The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1890-06-11
VIRGINIA BLUE LAVISH 1868.

The Boston transcript of Friday con-
tains the following communication:
We have all heard more or less of the
s'Blue Laws" of Connecticut and OF the
s'Black Code" of the South. But | did
not know till since the present war COM
menced that any such religio-legal enact
ments had ever been made by the South
ern chivalry of Ditch-land, as we have
understood by this term of "Blue Laws
Some two years since, a soldier of the Po-
tomac army, on entering the court house
in Warrick county, Va, found the old
records of the court, which he forthwith
coniscated and sent to me two pages,
from which the following items are copied.
The paper is quite thick, and measures
16 by 10 inches. The chirography is Pc
culiar, and there are twenty-six entries OF
decisions made by that court, under the
date of October 81, 1868. This MS. is in
teresting, not only from its remote an-
tiquity, but also on account Of the infor-
nation which it gives us as to the religi-
GUS and legal manners of our Southern
neighbors two hundred years ago. Wit
ness the following:
''Mr. John Harlow, and Alice, his wife,
being by the grand inquest presented for
absenting themselves from church, are,
according to the act, fined each Of them
fifty pounds of tobacco, and the said Mr.
John Harlow ordered forthwith to pay
one hundred pounds of tobacco to the
sheriff, otherwise the said sheriff to levy
by way of distress"
'fJane Harde, the wife OF Henry Harde,
being presented for not tending church,
is according to act fined fifty pounds OF
tobacco, and the sheriff is ord red to col |
lcct the same from her, and in case Of nom
payment to distress"
''John Lewis, his wife this day refusing
to take the oath of allegiance, being or
dered her, is committed into the sheriff's
custody, to remain until she take the said
oath, or until further ordered to the con-
trary."
''John Lewis, his wife, for absenting
herself from church, is fined fifty pounds
of tobacco, to be collected by the sheriff
from her husband, and upon non-pay-
ment, the said sheriff to distress"
"Robert Reynolds, being prosecuted for
absenting himself from church, and sum-
moned by the sheriff, this court to make
his appearance, and appearing not, is fined
for both offences one hundred and fifty
pounds of tobacco, to be levyed by the
sheriff by way Of distress, upon his non-
payment thereof"
George HARDWOOD, being prosecuted for
his absenting himself from church, is fined
| fifty pounds of tobacco, to be levied by
way of distress by the sheriff upon his
non-payment thereof"
"Peter White and his wife being pre-
sented for common swearing, are fined
fifty pounds of tobacco, both of them, to
be collected by the sheriff from the said
White, and upon his non-paymcnt of the
same to distress.
"Richard Ring, being presented as a
common swearer, is fined fifty pounds of
tobacco, to be levied by the sheriff, by
way OF distress, upon his non-payment.
From all can learn there was but one
"church' in Virginia In 1868, and that
was the English, or what is now the Pro.
testant Episcopal Church, and it was fol-
non attendance on this church that the
fine Of fifty pounds of tobacco was inflict-
ed by the Old Dominion two hundred
years ago; and the chivalrous descend
ants Of the race that passed those laws in
Virginia have been the men, in later
times, to taunt us with the memory OF
"blue laws, as If none such had ever
been enacted except by the Yankees.
This record speaks of no fine imposed
by the Virginia Court except on "tobac-
co, and from which we learn that this
weed was not only staple commodity al
that carly period of our country, but it
was so much so that it became a substi-
tute for currency.
This ancient record, thus brought to
light by the fortunes of war, seems to me
Of some historical value, and accordingly
| have deposited it for safe keeping in the
archives of the New England Historical
and Genealogical Society, Is Broomfleld
street, Boston. LIE Roy SUNDERLAND.