Enclosure: Petition of Charles Brown, 10 August 1804
Enclosure
Petition of Charles Brown
To The Honble. the Judges of the Circuit Court
of the District of Colombia
The humble Petition of Charles Brown an unfortunate Black-Man most respectfully Sheweth—That He has been in confinement in Washington County Goal ever since last November & that He has sufferd the Law but is totally unable to extricate Him self from prison not having it his Power to pay the fine & Fees—
He is upwards of fifty five Years of Age & has a Wife living in George who has been Bed-Ridden a number of Years & rests entirely upon Your Petitioner’s Labor for her Support—
He most humble solicits the Humanity of the Honorable Court to take his unfortunate Situation into consideration & in Duty bound He will ever pray—
Charles Brown
Washington Goal 10h. Aug. 1804
MS (DNA: RG 59, GPR); endorsed by William Cranch; with Cranch and Nicholas Fitzhugh to TJ, 10 Aug., and TJ’s order added on verso.
TJ signed a pardon that remitted Brown’s fine and costs of prosecution on 24 Aug. (FC in Lb in same).
living in George: a Charles Brown appeared in the 1800 federal census for Georgetown as the head of a household composed of three free blacks and one enslaved person (United States Census Schedules, DNA: RG 29).