Description:

Slavery
Gonzales County, TX, Ca. October 4, 1859
Slavery in 1859 Gonzales County, TX Probate Lawsuit Re: Isham and Adeline, Later Tried Before TX Supreme Court!
MD
A 14pp manuscript document, probably a retained clerical copy to be used during the upcoming legal process, signed in print at the conclusion as "W.H. Stewart Atty for Def'd'ts." Ca. October 4, 1859. Gonzales County, Texas. Secretarially inscribed on watermarked laid legal sized red-ruled and blue-lined paper. Expected gentle wear including flattened paper folds and slightly curling darkened edges, else near fine. Three vertical slits are located at the top of each page, possibly indicating that the pages were once bundled. 7.75" x 11.875."

- "…Petitioner represents that the said William J. Norwood in his lifetime was the owner of a certain negro man slave named Isham, and was also owner of a woman Slave named Adeline, and that the said William J. Norwood in his lifetime had the several said Negro slaves in his possession…" (p. 2-3)

- "…Petitioner represents that the said George Norwood did… with the intention of avoiding the Judgment and Decree of the court aforesaid, fraudulently conveyed, or pretended to convey all of his property consisting of Negro Slaves, together with the two Slaves owned by William J. Norwood decd (and one named Isham, the other Adeline) to his children with him in the State of Texas…" (p. 6-7)

The case described in this brief would eventually span over 23 years, and appear no fewer than five times before the Texas Supreme Court, throughout the 1850s, and most recently in 1872 (11 Texas 556; 15 Texas 500; 20 Texas 588; 24 Texas 551; and 37 Texas 141.) The case is remarkable because of its complexity: not only did it involve more than a dozen parties, but it also straddled different state laws (those of Mississippi and Texas).

The principal lawsuit was between Samuel S. Cobb, estate administrator of William J. Norwood, late of Yalobusha County, Mississippi; and Norwood's widowed mother, Sarah A. L. Norwood, who had become the administrator of the estate of her late husband, George Norwood. The dispute was introduced back in March 1851, about two years after William J. Norwood's death, and less than one year after George Norwood's death. The case centered around reclaiming "property" belonging to William J. Norwood's estate: two enslaved persons named Isham and Adeline. (Isham's age is unknown, but Adeline was around 23 years old in 1859, according to information gleaned from George Norwood's last will and testament, which mentions her.) William J. Norwood's estate executor (who was also representing Norwood's infant daughter Malissa Norwood) was seeking restitution in the amount of $1,752.50 from William J. Norwood's mother, Sarah A. L. Norwood. The sum represented the retail value of Isham ($700) and Adeline ($500) as well as the value of their lost hire labor ($552.50.) As we know, nothing was decided about this case for decades.

It had all started when William J. Norwood suddenly died in Yalobusha County, Mississippi sometime around October 1849 (Yalobusha County is located in the northern part of the state around 90 miles southeast of Memphis, Tennessee.) After William died intestate, his father, George Washington Norwood (1796-1850), absconded with William's slaves and fled with the rest of his family to Gonzales County, Texas, located in southeastern Texas about 66 miles east of San Antonio. When William's executors attempted to get paid for Isham and Adeline, George refused. When George died in April 1850, his estate (containing Isham and Adeline) fell into the control of his widow and William's mother, Sarah Ann Lewis Norwood (1800-1865). She in turn refused all attempts to restitute her late son's estate. Each side claimed that there was fraud being perpetrated and each side claimed that Isham and Adeline belonged to them.

When the court case Norwood v. Cobb appeared for the last time before the Texas Supreme Court in 1872, it was referred to as a "veteran case." Interestingly, while no direct descendants of the original Norwoods were involved in the 1872 iteration of the trial, the same judge that reviewed the case in 1859, Judge Fielding Jones, oversaw it from the bench of the Texas Supreme Court some 13 years later.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 7.75" x 11.875"
  • Medium: MD

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

March 12, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000