The KING against ESTHER BARBER and others

By the admission of the Counsel, it appeard that Beulah the Negro Girl, brought up by the Habeus Corpus, and now before the Court, is the Daughter of a Negro Man and a Negro Woman, the first named David, and the other named Dinah, both of whom formerly belonged to Caleb Haines, of the City of Burlington, which said Negroes David and Dinah, were set free by the said Caleb Haines in his life time, and before the birth of the said girl Beulah, without having given any bond pursuant to the Act of Assembly, passed in the twelfth and thirteenth years of her late Majesty Queen Ann; for which reason the said manumission was said to be void.

The Court, having heard the arguments of Counsel, as well for the said Esther Barber and others, as for the said Beulah, at the term of May last, and now again at this present Term, and having fully considered thereof are of opinion, that the said manumission by the said Caleb Haines, of the said David and Dinah, the parents of said Beulah, was good in Law against the said Caleb [page 8]Haines and those claiming under him, notwithstanding the not giving Bond as aforesaid; and that the same Beulah is entitled to her Freedom under the said Manumission against the said Caleb Haines, and all claiming under him ; and do order her the said Beulah to be delivered up from out of the Custody of the said Esther Barber and others, in which she hath been illegally detained.

Kinsey, Elias Boudinot, and Skinner Attorney-General, for the Negro. Sergeant and Paterson for Defendant.