The Petition of Sarah Ann to the General Assembly. 29 January 1856. Manuscript. RG 78, Virginia General Assembly, Legislative Petitions, Culpeper County, State Government Records Collections.

Petition of Sarah Ann, women of color asking her freedom / Eggborn

To the Honourable Delegates of Virginia

The petition of Sarah Ann represents that many years ago her father Cyrus Ficklin a free negro of the county of Culpeper died intestate. That said Cyrus during his life intermarried with a woman who was a slave at the time of such marriage but who the said Cyrus afterwards purchased That by said marriage and after said purchase the said Cyrus had two children to wit Abba and your petitioner who under the laws of this state your petitioner is advised were the property of the said Cyrus That said Cyrus has no legal Heirs and consequently his property is vested in the state of Virginia after the payment of Debts. Your petitioner further represents that one William Coons obtained letters of administration when the estate of the said Cyrus That he shortly afterwards died and Administration de bonis now was granted to Charles Brown, which was afterwards revoked and Administration de bonis now granted to Leroy Cooper. That the said Cyrus left but few debts at the time of his death which all together did not amount to much over $100. That said Coons regularly settled his administration accounts as did also the said Brown. But the said Leroy Cooper has never settled any account of his administration That by the last account of the said Brown there was only one unpaid debt against the estate of the said Cyrus which amounted to $92 which was in the year 1824 and that your petitioner and his sister Abba were hiring for the sum of $25 or thereabouts per annum. Your petitioner further represents that some time after the said Cooper obtained administration as aforesaid he sold the said Abba for about $350 or $400. Yet he has never settled any account. Your petitioner humbly prays that under the circumstances & as she & her children belong to the state of Virginia that it may please the Legislature of the state to relinquish the right of the state to your petitioner and her children and thus secure to her and them freedom upon such terms as to the remaining in the Commonwealth as the wisdom of the Legislature may impose and also donate to your petitioner any money in the hand of the said Cooper as admrs as aforesaid & your petitioner will ever pray.
Sarah Ann
By
Her Counsel J. S. Field