The petition to the will made by Martha McNeill and others to Judge Farquhar Bethune, filed November 30, 1844.
(From: Papers concerning the will of Zephaniah
Kingsley, 1844, 1846,
Series M87-
20)
Page 10
ine Jai Kingsley, George Kingsley, John Maxwell Kingsley, Flora Kingsley,
Sarah M Kingsley
and Micanopy were and each and every of them was and
continued to be a slave of the said Zephaniah Kingsley until
the time of his death as aforesaid: And that they and each
of them were therefore wholly incapable of taking and could
not take any devise or bequest under the said supposed
Last will and Testament if the said Zephaniah Kingsley
deceased, or otherwise: and that they were and each of
them was and is for that cause alone incapable of taking
or holding in their own right or in the right of either of
them any property whatever in this Territory [??] they, the
said Anna Madgigne Tai Kingsley, George Kingsley
John Maxwell Kingsley, Flora Kingsley, Sarah M
Kingsley and Micanopy obtained their freedom by their
said removal to Hayti [Haiti] as aforesaid: But your Petitioners
are advised and believe that they could not and did not,
and that neither of them did or could so obtain his or her free-
-dom by such removal to Haiti as to enable him
or her, or any, or either of them to take any property
or interest by devise or bequest made the said supposed
Last Will and Testament of the said Zephaniah Kings-
-ly deceased, and that their inability and incapacity thus
to take property in this Territory by devise or bequest was
in no way removed or lessened by their said removal
to Hayti, but continued and still continues, the
same since as it was before the said removals.
And your Petitioners further shew unto your Honor that
they are informed and believe that the said Anna Madgigne
Tai Kingsley, George Kingsley, John Maxwell Kingsley, Flora
Kingsley, Sarah M. Kingsle, and Micanopy: although they
were slaves of the said Zephaniah Kingsley as aforesaid
at the time they went to Hayti as aforesaid were not forced
or compelled by the said Zephaniah Kingsley to leave this
Territory, or to go to Hayti as aforesaid, but that they and each
of them went there voluntarily and of his or her own free will
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