The following are from Tennessee Legislative peititions.  Does anyone
know what "proving accounts" are?

"The Petition of the Subscribers to that Gasper Lott a free man of
colour of great industry and Honesty, by his exertions, has accumulated
considerable property, and by the Laws as they now are he is deprived of

the privilige [sic] of proving his accounts, which tends to deprive him
of the common benefits of a citizen, which we conceive may tend to check

him and they behaving well from making the efforts they otherwise would
do to gain an honest livelihood, we therefore pray your honorable body
will take his case into consideration , and grant him such relief as to
your Honorable body may seem just & your petitioners will pray &c.
4 August 1803.


Greene County citizens petition to give "Joshua Hall a freeman of
Colour" "the privilidge [sic] of proving by his own Oath, when he cant
by any other person, his account [sic]….1st he pays tax. 2ndly he he
does military Duty-3d he performed a Tour of duty during the late War
with credit to himself-&lastly because we believe him to be an honest
man."
1817

(Legislative Petitions Collection, Tennessee State Library and Archives)





--
Paul Finkelman
Chapman Distinguished Professor
University of Tulsa College of Law
3120 East 4th Place
Tulsa, Oklahoma  74104-2499

918-631-3706 (office)
918-631-2194 (fax)

[log in to unmask]

To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html