and therefore your petitioner prays that she may be permitted to sue in forma pauperis to establish her right thereto and that such other and further orders may be made in the premises as the Law directs and as may seem and proper to this Hon Court--

Nelly Richards x her mark Sworn to & subsribed this 10th day of March 1831 Before State of Missouri Third Judicial Circuit , To wit,

It is hereby ordered that the within named Petitioner Nelly Richards be permitted to sue as a poor personto establish her right to freedom and G. T. Strother Esqis assigned as her counsel . It is moreover ordered that the said Nelly have reasonable liberty to attend her counsel and the court whenever occasion may require: and that she shall not be removed out of the jurisdiction of the Court nor be subjected to any severity on account of herapplication for freedom. Given under my hand at my chambers this 11th. of march 1831.

Will . C. Carr Judge of 3d Circuit aforesaid Plaintiff's Complaint

This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.

The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.

 Plaintiff's Complaint Strother, George F. Gamble, Archibald Carr, William C. St. Louis Circuit Court No. 2. July Term 1831 S Louis Circuit Court Nelly Richards a woman of colour vs William Sewel

Trespass assault battery & false imprisonmentThe Clerk will issueSummons

Geo. F. Strother Atty Filed 17th March 1831 A Gamble Clk

The defendant not found in my County 9th July 1831 Non est. 50 cts

Jn K Walker Sheriff St Louis County Circuit Court of the Term of July 1831 State of Missouri Saint Louis County

To wit Nelly Richards , a woman of colour who by permission of the Court sues in formapauperis, complains of William Sewel For that on the first day of August in the Year 1831 the said William Sewel made an assault on the said Nelly Richards to wit at the City within the County of Saint Louis and State of Missouri and then and there seized and laid hold of the said Nelly Richards and with great force and violence, pulled and draged about her the said Nelly Richards and then and there struck the said Nelly Richards a great many violent blows and strokes and then and there imprisoned the said Nelly Richards and kept and detained her in prison there without any reasonable or probable cause whatsoever for a long space of time to wit for the space of six Months then next following contrary to law did against the will of the said Nelly whereby she the said Nelly Richards was then and there not only greatly bruised and wounded but was thereby greatly exposed and her life endangered to wit at theCity of Saint Louis aforesaid and and within the said County and the said Nelly Richards avers that before and at the time of committing the said grievances she was &still is a Free_ Person and that the defendant William Sewel held and detained her and still holds and detains her in slavery to wit at the County of Saint Louis aforesaid and other wrongs to the said Nelly Richards then and there did against the peace of the State and to the damage of the said Nelly Richards of Five hundred Dollars and therefore she brings suit

Geo F Strother Atty. </titleStmt> <publicationStmt> <p>This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.</p> </publicationStmt> <sourceDesc> <p>The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.</p> </sourceDesc> </fileDesc> <profileDesc/> </teiHeader> <text> <body rend="handwritten"> <div1 legalFunction="Summons" rend="horizontal"> <pb facs="6737_006.tif" n="006"/> <opener> <dateline> <placeName> <choice> <orig>County of</orig> </choice> </placeName> <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied> <placeName> <choice> <orig>St Louis</orig> </choice> </placeName> Ss</supplied> </unclear> The <placeName> <choice> <orig>State of</orig> </choice> </placeName> <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied> <placeName> <choice> <orig>Missouri</orig> </choice> </placeName> </supplied> </unclear> </dateline> <salute>To the <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>Sheriff</supplied> </unclear> of <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied> <placeName> <choice> <orig>S Louis</orig> </choice> </placeName> County</supplied> </unclear> Greeting</salute> </opener> <p>We command you to summon <persName> <choice> <orig>William</orig> </choice> </persName> <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied> <persName> <choice> <orig>Sewel</orig> </choice> </persName> </supplied> </unclear> that <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>he be</supplied> </unclear> and appear<lb/> before the Judge of our <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied> <orgName> <choice> <orig>Circuit</orig> </choice> </orgName> </supplied> </unclear> <orgName> <choice> <orig>Court</orig> </choice> </orgName> at the next term thereof to be <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>held</supplied> </unclear> <lb/> at the City of <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied> <placeName> <choice> <orig>S Louis</orig> </choice> </placeName> </supplied> </unclear> within and for the <placeName> <choice> <orig>County of</orig> </choice> </placeName> <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied> <placeName> <choice> <orig>S Louis</orig> </choice> </placeName> </supplied> </unclear> on the fourth<lb/> monday of July next then and there to answer unto <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied> <persName> <choice> <orig>Nelly</orig> </choice> </persName> </supplied> </unclear> <persName> <choice> <orig>Richards</orig> </choice> </persName> of a plea of <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>trespass</supplied> </unclear> and false <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>imprisonment</supplied> </unclear> to the damage<lb/> of <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>said</supplied> </unclear> plaintiff of five hundred dollars and have you then there this<lb/> <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>writ</supplied> </unclear> </p> <figure rend="seal"/> <closer> <dateline> <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>Witness <persName> <choice> <orig>Archibald Gamble</orig> </choice> </persName> Clerk</supplied> </unclear> of our <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>said</supplied> </unclear> <lb/> Court at <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>Office</supplied> </unclear> the <date when="1831-03-17">seventeenth day March eighteen hundred and thirty one</date> </dateline> <signed> <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied> <persName> <choice> <orig>Archibald Gamble</orig> </choice> </persName> Clerk</supplied> </unclear> </signed> </closer> </div1> <div1 legalFunction="Order" rend="horizontal"> <pb facs="6737_006.tif" n="006"/> <opener> <dateline> <placeName> <choice> <orig>State of</orig> </choice> </placeName> <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied> <placeName> <choice> <orig>Missouri</orig> </choice> </placeName> </supplied> </unclear> <lb/> Third Judicial Circuit-<unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>to wit</supplied> </unclear> </dateline> </opener> <p> <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>It</supplied> </unclear> is hereby ordered that the <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>within named</supplied> </unclear> petitioner <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied> <persName> <choice> <orig>Nelly</orig> </choice> </persName> </supplied> </unclear> <persName> <choice> <orig>Richards</orig> </choice> </persName> be permitted to <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>sue as</supplied> </unclear> a poor person to estab-<lb/>lish her right to freedom and G.F. Strother <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>Esq.</supplied> </unclear> is <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>assigned</supplied> </unclear> as her counsel<lb/> It is moreover ordered that the said <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied> <persName> <choice> <orig>Nelly</orig> </choice> </persName> </supplied> </unclear> have <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>reasonable</supplied> </unclear> liberty to attend<lb/> her counsel and the <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>court</supplied> </unclear> whenever occasion may require and that <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>she<lb/>shall</supplied> </unclear> not be removed out of the <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>Jurisdiction</supplied> </unclear> of the Court nor be <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>subjected</supplied> </unclear> <lb/> to any severity on account of her application for freedom<unclear rend="written" unit="chars"/> </p> <closer>Given under my hand at my <persName> <choice> <orig>Chambers</orig> </choice> </persName> this <date when="1831-03-11">11th.. of March 1831</date> <lb/> <signed> <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied> <persName> <choice> <orig>Will</orig> </choice> </persName> C. <persName> <choice> <orig>Carr</orig> </choice> </persName> </supplied> </unclear> </signed> Judge of <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>3d Circuit</supplied> </unclear> aforesaid_<unclear rend="written" unit="chars"/> </closer> </div1> </body> </text> </TEI> </teiCorpus>