Terrence Franklin

The Will That Set Them Free — Terrence Franklin

Terrence Franklin has spent more than thirty years litigating other people's wills. Then he found his own family's: an 1846 will written by his great-great-great-great-grandfather, John Sutton, to free Lucie Sutton and their children from slavery. After Sutton's death, his own brother contested the will in court — and lost. Lucie and her children walked free, and made their way to Illinois, where Franklin grew up.

Franklin tells Spencer how he found the will — and the trial transcript that came with it — what it means to read his family's freedom in a probate file, and why he is answering a court record with a novel, The Last Will of Lucy Sutton, and a choral suite.

Eavesdropping with Spencer Wise — Wednesdays at 6 PM Pacific / 9 PM Eastern on LifeStrength Media.

Summary

Terrence Franklin, a Los Angeles trust and estate litigator, shares the remarkable story of discovering the 1846 will that freed his ancestor Lucie Sutton and her children from slavery — a will contested in court and upheld. He traces the search for the original documents, the family's journey from Florida to Illinois, and how uncovering this hidden history reshaped his understanding of history, love, and justice — and the importance of personal and collective agency.

Keywords

history, genealogy, slavery, emancipation, justice, family, law, probate, heritage, storytelling, African American history

Key Topics

Discovery of the 1846 will that freed Lucie Sutton and her children

Finding and verifying the original documents — the will and its trial transcript

The will contest: a brother's challenge, and the court fight that upheld it

The family's journey from Florida to freedom in Illinois

Love, agency, and justice inside an unbearable system

The impact of uncovering a hidden history on personal identity

The Last Will of Lucy Sutton — the upcoming novel and the mission behind it

Sound Bites

"Better late than never."

"How can there be love in a slave owner?"

"Bending the arc of history toward justice."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Terrence Franklin's Story

01:45 Discovery of the 1846 Will and Its Significance

04:35 The Journey to Find the Original Documents

07:01 Uncovering the Family's History in Florida and Illinois

10:01 The Legal Battle and Probate of the Will

13:48 The Emotional Connection to the Will and Ancestor

17:00 The Broader Historical Context and Love Beyond Race

19:50 Telling Lucy Sutton's Story and Its Power

23:03 Reflections on John Sutton's Actions and Love

25:58 Terrence Franklin's Upcoming Novel and Mission