Botetourt County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Court.....Minutes, County Court April 1779
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 29, 2007, 4:08 pm

Source: Annals Of S W Virginia
Written: April 1779


At a court held for Botetourt County the eighth day of April, 1779.
    Present: George Skillern, Adam Smyth, Wm. McClenachan, Pat Lockhart, Robt.
Poage and Joshua Martin, Gent. Justices.

    Ord. that Elizabeth Page and John McCulley, orphan children, be bound to
James Tosh accdg. to law.

    George Snuffer is appointed a Constable in the room of Joseph Willis, who is
dischd. from that office.

    Archibald Kyle is apptd. Constable in the room of James Roberts, who is
dischd. from that office.

    Ordered that the Sheriff summon twenty four of the most capable freeholders
in his bailiwick to appear here at the next May court to servo as a Grand Jury
of Inquest for the body of this County.

    William Hamilton, one of the Gentlemen named in the Commission of the Peace
for this County, took the oath required by law.

    This court is ordered to be adjourned till seven o'clock tomorrow morning.

    The minutes of these proceedings were signed by
                                William Fleming


At a court continued & held for Botetourt County the 9th day of April, 1779.

Present: Geo. Skillern, Adam Smyth, Wm. McClenachan & Pat Lockhart, Gent. Justices.

    Ordered that Martin Baker, James Cloyd, Henry Pawling, Jno. Neelly and
Michael Cloyd to lay off a road from Wm. Ward's saw mill passing by the Poplar
Spring and into the Old Road by John, Stewart's, and make report thereof to the
court.

    And also that John Davies, John Neelly, Michael Cloyd & Henry Pawling &
David May do view the way & mark out a road from John Neelly's passing through
Creeley's Gap & into the road between Henry Pawling's and Mrs. Davies's and make
report thereof to the court.

    Geo. Skillern, Gent., who was elected a Commissioner of the Taxes in this
County, represented to the court that it was not in his power to act any further
in that business, being elected a delegate for the said County, the court
received his resignation, and thereupon proceeded to elect another person to act
in his stead, when David May was unanimously chozen. [sic]

    John Baller, a Captain of the Militia for this County, took the oath
required by law.

    This court doth appoint Pat Lockhart and the Revd. Adam Smyth to have the
wood land belonging to this Town laid off in thirty acre lotts, and that they
also have nine half acre lots on the east side of the Main Street adjoining the
present Town Plat and that the same be immediately surveyed & sold by them at
the May Court at publick sale.

    Andrew Woods with Geo. Skillern and William McClenachan his securities
entered and acknowledged bond in the sum of three thousand pounds for the said
Woods' true and faithful collection of the publick taxes in this County.

    Ordered that the court be adjourned till tomorrow morning, seven o'clock.

    The minutes of these proceedings were signed by
                                   Geo. Skillern


    At a Court of Oyer and Terminer held at Botetourt Courthouse the 10th day of
April, 1779 for the examination of Charles McFaden on suspicion of his murdering
his Negro man slave. Present: the Revd. Adam Smyth, Patrick Lockhart, John
Armstrong and William Hamilton, Gent. The said Charles being set at the bar and
it being demanded of whether he was guilty of the said charge or not guilty,
pleaded thereto not guilty. Whereupon Thomas Draper, a witness was sworn and
examined and the prisoner heard in his defence. On consideration whereof the
court are of opinion that he is not guilty of the said murder and that he be
acquitted, discharged and set at liberty. 

    Ordered that the court be adjourned.

    This proceeding was signed by
                                Adam Smyth


    At a court continued and held for Botetourt County the 10th day of April,
1779. Present: the Revd. Adam Smyth, Patrick Lockhart, William Hamilton and John
Armstrong, Gent.

    Ordered that the Clerk of this Court advertise publick that the Justices are
determined to proceed to the trial of causes on their docket at the May Court
next, and that the plaintiffs who fail to appear and prosecute their suits at
that time may depend on having them discontinued.

    Ord. that the ct. bo adjd. till the court in course.

    This proceeding was signed by
                                   Adam Smyth


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

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