Cases | Participants | Court Sessions | Timeline
- Dated December 5, 1776 Writ for Trespass by Force & Arms and enslavement by Pomp Somerset against Richard Greenleaf. Citation: Pomp vs. Greenleaf (1776), Essex County Court of Common Pleas, Salem, December 1776.
Transcription:Essex, ss. [crossed out GEORGE the Third, by the Grace of GOD, of Great-Britain, France and Ireland, KING, Defender of the Faithe, &c. ] The Governnent & People of the Massachusetts Bay in New England To the Sheriff of our County of Essex, his Under Sheriff or Deputy, Greeting. We Command you to Attach the goods or Estate of Richard Greenleaf of Newbury Port in our County of Essex, Esquire, to the Value of thirty Pounds, and for want thereof to take the Body of the said Richard (if. he may be found in your Precinct) and him safely keep, so that you have him before. our Justices of our Inferior Court of Common Please next to be holden at Salem within and for our said County of Essex, on the last Tuesday of December instant: Then and there in our said Court to Answer unto Pop Somerset a negro man of Man of Newburyport aforesaid Labourer, in a plea of trespass for that the said Richard at said Newbury port on the fifth day of January in the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred & seventy three with force & arms assaulted the said Pomp & him took imprisoned him & restrained of his liberty & then held him in servitude from the said first day of January aforesaid until this day against the law of the land and against the Will of him the said Pomp & other Injuries the said Richard there within the time aforesaid did to the said Pomp against our peace and [scribbles] To the Damage of said Pomp as he says the Sum of thirty Pounds, which shall then and there be made to appear, with other due Damages. And have you there this Writ, with your Doings therein. Witness Caleb Cushing Esq. at Salem this fifth Day of December Anno Domini 1776 Samuel Osgood Clerk Reverse: Essex SS December 17th 1776 I have attacht a chair at the estate of the within named Richard Greenleaf and gave him a summons wording to same. Wiliam Ingalls Deputy Sheriff fees 3/6