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A collection of mainly letters with some documents sent to the law firm Spain & Richardson of South Carolina?Albertus Chambers Spain (1821?1881), who in 1860 would sign the state?s Ordinance of Secession, and James Sanders Guignard Richardson (1815?1879). Most of the documents concern estate administration and debt collection: a letter from Charleston presses the firm to ?force [the debtor] to pay? (August 20, 1855); one from New York complains of ?a rascal [.] trying to swindle me?; and a different Charleston writer complains that a boarder and his father had stiffed him on multiple bills: ?I have not seen or heard from old McLeod since although I have written over one doz letters to him, he has acted in a villanous manner to me, a common hod carrier would not act in the manner he has Done, although claiming to be a Class Leader in the Methodist Church [.] ?Excuse? his mother was sick &c&c which I have since learned was all a fabrication [.] I did not think there was any such tricky folks in Sumter or Clarendon &c [.] You will please write me as soon as you receive this & Read it & give me your advice in the matter, & what is best to Do, if Mr McLeod has his property in his own name if it is in his wifes but I Do not think so, I could hold them, as all the goods he Bought was for the wife, & children & negro?s.? (1860) Also included are a document and a letter concerning the sale of enslaved people by the Kelley family of Sumter County. They were enslaved by the estate of Simon Kelley (1787?1852), which was being handled by his daughter Sarah (1812?d.). Sarah Kelley?s brother-in-law, Castus Belk, writes: ?I received your letter requiring me & the other parties concerned to arrange the matter with the old lady on the terms I have assertained by [Sarah Kelley?s husband] Mr Drury Boykin that the old lady will come to no agreement as yet But I have sent her a return showing to give her concent to the sale of the negros and for her to assigne which if she dose will be presented to you by Mr B Kelley if she dose assigne it and it answers to the perpose intended I shall be glad to hear from you for the old lady intendes to make no defence at all. NB beware of the man R.K. but pick all out of him you can get? (September 1856) R.K. is Reddick Kelley (1815?1886), another Kelley child, who witnessed the following assent to sale included in the collection: ?State of South Carolina } Sep 8th / 56 Sumter District I the said Sarah Kelley of the said state and district do hereby assign and give my consent to the sale of the said negros belonging to the Estate of Simon Kelley Dec of the said state and district here unto my mark Reddick Kelley X Sarah Kelley / her mark? Finally, there is an intriguing letter from fellow lawyer James Hart Norwood concerning the trial of an enslaved man for an unknown crime: ?I attended the trial of Kelly?s negro on Thursday, and we achieved a clean victory, verdict ?not guilty.? Beasley says I made the best speech he ever heard from me. I spoke 55 minutes, Marley followed + spoke 45. The trial was at Brown?s house, + he gave his testimony in bed. Mrs B- gave us thunder during her examination + our argument, but Marley will give you a graphic description of it when he sees you.? (June 14, 1858) We did not find a record of this trial in newspapers from the time. Of interest to historians of enslavement in the law and legal history in antebellum South Carolina. Some with slight water damage, though legible; generally very good to excellent. Approximately 125pp with each item usually about 1 page.
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