NC, Craven, Court Records, New Bern District Court Records ========================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed by Sue Guptill, February 2001. ========================================================== New Bern District Court Records Part 3 New Bern District Court Records DSCR 206.326.1 The District Court was the precursor to District Superior Courts. The New Bern District covered Ccarteret, Craven, Beaufort, Hyde, PItt, Dobbs, Jones, and Duplin. When Dobbs county was split and then abolished, the new counties were also in the New Bern District. The following are abstracts of Box 1. Dates when not otherwise noted are the date of the event (e.g., the date that an assault took place). Christine Fuller abstracted Box 2, which are also posted. Folder: 1776 Information: Order regarding a slave, Simon, apparently belonging to Robert GIBBS, who had escaped and was committing numerous crimes and could not be apprehended. Order that anyone could kill or destroy the slave without penalty. Date: 4 June 1776 (date of order) County: Hyde Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, March 1777 Information: Indictment against William WILLIAMS of Trent for assault of Robert WHITE. Date: Not given. Court held 21 Mar 3in the first year of the Independence of said State, and in the yearS¯1777.2 County: Dobbs Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, March 1777 Information: Indictment against Cornilus LAYREY Edward WILLIAMS for assault of William RANDALL & Charles SAUNDERS. Date: 22 Feb 1777 County: Dobbs Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Order to imprison Nathan MAYO planter for murder of Thomas CLARK. Date: 22 Aug 1777 (date of order) County: Pitt Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Indictment of Thomas BARFIELD planter for entering an apple orchard and fell cut down and destroy [trees]. Date: 28 Mar 1776 County: Dobbs Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Indictment against Bryan CALLAHAN for assault on James HUKILL. Date: (can1t read the day) Mar 1777 County: Craven Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Indictment of Sarah MOORE, a free Negro, for keeping a disorderly house by harbouring lewd women, entertaining sailors and Negroes, and selling them spirituous liquors without license. Date: 21 Mar 1777 and diverse other days County: New Bern Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Indictment against George FAULKNER for assault on Benjamin MORRIS. Date: 11 Mar 1777 County: Pitt Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Indictment against Henry CANNON of Pitt Co. for assault on Thomas MELVIL in Craven County, including hitting MELVIL in the left eye with a stick, causing him to lose sight in his eye. Date: 7 Nov 1776 County: Pitt/Craven Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Indictment of Nathan MAYO for murder of Thomas CLARK. Says that he took a smooth bore gun loaded with buck shott of the value of five shillings sterling money of Great Britain and twelve shillings & six pence money of the state of NC and discharged the gun at Thomas CLARKE, giving him a mortal wound in the left shoulder, 3of which said mortal wound the said Thomas CLARKE, S¯languished for the space of half an hour and so languishing diedS¯. Date: 22 Aug 1777 County: Pitt Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Indictment for assault against Thomas MELVIN on Lewis CANNON. Date: 27 Nov 3first year of independence2 [1776] County: Craven Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: List of following names 3Jury Men2: Samuel WARREN, Britain EDWARDS, William AVERET, William PERRY, Green WINDHAM, Cornelius CHURCH, David HATNEY, Thomas HATNEY, David AVERET, Senr., Parker LASY, James LITTLE, Joseph LITTLE. Then says, 3For the order of the jury of inquest is that Nathan MAYO hath murded Thos CLARK of Pitt County and that wilfully on Augusst 22 1777 so says the jurors. s/Samuel WARREN [Note: This was a scrap of paper. sbg] Date: None County: None (assume to be Pitt) Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: The state agt. Thomas MELVIN} Bill with the Grand Jury. Joseph SETCHWORTH & Joseph SETCHWORTH jnr Evidences sworn and sent. [Note: This was a scrap of paper. sbg.] Date: None County: None Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Arrest warrant for John TISON charged with 3at a private muster called by Henry ELLISS¯behaved himself disorderly and declared against Drafting and further insisting that he would not abide by the said Draft and further Took a mugg of Licqure and Drank King Georges Health and Success to great BrittainS¯2 (Back of page says, 3Summmon Charles ALLEN and Pitt ALLEN Witness for the state2) Date: 4 Aug 1777 (date of warrant) County: Pitt Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Indictment against George FAULKNER for assault on John FRY Date: 12 Feb 3first year of independence2 [1777] County: Pitt Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Indictment for armed robbery of 3 barrels of sugar worth 11 pence against John KNOX Date: 10 Dec 1776 County: Carteret Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Indictment for against Jonathan BEXLEY for assault on Margerett FOOKES Date: 29 Mar 3first year of independence2 [1777] County: Craven Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Appearance bond for John TISON in sum of £50 with bondsmen John TISON Junr. and George MOY Junr. (£25 each) to appear in court on the first Tuesday in September in New Bern. Date: 4 Aug 1777 (date of bond) County: Pitt Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Indictment against John TISON for sedition. States that on muster field he, in a loud voice, drank the success of Great Britain and Health of King George. Date: 1 Aug 1777 County: Pitt Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Indictment against Jonathan BEXLEY for assault on Tabitha FOOKES Date: 29 Mar 3first year of independence2 [1777]. County: Craven Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Indictment against Richard BARFIELD for breaking and entering into the close of Thomas BARFIELD and felled 2 apple trees, and did other wrongs. Date: 17 January 3first year of independence2 [1777] County: Dobbs Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Appearance bond for Bryan CALLAHAN (£10) with bondsmen Samuel HILL and Charles SAUNDERS (£5 each) to appear in court to answer charge of violent breach of the peace made on James HASKILL. Date: March 12 1777 (date of bond) County: Craven Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Appearance bond for John KNOX, tavern keeper, (£200) to appear in court on 1 Sept to answer charge of taking 3 barrels of sugar and 3 hogshead ?molasses belonging to Wm. GIBBS. Date: 30 July 1777 (date of bond) County: Carteret Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Appearance bond for James CONGLETON Senr., with bondsman Thomas WORSLEY (£2000 each) to appear in court on the 18th of this month. [Charge not stated.] Date: 13 Nov 1779 (date of bond) County: Beaufort Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Appearance bond for James CONGLETON Junr., with bondsman John LOCKTON (£2000 each) to appear in court on the 18th of this month. [Charge not stated.] Date: 13 Nov 1779 (date of bond) County: Beaufort Folder: Oyer & Terminer, New Bern, Sept. 1777 Information: Deposition of Nathan MAYO given to A. CONGLETON, JP of Craven Co.: States that he & Thomas CLARKE of Pitt Co. 3had a dispute respecting the Disturbance and War between Great Britain and America and that Thomas CLARKE said that he would stand up for King George, and that no person who would not support him was fit to live.2 MAYO replied 3that any person who would not stand by and defend his country ought to be taken up.2 CLARKE then shot at MAYO, but the gun misfired. He tried again once or twice more. MAYO ran into his house and brought out his own shotgun loaded with buckshot and shot CLARKE. CLARKE did not speak after he was shott, but died in about half an hour. MAYO stated that 3they always before that time lived in Peace as neighbors2 and that he shot CLARKE in self-defense. 3That at the time when this happened the said Thomas CLARKE and this examinant [MAYO] were both in liquor & that no person was by when this happened.2 Date: 22 August 1777 (date of event); 4 Sept 1777 (date of deposition) County: Pitt