Botetourt County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Court.....Minutes, County Court May 1776 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 15, 2007, 9:50 pm Source: Annals Of S W Virginia Written: May 1776 At a court held for Botetourt County the 14th of May, 1776. Present. William Fleming, Andrew Woods, Richard May, & Wm. McClenachan, Gent. Justices. Ord. that the church wardens bind out accdg. to law Isabella Stewart, a bastard child of Agness Stewart, to Moris Allen accdg. to law. The last will & testament of James Campbell decd, was proved by John Paxton, one of the witns., and is ord. to be recd., and on the motion of Isaac & Lettice Campbell, the Exors. therein named, who made oath accdg. to law, certif. is granted them for obtaining a probate thereof in due form, they having entd. into bond, with (blank space), their securities accdg. to law. John Johnston is set levy free on acct. of his ago and infirmities. Isaac Taylor, Junr., is apptd. Constable in the room of James Barnett, who is dischd. from that office. Colo. Geo. Skillern is apptd. in the place of Colo. Lewis to arbitrate all matters in dispute between Israel Christian and John Neelly. Ord. that Anne Parrel be bound out by the church wardens to Henry Hunter accdg. to law. Ord. that the same bind Elizabeth Bond to James Tosh accdg. to law. A Grand Jury was sworn, towit: Isaiah Vansandt, John Paxton, James Cloyd, Joseph Looney, Wm. McClenachan, Wm. Hutcheson, John Reaburn, Elenezer Titus, Wm. Rtichey, James Hall, John Sproul, Wm. Galloway, Isaac Campbell, John Neelly and James Alcorn, who having received their charge, went out of the court to consider of their presentments. Ord. that John & Saml. Robinson be apptd. Surveyors of the Road in the room of Walter Stewart and that with the tithables that formerly (missing word) on the said road to attend them and they are hereby positively ordered to open the same and keep it in repair as it was formerly laid off by order of this court. Robert Caldwell is apptd. Surveyor of the Road from Fincastle Town to the top of the Catawba Mountain at Montgomery Gap. James Warren the same from Camp Union to William McCoy's place by Andrew Donnally's. Ord. that Judith Regan serve Smith Williams, her master, according (missing words) for having a base born child, and that the church wardens bind out the said child to the said Williams accdg. to law. Ord. that the church wardens bind out Mary Norlane an orphan child to Saml. Philips accdg. to law. The last will & testament of John McFarran, decd., was prestd. in court and proved by James Norvill and Wm. Ritchey, two of the witns. therein named, and to be recorded. And on the motion of Thomas and Saml. McFarran, the Exors. therein named, who made oath accdg. to law, certificate is granted them for obtaining a probate thereof in due form, having first entd. into bond conditioned as the law directs. Ord. that James Rowland, Thomas Rowland, James Norvil and William Ritchey or any three of them being first sworn do appraise in current money the slaves (if any) and personal estate of the said John McFarran, decd., and return an account of the same to the court. The Grand Jury retd. and presented the following persons, towit: Samuel Wallace for stopping the highway from Buchanan's store past John Paxton's. Also Richard Oldsbury for unlawfully cohabiting with Mary Graham. Also Isaac Skeggs for the same with Jane Seelley. Also Joseph Pryor for the same with Wm. Fattin's wife. Also Alexander Caldwell for profanely swearing by his Maker two oaths. Also Mathew Elder for stopping the road from the North River to John Paxton's by a fence made across the same. Also John Tatham for swearing three oaths. Ordered that process issue against the several persons this day presented by the Grand Jury, returnable here at the next court. Ord. that Saml. Wallace and Mathew Elder do immediately (missing words) and keep the road as it formerly went by John Paxton's in repair untill the appeal shall be determined in the General Court. Ord. that the church wardens bind out Mary Stewart to Lettice Campbell accdg. to law. Ord. that William Crow, Wm. Bilbro and James Alean being sworn do view the way proposed by Andrew Henry for turning the road and make report of the conveniences & inconveniences attending the same to the court. Alexander Caldwell is apptd. Constable in the room of John Potts, Junr., who is dischd. from that office. Joseph Carrell is apptd. Surveyor of the Road in the room of James Rowland and James Robinson in the room of Robert Breckinridge, Gentlemen, decd., from General Johnston's to Stephen May's. Ord. that Martha Clark be summoned to next court to shew cause why her child shall not be bound to John Estill, agreeable to a former indenture. Francis Smith took the oath of a Sheriff in Botetourt County by consent of the court. Ord. that a testament of writing signed by James McClung and Samuel McClung concerning Andrew Donneley's character, be transmitted to record. This court is ord. to be adjourned. The minutes of these proceedings were signed by William Fleming Additional Comments: Extracted from: Annals of Southwest Virginia 1769-1800 BY LEWIS PRESTON SUMMERS Member of American Historical Association, Virginia Historical Society; Alumnus University of Virginia and Tulane University (Louisiana); Member American Bar Association, Virginia State Bar Association Author of HISTORY OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA 1740-1786 WASHINGTON COUNTY VIRGINIA 1777-1870 PUBLISHED BY LEWIS PRESTON SUMMERS ABINGDON, VIRGINIA 1929 COPYRIGHT, 1929, BY LEWIS PRESTON SUMMERS MANUFACTURED COMPLETE BY THE KINGSPORT PRESS KINGSPORT, TENNESSEE United States of America File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/botetourt/court/minutes12nwl.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/vafiles/ File size: 6.3 Kb