Brunetta Barnes, by and through her next friend, Peter Charleville v. Barry Meachum

Item

Brunetta Barnes, by and through Her Next Friend, Peter Charleville V. Barry Meachum. 1840, St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records Project, accessed October 9, 2026, https://digitalexhibits.library.washu.edu/s/ccr/item/60885

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Case Title: Brunetta Barnes, by and through her next friend, Peter Charleville v. Barry Meachum
Series: Freedom Suits
Plaintiff: Barnes, Brunetta
Defendant: Meachum, Berry
Date Filed: 1840-09-01
Next Friend: Charleville, Peter
Filing Date: 1840-09-01
Plaintiff’s Attorney: Gantt, Thomas Tasker
Court Name: St. Louis County Court
Court Term: 1840-09
Clerk: Ruland, John
Justice of the Peace: Lawless, Luke E.
Sheriff: Brotherton, Marshall
Cause of Action: False Imprisonment
Case Notes: Plaintiff age 14, by next friend Peter Charleville; sued for freedom claiming $1000 damages; included recognizance bond by Meachum and George Trask.
Case Number: 123
Identifier: ccr1840.06956.006
Source: Missouri State Archives - St. Louis
Rights: Public Domain
PDF Download: Download PDF of all images
Transcription: **Brunetta Barnes, by and through her next friend, Peter Charleville v. Barry Meachum**

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**Page 1** (6956_001.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Certificate of Filing*

No 123
St. Louis Circuit Court
July Term 1840.
[illegible] Barnes (by next
friend)
vs
Barry [illegible]
[illegible]
Petition [illegible]

*Filed in open court Sept: 1 1840.
Jn. Ruland Clerk
[illegible]*
[illegible] of petitioner granted - and she [illegible] to the case of [illegible] Bk 11 p 225

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**Page 2** (6956_002.jpg)

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**Page 3** (6956_003.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Complaint*

State of Missouri
County of St Louis
ss.
In St St. Louis Circuit Court , Nov Term 1840
[illegible] Barner, by Peter Chareville
her next friend false imprisonment action of [illegible]
vs
Beny Meachum
Petition to [illegible]
Meachum , as prayed.
To the honourable Luke E Lawless
Judge of the Saint Louis Circuit Court
The humble petition of Brunetta
Barnes by Peter Charleville her next friend, resepectfully showeth to your honour. That the
applied for and obtained purmission from
your honour heretofore to bring an action of
[illegible] and false imprisonment against
Beny Meachum who unlawfully detains
her in slavery. and that the has in [illegible]
of that permission instituted said against
said Meachum , That she is a female of the age
of fifteen year as nearly as she can state. That
said Meachum is in the [illegible] of sending her to
sell and deliver milk on board the several
[illegible] lying at St Louis [illegible] . That she
is daily sent there her with milk, and that
the hour at which she is sent [illegible] is at daybreak
in the morning. long before it is fully light
That she is exposed on these occasions to insults
of the [illegible] character from various members of
the [illegible] of different [illegible]. That said Meachum
holds in his service other persons (among them her
[illegible]) who are[illegible]is more fit than herself for such [illegible].
That she has [illegible] to said Meachum
through Peter Charleville , a written request
[illegible] in the most respectful language, [illegible]
the [illegible] she suffers from the employment
aforesaid, and [illegible] the discontinance
of such employment in future and that
said Meachum has [illegible] continued to send
her as before to said steamboats, and her declared

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**Page 4** (6956_004.jpg)
his determination to pay no regard to her request
Your petitioner respectfully shows to your
honour that the hardship of which she complains
is of a [illegible] nature to her, and that this application
to your honour for relief is not made in a
[illegible] of [illegible] or through the [illegible] wish to
give annoyance or occasion in convenience to said
Meachum [illegible] because she is at present exposed to
[illegible] insult, which the said Meachum [illegible]
space her without any [illegible] to himself-
In consideration whereof [illegible]she your petitioner
humbly [illegible] that your honour may make
an order to the effect that the said Meachum
shall discontinue sending her on board the
steamboats aforesaid for the [illegible] aforesaid
or upon any other protect whatsoever and that
your honour will grant to her [illegible] & further
relief as the [illegible] case may
in your honours [illegible] action seem to require
and [illegible] in duty bound your petitioner
shall ever pray

*Thos J [illegible] for [illegible]*
Petition in the case
of
[illegible] Barner, by
Peter Charleville her next
friend
vs
Beny Meachum
[illegible] [illegible] & false
imprisonment

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**Page 5** (6956_005.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Writ*

County of St Louis Ss The State of Missouri To the Sheriff of the County of St Louis
greeting.
Whereas it having [illegible] represented to our Honorable
Circuit Court now in Session in the City of St Louis by the petition
of [illegible] Barnes a female of about the age of fifteen years
who has been heretofore permitted to bring suit (by her next friend,
Peter [illegible]) against Berry [illegible] that she
is subjected by the said [illegible] to gross insults, as in
her petition stated. You are therefore commanded
to bring the said [illegible] Barness into our said court
and also to summon the said Berry [illegible] that
he be and appear before our said court on Wednesday the
second day of September instant at ten o'clock A. M. [illegible]
and there to answer the Petition ofsaid Brunrtta
Barnes hereto [illegible] - and have you then and there
this writ your return [illegible] how you shall
execute the same.

*Witness John Ruland , Clerk of
our said Court at office in the City
of St Louis this first day of September
in the year four Lord
one thousand eight hundred and
forty. Jn. Ruland Clerk*

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**Page 6** (6956_006.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Certificate of Execution*

Excuted this writ and have
the body of the within [illegible]
Barnes in court at the time and placeed
by this writ I am commanded [illegible]
and for the by reasing this writ and
petition to the within named Berry

*[illegible] = St Louis September
2nd 1840 [illegible]
Sheriff [illegible] $ 2.00*

Item sets: All Circuit Court Records; Freedom Suits Case Files, 1814-1860; Circuit Court Cases