That your petitr being a Slave to One Robert Coleman of the Isle of Wright County in the Dominion of Virginia. The Sd Robert by his last Will dated the Eight day of March 1715, gave your petitr (amongst other of his slaves) his freedom in these Words. Vizt. My Will and desire is that all my Negros shall have the priviledge to hire their selves out to service and paying my Executors five hundred pounds of Tobacco each of them yearly and the rest of the profits for themselves &c. And made Christopher Reynolds and Anne his Wife Execrs. of the sd. Will and dyed soon after and your petitr Avers that he was one of the said Negros And that by Virtue of the said Will he enjoyed his freedom and paid and satisfied the sd Christopher the Tobacco Annually Mentioned in the said Will during the life of the said Christopher Reynolds. And that about four years last past the said Christopher died.

That one Godfrey Hunt of Nancemond County in Virginia maryed Anne the Exers. of Coleman and Widow of the sd Christopher Reynolds and on the Nineteenth day of July in the year 1737 came in the night of the same day and in a Barbarous manner Seized on your petitr on his Own dwelling House Situate on the Black Creek in the Isle of Wight County in Virginia and likewise Seized on and took away your petitrs Goods and Chattells without lawfull precept or other Course in Law and by force Carryed your petitr to the Dwelling House of William Taylor in the sd County who under a pretence of a Sale from the said Hunt hath ever since detained your petitr as a Slave and hath brought your petitr as a Slave into this Government and as such now claims him.

Your Petitioner humbly prays relief in the premisses and that he be reinstated in his freedom, he being Willing to Comply with all just demands of Colemans Executors and to give Caution therein as this Honble Court shall think fit