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, Martha
Isherwood of the City of
Washington by this her
petition in writing, represents and states, that she 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 Richard
Ross, Caddy Foreman, and Saml
Brooks persons of African
descent of the name of for and during the life of said Richard, Caddy,
and Samuel respectively and that by said act of
Congress said Richard,
Caddy, and Samuel were
discharged and freed of and from all claim of your petitioner to such service or
labor; that at the time of said discharge said Richard, Caddy, &
Samuel were of the ages
of and of the personal description following:Here describe the person, so as to identify him or
her; and if there be more than one slave, describe each one
separately.
- Richard Ross is about twenty six or twenty seven
years of age; black; stout; healthy, and able bodied man; farm hand;
take care of horses and drive a carriage, cart: or wagon: & good
house servant.
- Caddy Foreman, twenty four or five years old; has
been much afflicted with
inflamatory
inflammatory
rheumatism by which her hands, and legs are distorted: when
she is well she can cook very well, but can neither wash nor
iron—black:
- Samuel Brooks about 11, or 12, (probably 11 last December) black; good sized; bright
active boy—can wait in the house very well, and do almost any
thing a boy of his age can do
That your petitioner acquired her claim to the
aforesaid service or labor of said servants in
manner following: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.
to Richard
Brooks/Ross and Caddy
Foreman by the will of Robert Isherwood late
of said county deceased who was, her husband, and of which she files
herewith a true copy: to Samuel Brooks by gift from her
Father, Mr Aden Darby of Montgomery
County Md when the said boy was an infant & she files the
original bill of sale
That your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said servants was, at the time of said discharge
therefrom, of the value of Two thousand dollars in
money.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.She knows nothing to add to or detract
from the fair market value of the said servants beyond what she has already
stated
Your petitioner hereby declares that she bears true
and faithful allegiance to the Government of the United
States, and that she 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 she has not brought said servants into
the District of Columbia since the passage of said act of
Congress; and that, at the time of the passage thereof, said servants wasere 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 her said claim to the service or labor of said servants 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 her said claim to the service or labor
of said servants 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.
(Signed by) Martha
Isherwood
In the name of God, Amen. I, Robert Isherwood, of the
City of Washington in the District of
Columbia, being sick in body but of sound and disposing
mind, memory and understanding considering the certainty of death, and the
uncertainty of the time thereof, and being desirous to settle my worldly
affairs, and thereby be the better prepared to leave the world when it shall
please God to call me hence, do therefore 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 into the hands of Almighty God, and
my body to the earth, to be decently buried at the discretion of my
Executrix hereinafter named, and after my debts and funeral charges are
paid, I devise and bequeath to my dearly beloved wife, Martha
Isherwood all my property and estate of every description,
Real personal and mixed, and all my goods,
Chattles
Chattels
, moneys rights and credits that I may die seized or possessed of
or in any way or manner entitled to, to be held and enjoyed by her during
her life and widowhood in common with my dear children Frances Ann
Isherwood and Robert James Isherwood and
Margaret E. Isherwood, and if my said wife shall
marry again, then from the period of such marriage, said devise and bequest
so far as concerns her, shall cease to operate and in lieu thereof, she
shall take absolutely one third of all my personal estate, of every
description, and her dower in my Real estate.—
Item—I give, devise and bequeath at the death or marriage of my said
wife all the residue of my property and Estate, then remaining to my said dearly
beloved children, Francis Ann Isherwood
Robert James Isherwood and Margaret E.
Isherwood Equally to be divided between them, their
respective heirs Executors, administrators and assigns, share and share
alike.—
Item—I authorize and empower by dear wife to fulfil and complete all
existing contracts at the time of my death, by which I am bound in any event
to sell and convey, any of my property, by executing all necessary
conveyance to the parties entitled.
Item—I also empower my said wife, at any time during her widowhood and
when it shall appear to her and my highly esteemed friend Thomas
Blagden
Esqr.
Esquire
to be for the common interest and benefit of herself and my said
children to make sale and conveyance of all or any part of my property and
estate & the purchaser or purchasers whereof, shall by virtue of such
conveyance or conveyances, be exonerated from all responsibility for the
application of the purchase money and the proceeds reinvested in other
property to be held in the like manner, or expend the same, in the necessary
current maintenance and support of herself and my said children.—
And lastly, I do hereby constitute and appoint my dear wife Marsha
Isherwood to be sole executrix of this my last will and
Testament, revoking and annulling all former wills by me heretofore made, ratifying and
confirming this, and none other, to be my last will and Testament, and as I
owe little or no debts, request that no security be required of her and
exonerate her from all responsibility for losses happening otherwise than
from wilful and corrupt misconduct.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal, this
fifteenth day of, December 1847.
Robert Isherwood seal
Signed, sealed, published and declared by Robert
Isherwood the above names Testator, as and for his last will
and Testament, in the presence of us who at his request, in his presence,
and in the presence of each other, have subscribed our names as witnesses
thereto.
Thos. Blagden
J. P. Fugitt
H. Naylor
15th Decr. 1847
District of Columbia
Washington County, to wit
Orphans Court
June 19, 1849.
This day appeared, Thomas Blagden and Henry
Naylor two of the subscribing witnesses to the aforegoing
last will & testament of Robert Isherwood, late of
Washington County aforesaid, deceased, &
seasonally made oath on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God, that they did
see the Testator therein named sign and seal this will, that he published
pronounced and declared the same to be his last will & testament, that
at the time of so doing, he
was to the best of their apprehensions of sound & disposing mind, memory
and understanding, and that they together with J. P.
Fugitt, the other subscribing witness, respectively
subscribed their names as witnesses to this will, in the presence & at
the request of the Testator, and in the presence of Each other.
Test. Ed. N. Roach
Regr.
Register
Wills.
District of Columbia
Washington County, to wit:
I hereby certify that the aforegoing is a true copy from the last will and
testament of Robert Isherwood, deceased, filed and
recorded in the Office of Registers of Wills for Washington
County aforesaid.
Witness my hand and seal of Office this 13th day of
June A.D. 1862.
Moses Kelly
Register of
Wills.