Indian Affairs in Lancaster County; Wm. and Mary Qrtly., Vol. 4, No. 3 Transcribed by Kathy Merrill for the USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, 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. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** Indian Affairs in Lancaster County John Philips William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 3, (Jan., 1896), pp. 177-179. INDIAN AFFAIRS IN LANCASTER COUNTY. [Extracted from the Order Books(1). Att a Cort held for the countie of Lancaster Sept the 12th Ao Dni ___________________________________________________ (1) This appears to have been the re-enactment of an order passed September 14, 1653. In July of that year the General Assembly directed the courts of Gloster and Lancaster to pro- portion the lands of the Indians as the preamble of the above order directs. The Rappahannock nation proved rebellious, and the next year the Assembly declared war against them and formed the three counties of Northumberland, Lancaster, and Rappahannock into an association under Major John Carter as commander-in-chief. Page 178. 1660 at the Cort house there Coll. John Carter, Lt Coll Henry ffleete, mr Hen Corbin, mr Davie ffox, mr Geo Marsh, mr Raleigh Travers, mr Cuthbert Potter, mr Will Ball, mr Will Leech, mr George Keeble. Whereas the commissionrs of Lancastr were by an order of the last Assembly required to settle the Indians Inhabiting wthin this countie in such places where they now live & to apportion them such quantityes of Land as is by a formr Act of Assembly allowed them have accordingly allotted and established unto them these tracts of Land following, that is, unto Towezen otherwise called Taweren king of Rappahannocke all the land from the N.W. side of mr William Underwoods's lande to Rappahannocke Creek & likewise from the upp side of Jos. Sherlocks Lande att the N.W. side of that creek on wch the sd Sherlockes land is now bounded, being the lande in which they now live, the N.E. branch of ye sd Creeke to be understood ye same Creek, & have likewise ordered that the aforesaid Towezen bee king of all the Indians of the Rappahannocke nation, that an English house of the country fashion shall be builded for him according to the request of the sd Toweezen & his great men, and for the pservation of peace between them and the inhabitants of this River, and that a faire correspondence may be carreyed as well by inhitants towards them as by them to the inhitants we have agreed & confirmed. ffirst, That if any of the Inhabitants shall att any time doe any injury to any of the Indians & hee or they soe injured repaire to the next coissioner, Justice shall be rendered by the siade coissioner to whom complaynt that be so made against the partie or parties so accused, profe being made of the offense committed, or otherwise if the businesse & nature of the offense require it, such complaynt shall be transferred tot he next County Court where there king & great men may bee psent to joyne with the Court during the hearing of ye sd cause & to see Justice executed according to the nature of ye offense. Secondlie, If any Indians in their hunting bee taken in the act of driveing away or stealing of hoggs or cattle and they bee seased on, and brought before the next coissioner, notice shall be given to the king or great men whoe if they please may be present at that next ensueing court & Joyne with them during ye tryall of ye sd Cause, of if any injury or trespass whatsoever bee at any time done as hogs killed or shot & bring home the arrowed in them, then the sd king of Rappahannocke shall soe pvide by strict inquisition and Page 179. examinacon that the offender or offenders may bee pduced & that restitution shall bee made by Towezen & his great men, according to ye quality of the offence comitted. And if is shall so happen that any Indian bee taken in the act of killing hoggs or cattle, it shall be lawfull for the ptie or pties that shall finde such Indian or Indians in the act to kill hym or them from wch hee or they shall be acquitted according to act of Assembly in that case made & pvided. Signed: John Carter, Toby Smith, Henry ffleet, James Bagnall, Davey ffox, Andrew Gelson, Rowland Lawson, Richard Loes, and John Cox. John Philips, Cl Cur 7ber 14th 1653.