Nova Scotia Sup Court at Annapolis

Michaelmas Term in the forty third year of the reign of King George the third ?

Annapolis / James DeLancey complains of William Woodin in Custody ? of a of a plea of trespass on the Case, to that whereas one Jack a Negro man, on the first day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred at Annapolis, in the County of Annapolis aforesaid was lawfully retained in the service of the said James DeLancey as his slave and servant, to serve him the said James DeLancey, for and during the natural life of the said Jack, and while the said Jack was so retained in the service of the said James DeLancey as a slave and servant aforesaid, towit, on the twenty sixth day of May, in the year aforesaid at Annapolis in the County of Annapolis aforesaid wilfully and without the leave or licence and against the will of the said James DeLancey departed and absented himself from and left the service of the said James DeLancey and went in to the service of the said William Woodin. Yet the said William Woodin well knowing the said Jack to be the slave and servant of the said James DeLancey, and to have been, and to be so retained by the said James DeLancey as a slave and servant, but contriving to injure the said James DeLancey and to deprive him of the benefit and service of the said Jack his Slave and Servant aforesaid, did on the same day and year aforesaid at Halifax, that is to say, at Annapolis in the County of Annapolis aforesaid receive and harbour the said Jack, and did then and there keep and employ the said Jack in the service of him the said William Woodin and wholly refused to deliver him to the said James DeLancey

his master, altho requested so to do and unlawfully detained, entertained and kept the said Jack, so then being the Slave and Servant of the said James DeLancey, in the service of him the said William Woodin, for a long time, towit, from the said twenty sixth day of May in the year last aforesaid, until the day of the filing the bill of the said James DeLancey, towit, the twenty day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and three at Halifax, that is to say at Annapolis in the County of Annapolis aforesaid, whereby the said James DeLancey during the whole time aforesaid, lost not only the service of the said Jack his Slave and Servant, but also many great profits, and advantages which he might have had, and gained, if the said William Woodin had not received, retained and employed the said Jack in his service aforesaid. —

And whereas the said William Woodin on the said twenty sixth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred, at Halifax, that is to say, at Annapolis, in the County of Annapolis aforesaid received into his service one other Jack, a negro man, then the Slave and Servant of him the said James DeLancey and knowing the said Jack to be the Slave and Servant of him the said James DeLancey, and kept and detained the said Jack from the said twenty sixth day of May, in the year aforesaid, until the day of the filing of the bill of the said James DeLancey, towit, the twentieth day of August, in the said year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and three, at Halifax, in the County of Halifax that is to say, at Annapolis, in the County of Annapolis aforesaid, against the will and consent

of the said James DeLancey, and hath refused, and still doth refuse to deliver the said Jack to him the said James DeLancey, altho so to do, the said William Woodin, afterwards towit on the twenty third day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred at Halifax, that is to say, at Annapolis, in the County of Annapolis aforesaid, and often since, by the said James DeLancey hath been requested : by which the said James DeLancey during the whole time aforesaid lost not only the services of the said Jack his Slave and servant, but also also many great profits and advantages which he might have had and gained, if the aforesaid William Woodin had not received and kept the aforesaid Jack into his service : wherefore the said James DeLancey says he is injured and hath sustained damage in the value of five hundred pounds and therefore he brings suit to? Via? Tho Ritchie Atty

? to prosecute

John Doe & Richard Row?

Annapolis / James DeLancey ? in his place Thomas Ritchie his Attorney William Woodin in a plea of trespass in the Case.—