Proceedings of the First County Court, Hancock County, WV Submitted by Dale Patterson Norton750@aol.com ********************************************************************** USGENWEB 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. ********************************************************************** Copied from " History of the Panhandle, being Historical Collections of the Counties of Ohio, Brooke, Marshall and Hancock, West Virginia". Compiled and Written by: J.H. Newton, G.G. Nichols, and A.G. Sprankle Published by: J.A. Caldwell, 1879, Wheeling, W. VA. PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIRST COUNTY COURT HELD IN HANCOCK COUNTY. In pursuance of an Act of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia, passed January 15, 1848, the county of Hancock was established out of the northern end of Brooke County, and the first county court was organized on the tenth day of April, 1848, at the house of Samuel C. Allison, which is now known as the Manchester House. John Pittenger, David Pugh, Andrew Henderson, John Gardner, David Wylie, Wm. H. Grafton, and John Mayhew were the justices constituting said court. The court elected John H. Atkinson, clerk; Robert Brown prosecuting attorney; Josiah A. Adams, commissioner of the revenue; Thomas J. Hewitt, surveyor; and appointed the following commissioners of election: For New Manchester, James Hewitt, George Baxter, Thomas Elder, Robert Herron, David Pugh, of Peter. For Holliday's Cove: Greenbury Wilcoxen, William Beall, Isaac Van Norstrand, James Gardner and James Campbell (miller). David Wylie and Joseph Cameron were appointed sheriffs to hold the first election. David Wylie, Wm. H. Grafton and John Mayhew were recommended to the governor as fit persons to execute the office of sheriff. Wm. H. Grafton and John Mayhew were recommended to the executive as fit and proper persons to be commissioned to execute the office of coroner. Ordered: That the county courts of Hancock County be held at the house now occupied by Samuel C. Allison, in New Manchester, until further ordered. Wm. Bigham came into court, and on motion of John H. Atkinson, clerk of this court, was permitted to qualify as his deputy, and thereupon he took the oath of fidelity to the commonwealth, the oath prescribed by the act entitled "An act to suppress dueling", the oath to support the constitution of the United States, and the oath of office. James Cochran was appointed constable, "the court being of the opinion that he is a man of honesty, probity and good demeanor." He took the oath of office, with James Sanders, John Longstreth and Samuel F. Marquis as sureties. Bond $2,000. Alexander D. Pugh was also appointed a constable, with Hugh Pugh as surety, in the sum of $2,000. Ordered: That the county surveyor proceed to meet the county surveyor of Brooke, and run and mark the line between the county of Hancock and Brooke, according to the act of 1845. Court adjourned to meet the second Monday of May, 1848. John Gardner, P. J. List of the taxable town lots within the district of J. A. Adams, commissioner of the revenue in the county of Hancock, for the year 1848: FOR NEW MANCHESTER: Number of town lots, 72 Value of buildings, $95.95 Value of lots, including buildings, $194.05 Total amount of tax on each lot at $2.40 per $100 yearly value, $27.29 FOR NEW CUMBERLAND: Number of town lots, 39 Value of buildings, $14.00 Value of lots, including buildings, $19.00 Total amount of tax on each lot at $2.40 per $100 yearly value, $4.70 FOR COUNTY: Total amount for county, $692.51 List of the taxable property within the district of J. A. Adams, commissioner of the revenue in the county of Hancock for the year 1848: One slave at 32 cents is .32 968 horses at 10 cents is 96.80 12 gold watches at $1 are 12.00 82 silver watches at 25 cents are 20.50 157 metal clocks at 25 cents are 39.35 236 wooden clocks at 12 and one half cents are 29.50 and 1/2 64 jerseys, carriages, pianos, &c. 52.42 4 physicians 20.00 Tax on interest of bonds, notes, &c. 13.05 $285.84 and 1/2 I Josiah A. Adams, commissioner of the revenue for the county of Hancock, do solemnly swear that in making out the foregoing list of taxable persons and property, I have diligently, faithfully and strictly, to the best of my knowledge and ability pursued the course prescribed by the revenue laws of the commonwealth of Virginia. Josiah A. Adams, Commissioner of Revenue. Sworn to and subscribed before me a magistrate for the county of Hancock, on the 10th day of June, 1848. Wm. K. Grafton, J. P. FOR COUNTY PURPOSES. List of the levy for Hancock County for 1848: To William Ewing, for a bill of books for county court, $66.75 To Joseph Cameron, for extra services as crier, 10.50 To Joseph Cameron, for public services for this court, 15.00 To Robert C. Brown, public services for prosecuting attorney, 15.00 To J. H. Atkinson, services as clerk, stationary, 23.35 To A.D. Pugh, for summoning jury of inquest of commissioners, 4.83 To William H. Grafton, for holding inquest on man found, unknown, 5.00 To James Cochran, for summoning judges of election, 1.05 To Samuel C. Allison, for house for court, 15.00 To James Melvin, for writing stool for clerk, .75 _____ $157.13 LEVY FOR THE YEAR 1850. List of the county levy for Hancock County, made June 1850, is as follows: 1 docket for Robert Morrow, $ 1.50 1 docket for John Sunby, 1.50 1 docket for James Ross, 1.50 George Pentecost, for monuments, (omitted in last levy) 13.00 John Gardner, for damages on road, 13.00 John H. Atkinson, clerk for public services, 60.00 John H. Atkinson, for stationary and other purposes, 37.54 David Wylie, for writ of ad quod damnum, 11.10 W. H. Grafton, " " " " 7.66 David Wilce, " " " " 8.85 John Long, for one docket, 1.50 John Mayhew, for one docket, 1.50 Alexander Mayhew, for fixing court house, 6.67 John C. Young, for temporary stairs for court house, 6.00 Hall & Blankinsop, stoves for court house, 63.25 Smith & Jacob, for fifty copies of road law, 2.50 James Stevenson, balance on contract for court house,$1,549.99 James Melvin, for chairs, painting court house &c., 25.00 Wm. Bigham and others for advertising for proposals, 3.00 James Stevenson, for extra work on court house, 145.45 James Stevenson for spouting on court house, 21.86 James Stevenson for return spouting on court house, 37.22 P.F. Gise for stove pipe, 9.35 R.R.Gardner, commissioner of revenue, for making poll books, 5.00 Estate of Samuel C. Allison, for furnishing court place for 10 terms, 40.00 Samuel C. Allison as commissioner for superintending court house, 5.00 Wm. H. Grafton, sheriff, for public services, holding elections, 39.00 Wm. H. Grafton, sheriff, for candlestick and candles, .75 David Wylie, for holding election at Cove in 1848, 4.00 Robert Brown, prosecuting attorney for commonwealth, 60.00 James Pugh, for a docket, 1.50 Alexander Morrow, for shovel and poker, 1.50 Jesse Edgington, for three days purging polls, 9.00 Wm. White, for three days purging polls, 9.00 Bazzleel Wells, for three days purging polls, 9.00 W. Marks, for three days purging polls, 9.00 Robert Nicholls, for three days purging polls, 9.00 G. Wilcoxen, for docket, 1.50 _____ $2,232.18 The levy for bridge purposes in this county made June term, 1850 is as follows: Smith & Livengood, for an addition to the near fork of Tomlinson's Run, $56.25 James Freeman, for bridge at Ball's Mill, 15.00 James Freeman, for fixing bridge at Holbert's Run, 40.00 James Freeman, for repairing bridge near Gambel's saw mill, 6.36 ______ $117.61