Matilda Bedford Indicted for Negligence Towards her Slaves' Welfare

Title

Subject

Enslaved People

Description

This is a collection of documents relating to the case of Matilda Bedford, who was indicted on charges of not providing her slaves with sufficient food and clothing. According to Florence historian Lee Freeman: " Isabella Matilda Smith Bedford (1787-1851) was the widow of the late Dr. John R. Bedford (1782-1827). Bedford was one of Florence's earliest physicians, practicing medicine near Rawhide (now Cloverdale) half the year and spending the other half of the year in New Orleans as a partner in a commission house in New Orleans. Dr. Bedford owned the Newhope Plantation near Helton Drive and Cox Creek Pkwy. He and John Coffee founded the first known school in Florence for their children and the children of nearby plantations which was taught by Prof. James Lorance (1787-1846). By the time of the 1850 slave census Mrs. Bedford owned 10 slaves and her son Dr. Charles Bedford (ca. 1812-ca. 1875) also owned 10 slaves."

Source

(1) Lauderdale County, Alabama Circuit Court Records, 1843-1850, p. 361

(2) Lauderdale County, Alabama Circuit Court Records, 1843-1850, p. 404

Date

(2) 1849-04-06

Contributor

Lee Freeman

Rights

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Format

JPG

Language

English

Type

Still Image

Identifier

(1) Matilda_Bedford_Indicted_I_(2).jpg
Matlida_Bedford_Indicted_II_(1).jpg

(2) Matilda_Bedford_Nol_Prosequi.jpg

Text

(1) ranscription: Docket no. 4888. The Grand Jury this day came into Court under charge of their bailiff and brought with them a bile [bill] of indictment against Mathilda Bedford for failing to provide & furnish her slaves with a sufficiency of healthy and substantial food and {necessay?} clothing [endorsed?] a true bile [bill]. Jas H. Witherspoon foreman of the Grand Jury

(2) Friday, April 6, 1849

Docket no. 844

[Court] that the State of Alabama [recover?] said fine and cost as well of said security [as?] of said defendant,

The State of Alabama vs. Matilda Bedford

Came the solicitor who prosecutes in behalf of the Court and ask [sic] leave of the Court to enter a nol prosequi in this cause[.] It is therefore considered by the Court that the defendant be [hereof?] discharged and go hence

Nol prosequi: From nolle prosequi, Latin for "will no longer prosecute," a legal phrase meaning charges have been dropped against a defendant.

Original Format

Paper

Files

Collection

Enslaved People

Citation

“Matilda Bedford Indicted for Negligence Towards her Slaves' Welfare,” Shoals Black History, accessed April 20, 2024, https://shoalsblackhistory.omeka.net/items/show/783.

Output Formats

Item Relations

Item: Jeff Bedford, former enslaved person

dcterms:relation

This Item