Title: Petition of Edward Craycroft, 2 June 1862
Date: June 2, 1862
Source Text: A microfilm reproduction of the original document held at the National Archives and Records Administration, Microcopy 520, Reel 5. The original document is held in the Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury, 1775–1978, National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 217.6.5. Within the National Archives' Archival Description Catalog, see ARC Identifier 4644616 / MLR Number A1 347 (http://arcweb.archives.gov).
Civil War Washington ID: cww.00606
TEI/XML: cww.00606.xml
PETITION.
To the Commissioners under the act of Congress approved the 16th of April, 1862, entitled "An act for the release of certain persons held to service or labor in the District of Columbia."
Your Petitioner, resident of
Montgomery Co. Md by this his petition in writing, represents and states,
that he is a person loyal to the United
States, who, at the time of the passage of the said act of
Congress, held a claim to service or labor against John Clark person of African descent of the
name of John Clark for and
during the life of said period until the said
John Clark shall arrive at the age of 25
years and that by said act of Congress said John Clark was discharged and freed of and
from all claim of your petitioner to such service or labor; that at the time of
said discharge said John Clark was of the age of ten years and of the personal description following:(1)
a bright mulatto Boy
That your petitioner acquired his claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said John Clark in manner following:(2) by marriage with Ann A. Hollin who received the same by will from Mrs. Ray of Montgomery County Maryland which said will is of Record in Rockville Montgomery County Maryland
That your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said John Clark was, at the time of said discharge therefrom, of the value of four hundred dollars in money.(3)That said John Clark is sound in every respect and free from any moral, mental or bodily infirmity or defect, and a likely and promising Boy
Your petitioner hereby declares that he bears true and faithful allegiance to the Government of the United States, and that he has not borne arms against the United States in the present rebellion, nor in any way given aid or comfort thereto.
And your petitioner further states and alleges, that he has not brought said John Clark into the District of Columbia since the passage of said act of Congress; and that, at the time of the passage thereof, said John Clark was held to service or labor therein under and by virtue of your petitioner's claim to such service or labor.
Your petitioner further states and alleges, that his said claim to the service or labor of said John Clark does not originate in or by virtue of any transfer heretofore made by any person who has in any manner aided or sustained the present rebellion against the Government of the United States.
And your petitioner prays the said Commissioners to investigate and determine the validity of his said claim to the service or labor of said John Clark herein above set forth; and if the same be found to be valid, that they appraise and apportion the value of said claim in money, and report the same to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, in conformity to the provisions of said act of Congress.
Edward Craycroft
In the name of God Amen. I Amelia Holland of
Montgomery County in the State of
Maryland, being weak of body but of sound and disposing mind
memory and understanding, do make and publish this my last will and Testament in
manner and form following. That is to say first and principally I commit my soul
to Almighty God and my body to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion
of my Executor's herein after named, and after my funeral charges and just debts
are paid I give devise and bequeath as follows
To wit
- Item I give and bequeath to my son Isaac Holland one cent, and no more of estate either real personal or mixed. to him the said Isaac his Heirs and assigns forever.
- Item I give and bequeath to my Grandson Steven Holland son of Isaac Holland the sum of fifty Dollars to be paid the said Steven out of the money now due and owing to me by the said Isaac Holland, to him the said Steven his Heirs or assigns forever.
- Item I give devise and bequeath to my son John Holland fifty acres of land lying and being in Hampshire County in commonwealth of Virginia, (to be laid out on one side of the Tract so as to exclude the buildings and leave the other part of said Tract in a good form as practicable) to him the said John Holland his Heirs or assigns forever.
- Item I give and bequeath to my daughter, Rachel Holland one Feather bed, bedstead and furniture, to her the said Rachel her Heirs or assigns forever.
- Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Ann Amelia Holland one Feather bed, bedstead and furniture, to her the said Ann Amelia her Heirs or assigns forever.
- Item I give devise and bequeath to my Daughters Martha
Holland Rachel Holland, Deborah
Holland, and Ann Amelia Holland all
the rest and residue of my Estate either real personal or mixed to them the said
Martha, Rachel,
Deborah and </item></ul>
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Ann Amelia or the survivor of them, their Heirs or
assigns forever.
And lastly I do hereby constitute and Appoint my two Daughters Rachel Holland and Ann Amelia Holland Executrix, of this my last Will and Testament, revoking and annulling all former wills by me Heretofore made.
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this Twenty Six day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty nine.
Amelia Holland Seal
Signed, sealed, published and declared by Amelia Holland the above named Testatrix as and for her last Will and Testament in the presence of us, who at her request in her presence and in the presence of each other have subsisted our names as Witnesses thereto.
George Cashell
George W. Cashell
E D W [Bliss?]
In the name of God Amen: I Deborah Ray of Montgomery County in the State of Maryland being sick and weak of body but of sound disposing mind memory and understanding do make and publish this instrument of writing as and for my last will and testament in manner and form following that is to Say, I reqest that my body be decently buried at the discretion of my executor herein after named, and after my funeral charges and just debts are paid then I give devised and bequeath as follows:
To my brother Frederick Gaither, his heirs and assigns in fee simple, I give devise and bequeath all my right title claim and interest of in and to a tract of land called, "Care not" in Montgomery County and State of Maryland also all my land in Hamshire County Virginia by whatsoever name the same may be known or called, and my negro man Ned, for and during the term of Six years from & after my decease, and at the expiration of that time I give to my said negro man Ned freedom.
To my sister Amelia Holland and her heirs I give and bequeath my two negro women Jinny and Eliza to serve my said sister six years from and after my decease and at the expiration of said term I give to my said two negro women Jinny and Eliza freedom. I also give to my said Sister Amelia Holland and her heirs my negro girl Sally to serve until she accomplishes her twenty fifth year of age. I then give to my said negro Sally freedom: And whereas it may happen that the aforesaid negro woman Jenny & Eliza & my negro Sally may have during this servitude issue or children—It is therefore my will and I therefore give and bequeath my said Sister Amelia Holland and her heirs all issue or children which my said negroes Jenny, Eliza, or Sally may have during this time of Servitude, to serve until such issue or children arrive at the age of twenty five years when I give to the said issue or children freedom.
To my negroes Fanny, Joshua and [Famer?], I five freedom at my death.
To my negro woman Fanny I give and bequeath my negro girl Anna to serve until she accomplishes her sixteenth year of age when I give to my negro girl Anna freedom.
These I will and direct that the rest and residue of my estate of
every description by divided equally share and share alike among my twelve nieces,
to wit: Maria Gaither, wife of Samuel R
Gaither, Rebecca Gaither,
Martha Griffith wife John
Griffith, Elizabeth Gaither,
Juliet Gaither, Deborah Jane
Gaither, and Sarah Gaither daughter
of my brother Frederick Gaither, Martha Holland, Rachel Holland,
Ann Holland and Deborah
Holland, daughters of my Sister 
Amelia Holland and Deborah [Warfield?] daughter of sister Mary
Dorsey to them and each of their heirs and assigns
respectfully forever—And lastly I hereby nominate and appoint my
brother Frederick Gaither executor of this my last
will and testament revoking and annulling all former will by me made
ratifying and confirming this and none other to be my last will and
testament. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed
my seal this 21st day of May 1828
Deborah Ray Seal
Signed Sealed published and declared by the above named testatrix as and for her last will and testament in presence of us who at her request in her presence, and presence of each other have subscribed our names as witness thereto
Ephraim Gaither
Thomas J. Hobbs
Wm Price
H. C. Gaither
On the 10th day of June 1828 came Ephraim Gaither and Henry C. Gaither
two of the subscribing witnesses to the last Will and Testament of
Deborah Ray late of Montgomery
county, deceased, and severally made oath on the Holy Evangely of Almighty God that
they did see the Testatrix herein named, sign and seal this Will, and
that they hear her publish, pronounce and declare the same to be her last Will and Testament, and at the time of her so doing she was to the best of their
apprehension of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding, and that
they respectively subscribed their names to this Will as—witnesses, in the
present, and at the request of the Testatrix,
and in the presence of each other; also in the presence of the other two subscribing witnesses thereto and in
the presence of each other
the other subscribing witness [no handwritten text supplied here] hereto, who also subscribed the same in the
Testat[no handwritten text supplied here]
presence.
Solomon Holland Register.
(9 3/10 S)
I hereby certify that the aforegoing is a true copy as it stands recorded
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal of office this 11th day of August 1862
John W. Spates Register Will for Montgomery Co Md
[Form of the Oath for the Verification of the Petition.]
Washington County, ss.
I, Edward Craycroft being duly sworn, do depose and say, that all the several matters and things which are set forth and stated in the foregoing petition, as of my own knowledge, are true in substance and in fact; and that all the several other matters and things therein set forth and stated, as from the information of others, I believe to be true in substance and in fact.
Edward Craycroft
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 27 day of May A. D. 1862.
Thomas C Donn
Justice of the Peace for Washington County District of Columbia
Edward Craycroft
Note (1.)-- Here describe the person, so as to identify him or her; and if there be more than one slave, describe each one separately.
Note (2.)-- Here state how the claim was acquired, when, from whom, and for what price or consideration; and, if held under any written evidence of title, make exhibit thereof, or refer to the public record where the same may be found.
Note (3.)-- Here state such facts, if any there be, touching the value of the petitioner's claim to the service or labor of the person, as may enhance the same, and also such facts, if any, touching the moral, mental, and bodily infirmities or defects of said person, as impair the value of the petitioner's claim to such service or labor, and conclude such statement with an averment that the petitioner knows of no other infirmities or defects of said person which impair the value of petitioner's claim to such service or labor, and that he believes none other to exist. If the petitioner specify no such infirmity or defect, then his statement touching the value of his claim should conclude with an averment that he has no knowledge of any such infirmity or defect.
