The bill and answer in this debt suit discuss the British invasion of Richmond and the complainant's efforts to prevent Nanny, a woman enslaved by the defendant from being taken by the British army.

The defendant in this debt suit is Benjamin Blyth, a well-known New England portraitist who relocated to Richmond in 1785. Blyth painted John and Abigail Adams.

Both suits arose from contract disputes over lots in the city of Richmond acquired during Byrd's Lottery of 1767.

This contract suit contains three military service documents dated 1795 and signed by General "Mad" Anthony Wayne. Two of the soldiers were born in Paris, France.

An exhibit used in this debt suit is an account of medical care provided by Dr. James Currie to people enslaved by Peyton Randolph.

A debt suit concerned with the care and keeping of an unnamed race horse.

An exhibit used in this debt suit is an account of medical care provided by Dr. James Currie to people enslaved by Alexander Buchanan.

The suit involved the division of a portion of George Wythe's estate. Included in the suit is a copy of George Wythe's will disinheriting George Wythe Sweeney, his nephew and alleged murderer.

A debt suit which revolved around an attempt to free Rebecca Glover, an enslaved woman. Overton attempted to raise money through subscription to purchase Glover and free her. Included in the suit are two copies of hand bills soliciting funds.

John Porter (alias Jack) was promised his freedom by John Allen. However, Allen disregarded this promise and sold Porter to Robert Stewart, a free man of color. Porter never referred to himself as enslaved, calling himself only "a Black man;" he also criticized Stewart for perpetrating unjust enslavement on a member of his own race.

Maria Smith, an enslaved woman, alleged she had a verbel contract with Nelson Vandevall, her enslaver, to purchase her freedom; she provided receipts for payments to that end. The suit was transferred to the Superior Court of Chancery in Richmond, who expressed a lack of support for people being enslaved by free people of color, but denied Smith's bill.

Nancy Bryan, an enslaved woman, alledged she had a contract with Johnson, her previous enslaver to purchase her freedom. However, when she had nearly paid the full amount, he sold her to James Austin, who took Bryan from D.C. to Richmond with the intention of further selling her. The court appeared to deny her injunction.

Richard Carter hired out Daniel and Sam, two enslaved boys, to William Patterson for the years of 1822 to 1823. However, after 1822, Carter refused to continue to allow Patterson to have the services of the two boys because of his physical abuse and rampant neglect for the boys. Patterson sued for breach of contract.

Orris Payne, in this debt suit, alleged to have been defrauded by Sully, an enslaved man purporting to be free, who had sold Payne a mule that then died. The payment for the mule was due in a quantity of coal from the Dover pits in Goochland County.

Milly Dorsy an enslaved woman who was purchased in Maryland. She alleged that she and Samuel S. Dawson had reached an agreement that she was to enslaved for nine years and then freed. At the time Dorsy filed her suit, she had served for three of the nine years before Dawson wanted to bring her down to Georgia to enslave Dorsy for life. She filed an injunction to enjoin Dawson from taking Dorsy to Georgia. The court dissolved the injunction and found in favor of Dawson.

This divorce suit provided detailed information about Susan Dunscomb (formerly Dean) was a free woman of color, who was emancipated by Major William Mosby. Included in the suit is an affidavit attesting to her emancipation which occurred "on account of her long & truely [sic] faithful services patriculary in saving his life during the insurrection of the slaves, called Gabriels insurrection."

Mary Ann Brooks sued the executor of William Minton's estate to recover the funds from the hiring out of Peter Willis, Brooks' enslaved son. William Minton was the executor for Moses Brooks, Brooks' father, whose will required all of his grandchildren to be hired out for a period of ten years with the funds used to support their grandmother and aunts. After the ten years, the grandchildren were to be sent to a free state at the expense of the estate.

An unnamed woman enslaved by George W. Pollard had a $15 bond and was looking for someone to hire her for the year 1847. Michael Oneil initially agreed to hire her, but after he was told he would need to provide some money up front, refused. Pollard was issued a judgement stating that Michael Oneil owed him money for the hire of the unnamed woman, but Oneil claimed he had never retained her services and owed him nothing.

James G. Martin, a resident of Norfolk, alleged Peter, an enslaved boy who had a "special and peculiar value to your orator which cannot be compensated by any mere money consideration" to Martin was abudcted from Norfolk and brought to Richmond. Peter was later found in "the possession of" E.H. Stokes, a slave trader. Martin filed suit in order to obtain an injunction against the further sale and transport of Peter.

William H. Barnes alleged Emma Ellen, an enslaved woman had been abducted from Norfolk and brought to Richmond City to be sold by E.H. Stokes. Barnes sought an injunction against the further sale and transport of Emma Ellen.

The executor of John Archer's estate sought to have Henry and Abby, two enslaved people, sold at auction for fear of their attempting to escape to the Union Army. Abby had attempted to self-liberate several times previously, as had Henry, who was at the time of the bill filing, been confined in jail.

William H. Grant, the owner of a large tobacco factory, leased the building in 1861 to the Confederate Government to be used as a hospital. Grant was informed the building had been turned into a prison depot by General Winder, filled with prisoners of war, as well as a hospital for people of color at work building fortifications around the city. Grant reminded Winder of the terms of the lease agreement, which did not allow the building to be used for such purposes, Winder preceded to order the seizure of the property. Grant filed suit in the chancery court to restrain Winder from seizing the property.

Beverly had been formerly enslaved by Thomas Ritchie prior to Ritchie's death. In Ritchie's will, he wrote that Beverly would be free "if he behaves well." Beverly alleged in his bill that he had been sold by the executor of the estate, William B. B. Cross unncessarily because Ritchie's estate had no debts which needed to be paid with the funds from the sale.

There was an dispute over the terms of emancipation for Ann Eliza and Zipporah, two girls enslaved by William P. Martin. Along with their emancipation, William P. Martin also awarded the girls a sum of money. The executor refused to properly settle the estate so an administrator was appointed.

Thomas Payne sued for divorce from Virginia Payne. Additional information provided in this suit includes Thomas' time as a prisoner of war at Point Lookout.

Margaret A. Stanley sued for divorce from Joseph Stanley due to his desire to attempt to have children with Margaret sister's because neither of them had children. Joseph also had an extreme case of syphilis.

A part of the estate dispute involved the court's permission in 1862 of the sale of four enslaved women because they "are all young women of infamous character-Lewd, impudent, in governable and runaways."

This debt suit includes additional information on Walter Kilby's Civil War experience; he was wounded in the war and was taken as a prisoner of war. He returned home poor, disabled, and emaciated.

Lucinda Hunter filed for divorce from William Hunter because William was living with Evelina, an enslaved woman, as his wife.

Nancy Ellen Crowley filed for divorce from William Crowley because he committed adultery with a "mulatto servant" who was living in the house. Additional information included William Crowley's war experience; he was wounded during the war and taken to a hospital in D.C. to recorver.

John N. Davis, an attorney, sued Lurania Anderson and William Anderson, her husband, for legal fees related to a chancery suit heard in Amelia County. Nathaniel Harrison died in 1852 and devised his estate to Frankey Miles, a free woman of color, and Lurania Anderson, Ann Maria Jackson, and Edwin Harrison, who were rumored to be Miles' children by Harrison. Harrison's white heirs contested the will, but the court, and later the Supreme Court of Appeals, ruled in favor of Miles and her children. The estate included several thousand acres of land, 80 to 90 enslaved persons, and various household items, among other things. This suit originated in Amelia County in 1860, but was removed to Richmond City in 1869.

Divorce suit. John Jackson accused his wife of adultery. Bill and depositions provide substantial detail on the alleged adulterous relationship between Virginia Jackson and Clarence Eacho, including how the Plaintiff discovered about the affair first hand. (He came home and discovered Eacho sneaking out the window; a fight between the two ensued on the front lawn; neighbors give testimony to this). Plaintiff and defendant were formally enslaved but were married by Rev Dr Reid of the Presbyterian Church on 22nd November 1862.

Estate case. Plaintiffs requested the Chancery Court probate papers purporting to be the will of Alfred King. Suit should have been introduced on the law side of the court and the answers by defendants attest to this. Accordingly, the matter became an issue out of Chancery and a jury was consulted. Numerous arguments are submitted by counsel debating the fine line between equity and legality of the situation.

Divorce suit. A copy of indictment (Commonwealth vs Walter Blackburn; 14 Jan 1874) for adultery was entered as evidence. Depositions concern the details of the alleged adultery as well as the arrest of Blackburn for these charges.

Divorce suit. Husband is arrested by Richmond City Police for allegations of brutal domestic violence against his wife. Two letters were entered into evidence; they contain overt admissions by the husband committing physical violence against her repeatedly.

Contract suit filled by a former guard of the Henrico County Jail for unpaid wages. A petition for unpaid wages was also filled by an African American women (Beddy Taylor) who had been employed as a cook for the jail. Depositions provide details on working conditions and duties of those employed by the sheriff and exhibits, commissioners' reports, accounts, etc. include a wealth of accounting information for the operation of the jail during the 1860s and 1870s. The sheriff's passbook for 1869 was also filled as an exhibit.

Estate case over the recovery value for enslaved persons belonging to the estate of Edward Govan. Relates to another case pending in Richmond City (Heirs of William John Clarke vs Exr of Edward Govan) that, at the time of the bill, had reached the Supreme Court of Appeals. Plaintiff claim that the executor, George W Richardson had these enslaved persons in his possession for a number of years; and had never render any accounting for them. Since the final degree in that case, the plaintiff discovered that Richardson had an additional enslaved person in his possession (Kitty or Catherine). Moreover, that this enslaved woman had died while in his possession and therefore, they believed that Richardson should be held financially responsible for her death. While this would have likely been a relatively standard Chancery cause prior to 1863/1865, this bill was filed in 1871 and appears to be one of the few cases filed in chancery for Richmond City that directly and exclusively focused on issues surrounding the financial interest of enslavement property after the Civil War.

Divorce Suit. Plaintiff Celestia E. McDaniel sues for a divorce from her husband, David McDaniel for allegedly seducing and impregnating her young niece, Celestia Frances Bryan. Originally, Bryan had come to reside with her aunt and uncle in Richmond when she was about eight years old as McDaniel had promised his brother-in-law that he would educate and provide for the young girl as an adopted daughter. Depositions from various family members recount in detail their personal views on the situation and on the course of events that came to pass before and after Bryan gave birth, as an unmarried woman and seventeen year old, to a child connected to McDaniel in June 1855.

Debt Case. R. T. Foster seeks relief from a petition filed against him in the Court of Conciliation, a militaty tribunial court in Richmond City established by the United States after the close of the Civil War. Case includes a copy of the court record for the proceedings in said court. It appears to be one of the few cases that had an sigificant overlap with said court.

This debt suit case involves the adopted son of Gilbert Hunt, William Beverly Swan. Swan is settling debts, but the case includes additional descriptions of Gilbert Hunt's life after the 1811 Richmond Theatre fire.

Trustees for the Third Presbyterian Church bought land to build a new church and Sunday school. They front the costs themselves and recoup the costs by selling the pews at a public auction, which thereby made members of the congregation owners of specific pews in the church. By 1872, the Church was considered unsafe due to being built on a hill which had a tunnel cut into it for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. The congregation abandoned the old church and sought to sell the land permanently to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company, however because the pews were owned by congregation members, the trustees for the Third Presbyterian Church filed suit for the right to sell everything on the land, including the pews.

A divorce suit where Katherine sued for divorce on the grounds of Thomas' adultery. She lists sex workers he visited, as well as the brothel they all worked at. All of them women named were called as deponents and gave information on a well-known brothel, as well as occasional hints about their perspectives on their work. Also included is a petition about debts owed by Thomas and a request for the funds owed, a strange request for a divorce case.

Estate case; Family wishes to sell property in downtown Richmond City that they are unable to rent out and that has significantly depreciated in value. Prior to the close of the Civil war, said property served almost exclusively as an auction house on "Wall Street" (15th Street) and Franklin Street for the buying and selling of enslaved persons. Accouting records detail the construction of said building as well as the rents paid by trading firm/dealers, including Richard Henry Dickinson, as well as medical services rendered to enslaved persons.

The suit was based around settling of William Barret's estate among his heirs. William Barret was a wealthy merchant who made his money in chewing tobacco and retained much of his money post Civil War because he put his money in England rather than Confederate bonds.

The suit began as a trespass suit; the plaintiff filed suit because he owned an island in the James River and William Justis was trespassing on the land and carrying off tons of sand (presumably to sell for construction purposes), thereby decreasing the size of the island. However, the issue then becomes a question of ownership over the island because William Justis filed two exhibits which showed his claim for owernship: a gift of land given to him by Virginia Governor James L. Kemper. As the plaintiff had deeds of owernship showing he had purchased the land, the court had to decide who had the greater claim.

Has an interesting legal discussion about the rights of an heir to his estate because the original case was settled during the Civil War and he was an "alien enemy," living in the North/West states and a member of the Union army.

Julia King asks the court to appoint a guardian for her husband for financial transactions due to his failing memory. Depositions included in the case discuss what sounds like Alzheimer's developing.

The suit was concerned with the estate of James Hayes. After the death of Catharine Hayes, James' mother, her money and property was divided among her living heirs. James was determined, by the Richmond Court of Hustings, to be unable to care for himself due to an undefined disability. The suit described the financial and physical abuse James suffered at the hands of his carers, including being coerced into signing away the property he inherited from his mother.

An estate suit filed by John, Jacob, and Lucy Woodson, the stepchildren of William R. Chalkley. The children inherited property and money from their father after his death; upon Chalkley's marriage to the children's mother, he filed for and was appointed guardian over the funds. This suit was filed on behalf of the Woodson children for the mismanagement of the funds by Chalkley, including his own admission in a deposition to charging the children for room and board and taking the money out of their trust despite the children all being under the age of fourteen. The Woodson children's mother was unaware not only of her husband's mismanagement, but even that Chalkley had been appointed guardian.

Dora Holloway was a white woman who was left impoverished after her husband's death. She also had three young children to raise. The answer and depositions provide information on how she managed as a poor widow in pre-war Richmond.

The Richmond Railway Company, a transportation service in Richmond, sued Asher W. Garber, the proprietor of a omnibus transportation enterprise, for trespass and sought an injunction to prevent him from operating along the Richmond Railway Company's routes. They claimed that Garber's omnibuses drove on the Richmond Railway Company's rails and damaged the street around the rails, which the Richmond Railway Company was responsible for maintaining. The court ruled that Garber had the right to operate the omnibuses along the same routes, but the omnibuses had to avoid the Richmond Railway Company's rails.

Jane King moved to Richmond after the death of John M. McGowan, her brother, in 1874 and took charge of his ice house business. Under King's control, the business became more profitable and people began referring to her as the "Ice Queen" due in part to her business acumen. She and her family inhabited the Pace-King House in Shockoe Bottom for a time. This suit involves McGowan's estate and contains some records from the ice house business during the mid-to-late 1870s.

Erdmann Hoffmann sought a divorce from Anna Hoffmann, his wife. He accused Anna of drinking excessive amounts of liquor and committing adultery with two Black men. As part of the divorce suit, Erdmann requested custody of their children. The suit includes a decorative marriage certificate written in German.

This suit involves a dispute over cows. Peter V. Daniel, Jr., complained about cows kept on property owned by William D. Gibson, as trustee for A. R. Jenkins, wife of William A. Jenkins, located next door to Daniel's home at the intersection of Main Street and Adams Street. He bemoaned "the extremely oppressive and unhealthy exhalations and odors" eminating from the property and the loud bellowing of the cows, which sometimes persisted throughout the night. The court decreed that the cows should be removed from Jenkins' property.

Israel Brown sought a divorce from Sarah Brown, his wife, citing abandonment. It is mentioned that Sarah Brown was expelled from "the Ebenezer Baptist Church (colored)" for deserting her husband "without giving any reason therefor [sic]." Reverend Richard Wells of the Ebenezer Bapist Church is a deponent in the suit.

A deed included in the suit mentions Lucy, a girl enslaved by Samuel Ellis, who was "convicted of homicide." A Richmond City commonwealth cause found through Virginia Untold reveals that Lucy was charged with "maliciously kill[ing] and murder[ing] her infant child." The commonwealth cause contains a note stating that Lucy was convicted and sentenced to hang, but the deed states that Lucy was transported.

Injunction was refuted. Challenges law put forth by General Assembly concerning a public ferry on the James River

Injunction was refuted. Challenges law put forth by General Assembly concerning a public ferry on the James River

This estate dispute includes touching letters to Lucy Taylor from her enslaved daughter and an older emancipated son about their respective experiences. Lucy Taylor's daughter was sold multiple times further down south: first North Carolina in 1846 then down to Alabama. The correspondence which amounts to 3 letters, were the last communication they were known to have had. Lucy herself had been formerly enslaved by the plaintiff's father--William C. Allen.

This debt suit contains additional information about a catastrophic fire that occurred in West Point, Virginia.

This debt suit contains additional information about a catastrophic fire that occurred in West Point, Virginia.

Frank M. Howard and Susan Drayton, both sang with the Richings Grand English Opera Company (also known as the Caroline Richings-Bernard Grand English Opera Troupe), and instituted a debt suit against the estate of Pierre Bernard in the Richmond City chancery court for salary owed. Pierre Bernard was the husband of Caroline Richings-Bernard, who led the opera troupe. The opera troupe traveled the United States and performed operas in English, thus appealing to the "masses" rather than upper class theatergoers who (tended) to prefer foreign-language operas.

This contract suit concerns a connecting tunnel between railroads.

This suit contains additional information about the manufacturing of tobacco for the US Navy.