Stevenson v. Singleton
Supreme Court of Virginia
Robert Gibbon, on the 11th December 1818, agreed with his slave Richard Singleton, the appellee, that he would sell him to himself, or in other words, that he would emancipate him, in consideration of the sum of a thousand dollars to be paid to him by the slave.
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Robert Gibbon, on the 11th December 1818, agreed with his slave Richard Singleton, the appellee, that he would sell him to himself, or in other words, that he would emancipate him, in consideration of the sum of a thousand dollars to be paid to him by the slave. Of this sum, 400 dollars were to be paid in cash, 300 were to be secured to be paid on the 1st January 1820, and the other 300 on the 1st January 1821. The 400 dollars were paid accordingly, in cash, by the appellee; and William Foushee and Andrew Stevenson, as his friends, executed their joint notes or bonds to Gibbon, for the two…
1Opinion of the CourtCabell, J.
In the case of Sawney v. Carter, 6 Rand. 173. this court refused, on great consideration, to enforce a promise by a master to emancipate his slave, where the conditions of the promise had been partly complied with by the slave. It is impossible to distinguish that case from this. The court proceeded on the principle, that it is not competent to a court of chancery to enforce a contract between master and slave, even although the contract should be fully complied with on the part of the slave. The decree of the chancellor must be reversed and the bill dismissed.
2Cited by12 opinions
- Guesnard v. GuesnardSupreme Court of Alabama · 1911
- Shue v. TurkSupreme Court of Virginia · 1859
- Woodland v. Newhalls' Adm'rU.S. Circuit Court for the District of Western Virginia · 1887
- Phippen v. DurhamSupreme Court of Virginia · 1852
- Phippen v. DurhamSupreme Court of Virginia · 1852
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