Bertie COUNTY NC Court Minutes (Justice of Peace) 1730 Aug 11 -13, 1730 Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by dkny@mindspring.com Carmen Greer and Bill Schmidt http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/bertie.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncbertie/court.htm For more info on courts See Notes: below for abbreviations Bertie County No Car Court of Pleas & Quarter (Upper Left corner torn)Bertie jsd. At a Court held for s.d precint at the Courthouse on Timber Branch on Tuesday the 11th day of August Anno Domino 1730. Present Capt George Winn John Dew Peter West } Great Justices of the Peace Lane to Fuller Ack.d Lane to Warr Ack.d ____ John Branch and Anne his wife (the s.d Anne being first privately examined and consented thereto.) came into court. He acknowledged a deed of sale to James Millikin of 150 acres of land lying on s.o side Maratocke River [Roanoke River] and joining on the s.d Millikins land in due form of law in order to be registered. M McElikin d. 1/2 / _______? ____ Raspberry to Crickett ack.d Crickett to pay 10/_____ Wilson to Yates as assignment ack.d ______ A deed of sale from John Byrd and Mary his wife was ack.d by Col. Robert West by virtue of a power of atty from s.d Byrd to Mr West duly proved which deed is ordered to be recorded. Pollack to Bunch proved by the oath of Jm.s Crickett to __pay 10/. A deed of sale from John Byrd and Mary his wife was ack.d by Col Robert West by virtue of a power of atty from Mr. Byrd to Mr. West duly proved which deed is ordered to be recorded. __________ Pollack to Bunch proved by the oath of Jn. Crickett./ pay 10/. ___________ Yaws to Mowburn Ack.d ___________ A deed of sale from Thomas Sutton and Elizabeth his wife was in open court by virtue of a power of atty duly proved from _______(looks like J.s) Sutton and Elisabeth his wife ack.d in open court and ack'd to be registered. ____________ A deed of sale from John Cook was in open ct. ack.d in due form of law to Thomas Sutton and at the same time James Curree(s?) by virtue of a power of atty duly proved from Anne Cook wife of s.d John was at the same ack.d ____________ Mitchell to Ju. Byrd ack.d ___________ Bonnet to Hopper Ack.d ___________ Deed of Sale from John Fort to Davie Hopper was ack.d in open ct. and William Whitehead evidenced to Relinquish of Dower from Mary Fort wife of the s.d John was proved by _______j.s s.d Whitehead's oath. _____________ Whitehead to Hopper ack.d ________________ Joyner to Millikin proved by oath of Edward Simmons. Millinkin to pay _________ ___________________ Whithead to Hopper ack.d Beginning of second page of document Lane to Taylor ack.d __________________ A deed of Sale to John Pope and Mourning his wife was in open court proved by the oath of Mr. Davy Hopper and Benj. Lake evidence hereto. ___________________ Mackinna to Rysham proved by oath of John Gills. ___________________ A deed of sale from George Blackwell to Saml Williams was in open court ack.d. Saml by virtue of a power of atty from ps.d Blackwell to Tho.s Daughtree ack.d ____________________ Alston to Wm. Wright Jus.n ack.d _____________________ Mr. Mashbourn/ M. r Mashbourn ____________15/ and at the same time livery and seizure was ack.d ______________________ Thomas to Sturges was Ack.d ______________________ Williams to Williams Ack.d ______________________ Hall to Person Ack.d ______________________ Macklamoor to Person ack.d ______________________ Dew to Bryant ack.d Mr Dew to pay 10/______________________ Hill to Thompkins Ack.d ______________________ Braswill to Ruffin ack.d ______________________ Crawford to Baush ack.d ______________________ A deed from Jms. Turbervell and Ely his wife was in open court proved ______? By the oath of Seth Hatcher to Tho.s Arrington. ______________________ A deed of sale from Mick'l King to Patrick Kanady was by virtue ___by power of atty. From a.d king to James Currie ack.d in open court. ______________________ A deed of sale from Martin Cramer to Darby Dempsy was ack.d in open court by virtue of a power of atty _____________ David to Barnes ack.d ____________ A power of atty from David Henderson to Col Robert Best was proved in open ct by the oath of John Cook. ____________-one of the evidences thereto. The Court Adj.d till tomorrow morning 8 AM Clerk Wed morning the ct met again present as before Bobbit to Millikin proved by the oath of Simon Jeffreys. _______________ __ell to Kikker proved by the oath of James Milliken. Milliken to pay 20/________________ (Beginning of Page 3 of document) Simms to Kickker proved by the oath of James Milliken. Scott to Umphreys proved by the oath of James Milliken } Milliken to pay 20/Gibson to Moore proved by the oath of James Milliken ______________ Richardson to Goodrin ack.d _______________ Pollack to Jenkins proved by the oaths of John Edwards ______________ Mathews to Williams ack.d _______________ Gray to Little proved by the oath of R. Forster. Bunch to Little prov.d by the oath of Robert Forster _______________ Simms to Matthews ack.d Frost to Bush ack.d Capt Bryant to pay 10/________________ Catherine Hall appeared on her own recogniz taken by Mr. West one of the members of this court on the information of Robert Warren who informs that he is suspecting d.d Catherine Hall stole a cow from him. That a search warrant being granted the constable made return that he found meat and d.d ________Ely _________a crop and two calfs each __________which d.d informant sayeth in his proper mark of the cow and calf and ___________meat was his and stolen from him by d.d Catherine. The d.d Catherine Hall in answer thereto sayeth that the cow was her own. She killed same carefully at night and _______ __________ ___________ _________. Constab. Warren and informant sayeth that cow was property of Robert Warren without that d.d cow was ___Catherine and ____ W Little for Informant _Th.s Jones for Def Therefore ___ complaint of both partys the matter was refer.d to this court for tryal and will require a lot(?) of court time for Halls Wm Evans and Matthew Veze ____________________ Wm James Bryant ex.r to wit last will and testm.t of Rich.d Somner deced. Took the ex.rs oath. _______________ Fairchild to Alston proved by the oath of Nick.s Fairlefs ________________ Grady to Early ack.d ________________ Mosley to Sir Ric.d Everard Bar.t proved by Th.s Jones ________________ Pro.d that Mr Thomas Jenkins be taken into custody for searing and that he stand comitt.s till he pay at _____________ ________________ (Beginning of page 4 of document) Upon the coml.t of James Miliken in behalf of himself and sundry poor inhabitants his neighbors ag.t Thomas Holland complaining that s.d Thomas Holland having previously been deputy Marshall________a considerable time since our of his office nothwithstanding the s.d Holland by way of imparitions (looks like) is a poor people_______ exacts publick _______and taxes (looks like) for sundry people in great comtempt of the law and abiding of his ______ _____ and obstinatlely points ______ _____ his _____that it be ordered that a warrant be issued to apprehend s.d Thomas Holland and him to have atty to answer the complaint aforesaid and to ask Milliken to appear to make out a complaint aforesaid. ________________ Mr Solomon Ellsay produced a deed to be proved from Solomon Jones and Elinor his wife w.ch was accordingly proved by the oath of Ed.w.d Hood on the evidences thereto and that s.d Elinor Jones came into court and declared she had not rec.d any satisfaction for her Right of Dower It is thereupon ord.d that the s.d Ellsay and Elinore both appear at the next ct. session. _______________ Peacock to Bordin ack.d ________________ A warrant was in open court re'd from Atty, Gen.l on the complt of Cap.t Benj.n Hill that George Downing and Rob.t Scruggs (He as in Wars.t ) and the Marshall brought ___ Downing into court who being examinded as the complaint referred answered that he was constable in the Bertie precinct and that he did it by virtue of a war.t w.ch he produced w.ch was read in these ______ Then being asked what district he was constable in he answered at a place called Formenting Neck and Mr G. Downing being asked whether he broke open the door of the s.d Hills chamber he answered that he shoved it open and being further asked whither he had any other warr.ts than that w.ch he produced he answered he had not. Thereupon the following dispositions w.ch was taken before ____________ esq Attey G.l was produced and read in ___________ __________________L________________ and the matter being fully heard and consid.d it is ord.d that s.d Downing gives security in the sum of (Pound Sign) 50 Sterling to appear at the next Gen.l c.t continuing as also he be of the purest good behavior in the meantime and therupon Mr George in the sum of (Pound Sign) 50 Sterling and James Wood and John Brown as each in the sum of (Pound Sign) 25 Sterling_____ ______ were held with_________________ (Top of page 5 torn) Beverkey to Carter ack.d ______________ Wm Whitfield appeared on his Recog and Proclmation was according. Made Information was then made by Wm Meers that _____ _____ becoming bound by recog afore.s The _____ Whitfield did break the peace by striking Benj. Price _____ Bertie afore.d and thereupon the s.d Whitfield prayed time till tomorrow which was granted. Court till wx/court _______________ Bridges to Bagget ack.d ________________ Pet of Frant (Frank?) Parker was read and ord.d that the s.d Parket do forthwith take the s.d Boy into his charge to have him before this court at the next session. _______________ Davison to Lewis ack.d _______________ Lewis to Hobbs ack.d ___________________ The ________of the _____ of George Clements dece.d was exibited in court and sworn to by Susanna clements ex.x to ______. Decld which is ord.d to be registered _________________ John Crews records his mark ves.h a Flower De Lace in each ear Then the Court adj.d till tomorrow morning 8 o clock Thursday Aug __ 13th met again Pres M.m Winn M.m Hills M.m West Read the petition of Richard Skinner & Hannah his wife wetting forth the __________ It is therefore ord. that ______ Crockett be ordered to appear at the next court and that the s.d petit. At the same time appear ______ John Beverly & Anth.o Williams Procefs.m ____ _____ the lands process. By the The Roanoke pet. read & ref.d ______ The court adj till tomorrow morning Pres as before Read the pet of w.m Mars.ll and Mary his wife in behalf of themselves & W.m Peck and Orphan child son of James Peck dec.d Setting forth _____ which being consid.d of it is ord.d that the s.d Rich.d _________ be ord to appear at the next court to acco.t and deliver up the s.d Estate or to give suff.n sceaty (?) for the same. _____M.m Bryant appeared in open c.t and relinquished ______.s right as ______x Read the pet of Rowland Williams setting forth the _____ _____ have ______. Ord.d that a waar. Issue to __________: Gen.l as his Deputy to ___________ two acres of land as shall be ______ forever for his __reeting 1 ______ Mill and that Rob.t Jones Andrew Ireland Geo. Smith and John Cotton do value ____law upon oath thereof to the next court. Read the petition of Robt Warren setting forth de___. And the matter being argued the court was divided. Sarah McDaniel ____.X of Jseph Carter dec.d Exhibited an inventory on oath on the s.d Jospehs est. w.th is ord. to be record.d Ord.d that Moor Carter Fras Parker James Bryant John Dickenson or any three do divide the on oath Joseph Carters Est between the widow & children and that they make return thereof to the next court M.M Bryant appeared here this day according to Sum. Upon pet. of Frances Somner on behalf of Rich.d Somner an Infant which was read and rejected Ord.d that James Bryant _______ and ________ is hereby appoint Guardian to Rich.d Somner son of Rich.d Somner dec.d Forster to Boon ack.d M.M Fischer Haynes appear.d according to last court order relating the complt of Deborah Burk who prayed to have a Deposicon taken relating to the affair and therupon produced Christiana Brown who on her (This is left incomplete) M.M ______ Haynes appeared here at this Day according to Sum.x from this court and prayed to have the Deposicon of Christiana Brown taken Thereuppon Wm Jones atty forwith _____with was Jones and pray that ded.d may ____ to take Deposcion of John Conrad Swaner before M.M. George Winn ___ ___ Notice to be given to the s.d Haynes six days before executing this (the?) ded.e Read the pet.n of John Cotton wch was reject.d The Court being informed that the road from Jarnagin's bridge to Chesh___ ferry is not as yet laid out by the jury that was some time ago appoint.d It is thereupon ord.d that the following jury or any other do forthwith lay out the s.d road accordingly to Law. _______M.M Moor W.m Vincent Stephen Gayney Rob.t Gayney Tho.s Gayney Joh Hart Saml Ellson Leonard Laugston Benj.m Griffen Robert Scott John Edgerton & Rich.d Washington John Collson Edw.d Outlaw & W.m Martin (End of Document with 3 signatures in the lower right corner) John T._____ Benj.m Fritts Tho.s Bryant ============= NOTES: clerk's notes of the court proceedings, but they are not very detailed. Transactions are simply noted as "Ack." (acknowledged) naming the 2 parties and by whose oath they were recognized, but there are not many details of the actual transactions. There is a Civil case and a criminal case, both of which are a little more detailed. This first document is the clerk notes from a session held Aug 11 -13, 1730. I am going to try to scan this set of pages but cannot promise how well it will scan, since they are dark and old. There are also issues of shorthand used by the clerk. We finally figured out that "Ack.d" meant acknowledged. The other shorthand uses a curious method of a letter, followed by a period, and then another smaller letter written on the upper half of the line. The notation looks similar to a math formula to indicate that a number is squared. We have come up with the following definitions for the shorthand: d.d means defendant s.d means said (also written as sd.) war wrs means warrant Remember, any letter after the period was a smaller letter that would be in the same position we would put an apostrophe ( ' ) in more modern English. Monetary references were followed by a / , so we assumed that meant Shilling. There are a few monetary references to the Pound. Since I do not have the Pound symbol on my keyboard, I am going to note them as (P). C.t , or Ct., or ct. = court ag.^ , or a.t = against Another note: The clerk seemed to have gone back over his notes and marked a large "X" by each name, as if he were marking off a list. He also drew horizontal lines half way across the page to seperate the different people appearing and the issues. ======================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for FREE access. ==============