LENOIR/DOBBS COUNTY, NC - COURT - Sarah Wiggins vs. Will, a slave.

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SECRETARY OF STATE COURT RECORDS (NC)
Box SS312, Miscellaneous Slave Papers
Note at bottom of deposition says the original document has been removed 
and placed among the remainder of records on the case which are filed in 
Secretary of State Court Records 1770-1772 Box SS313 (but they were 
found in Box SS312)

Deposition and Examination of Sarah Wiggens, wife of Gursham Wiggens 
taken at Dobbs County the 12th of April 1772.

About three years ago Will a negro fellow belonging to her father 
Benjamin Herring came to her house asking questions about several 
persons, pulled out a bottle with some rum in it and ask her to drink of 
it. She refused several times but at last was prevailed to drink and she 
was strangely sick and ask what it was, he answered it was only for his 
friends. Some time later he came again with another bottle and got her 
to drink on pretence of curing her of what she drank before, she ask 
what was in it and he said herbs. It caused her head to be as though she 
was drunk, he ask whether any person had used her ill and said that if 
they had he could make them love her better than ever. That at different 
times he gave her some of the liquid and it deprived her of her senses 
and by that means had carnal knowledge of her body. That after he begot 
the first child on her body he threatened that if any person would or 
did talk about it he would say or do something that would hurt them and 
she understood he would poison them and he knew how and she was afraid 
he would poison her, and she thinks Higgotty Martin looking so poorly 
and sickly of late could be caused by Will giving him something, and he 
said if she turned against him he would kill her or destroy her and he 
was the father of her last child and that he told her he had a good will 
to go try Lanay Wiggens for he could lye with the best of women if he 
tryed them and they talked of that, for he could go to her sister Dorcus 
and serve her as he had her. He later told her he had carnal knowledge 
of Dorcus but later denied having said it but would have done it if she 
had desired her not.

Sarah Wiggens her mark 
Before me Benjamin Caswell 'P
In presence of James Glasgow and Simon Bright, Jr. Esqrs.