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Franklin County (Va.) Judgments (Freedom Suits), 1808. Local government records collection, Franklin County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.
This item came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Franklin County.
John Hook, 1745-1808, was a prominent businessman, landowner, and slaveholder in Bedford and Franklin Counties, Virginia. He also served as sheriff of Franklin County.
Nanny Pegee was a slave of Thomas Jones of North Carolina. Jones moved to Franklin County, Virginia in 1781 bringing Pegee with him. Pegee was sold to John Hook to repay a debt owed him by Jones.
In 1803, Nanny Pegee sued John Hook for her freedom in the County Court of Montgomery County. She wanted financial restitution for damages due to assault and battery and false imprisonment. The jury ruled in Pegee's favor in 1804; however, but the court annulled the verdict and ordered a new trial. In 1807, the District Court of Staunton ordered the trial be removed from the County Court of Montgomery County to the District Court of Franklin County. The chancellor of the Western District of Virginia ordered the clerk of Montgomery County to deposit the Pegee trial papers with the clerk of the District Court of Franklin County. In 1808, the District Court jury ruled in Pegee's favor. Hook immediately appealed to the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia. In 1811, the Supreme Court of Appeals affirmed the verdict of the District Court of Franklin County.
Franklin County (Va.) Judgments (Freedom Suits), 1808, consists of one freedom suit: Nanny Pegee et cetera versus John Hook and Zachariah Stanley, 1808 Apr. These are the original court papers from the freedom suit of slaves Nanny Pegee and her children against Hook and Stanley alleging charges of trespass assault battery (often abbreviated TAB) and false imprisonment. Included are the papers associated with the original suit from Montgomery County, VA, including Pegee's narratio, pleas, bonds, and copious affidavits and depositions as well as papers associated with the retrials and appeals in various Franklin County courts, the Supreme Court of Appeals in Richmond, and the district court in Staunton.