Image 1: Petition Cover, stating" Robert Donnell & Others vs Sampson Smith & Others - Petition for Sale of Negroes- To Feby Term 1835.

Image 4: Transcript of the petition, written on July 26, 2017 by webmaster, Susan Leach Snyder.

[Note: Ervin/Erwin Donnell (#53) is one of the petitioners listed in this document. Also note, the handwriting of this petition is very difficult to read and there are likely several mistakes in interpretation made by the webmaster in her transcription of the petition.

Page 1:

State of North Carolina
Guilford County

Court of Pleas and
Quarter Session Feby
Term 1835

The Petition of Robert Donnell Joseph
Donnell & Ervin Donnel against Sampson
Smith and Martha his wife & Daniel Donnell
[Sherwitts] to your worship that Daniel
Donnell Senr departed this life in the month
of January last intestate having your Petitioners
all & othr defendants his distributrs & ____
at law- that the Said Daniel Donnell
was in this life time and at the time of
his death [posesed] of eleven negro Slaves
Which negro Slaves are now held as tenants
in Common by your Petitioners and the
above named defendants-your Petitioners
further state that they have taken out letters
of Administration on the estate of the
Said Daniel Donnell & they believe it
to be wholly [unesary] to retain the Said
Slaves ___ ___ [posesion] on account
of any debts that may come against
Said estate - and an _____ _____
that Said Slaves should be either divided

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or sold immediately - and as the defendants are
not inhabitants of the State & will not be
present - your Petitioners believe it would
be more satisfactory to all parties ___
Extend for this worshipful Court to clear
a date of all the said Slaves upon
____ _____ as to this worshipful
court may deem ____ calculated to ____
____ the interest of all concerned -
Your Petitioners therefore pray your _____
____ to ____ a sale of the said
Slaves & to appoint some ____ ____ ___
____ to make a Sale of Said Slaves
And ____ Petitioners as an duly ____
___ ____ pray be.

M M Dick
for Petitioners