Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-01-13
No. II. ALEXANDRIA, VA. THU RSDAY EVENING, JANU


ipg TO DR.. Peter Wagner. The char
tiers for both towns contained very much
the same provisions and were secured
mainly by the il fuence of Major Law.
renee Washington, then representing
the new county in the House of Bur-
gesses.
The fist court sessions of the county
were 10 all probability held at Col
chester, but the minutes OF them have
not been preserved. The first minutes
which appear on the books of the
clerks office are those of the year 1852.
Then it was ordered by the court that
tbs county records be removed from
Oocoquan Ferry presumably to the new
courthouse which had been built on
lands donated by Wm. Fairfax. The site,
now known as court house hill, miles
north of Vienna on the old Braddock
road leading from Alexandria through
Clark's ard Keys Gaps to the Shenau-
doah. General Sir Peter Halket. with
his brigade, consisting of the 44th Brit
ish regulars and several companies of
provincials, part of Braddock' q army,
camped there on the night of April 11th,
1855
At that time all the neighborhoods
north of Alexandria, being isolated and
rugglipg, were in state of alarm
from the incursions of hostile Indians
from beyond the mountains, and the
holding of the sessions in the new
courthouse was evidently of short con
tinuance. not longer probably than
three or four years, as appears from the
following clause in the will OF William
Fairfax:
Unto my son William Henry
| devise f,urteen hundred acres of
land called Springfield, together with
the late courthouse"
Ga the court minutes of 1852 is re-
cord of petition OF the Inhabitants of
The county against the removal of the
sessions, and that the courthouse be
fortified and this is all the light which
the existing court minutes throw upon
the matter.
In 1855, the year of the Braddock
war, the following act was passed by
the General Assembly:
"That the sum OF ten pounds shall be
paid by the treasurer of this colony to
any person or persons for every male
Indian enemy, above the age OF twelve
years, by him or them taken prisoner,
killed or destroyed within the limits of
the colony at any time within the space
IF two years after the end of this As
svmbly."
From Freedom Hill the sessions were
moved TO Alexaudris, where they were
continued until about 1900, when they
were again moved to their present
pl ce. Ca,esby Cooke was the first
clerk, from 17i2 to 1746; John Graham
t.ae next, from 1746 10 1852; Peter
Wagner next. from 1852 to 1895; GEO.
Deneale next, from 1895 to 1901. The
first justices mentioned in the re-
cords were Lewis Ezey, John Minor,
NJ ses Linton and 10 Carlyle. In 1851
the names of William Fairfax, George
VIM Fairfax, Chas. Brosdwater, Benz.
Seba stiau, Juo. West, Dsn'l McCarty,
Jao. Turley Ed. Payne, VIM. Ezey
and Lewis Ezey appear as justices.
1920 dered that there be erected in
the town of Alexandria whipping
post and stocks, also dnckiug stool
f,r the punishment of offenders. Ali
county officials were then obliged to
take the following oath Il, -, do
solemnly declare that there is no sub
sanitation in the sacrament OF the
Lords supper, nor the elements OF
bread and wine, nor after the consecra-
tion thereof by any one whatsoever +"
Same year ordered that the sheriff co..
lect of every tithable person seven
pounds of tobacco, the county levy for
that year. Ordered that Wm. Fairfax
aud Geo. VIM. Fairfax be executors of
Lawrence Washington. 1755-Panel
OF grand Jury: Townsend Dade, Henry
GuDnell, Thos. Shaw, Jas. Speer, Sa
ford Remy, Jno. jenkins, Tbos. Lewis,
Ed. Nash, Wm. Boylston, Davis Piper,
Chas. Thrift, VIM Buckley, William
Kitchen, Benoni HALEY. Jno. Ashford,
Daniel Tramwell, Richard Sanford,
Jno. Barry and Rob Sanford-"sworn
and charged to we'll enquire and true
preseutement make of all crimes and
misdemeanors."
Bounties of ore hundred and fifty
pounds of tobacco ordered to be paid
for the heads OF young wolves not ex-
ceeding the sge of six months, aud
one hundred pounds of tobacco for
heads of oil Ter wolves. Every claim
ant for these rewards was required to
produce to the court a certificate from
Justice of toe peace that he was legal.
" entitled TO them by the act of as
sembly, after the heads had been pro-
duc.d and sworn to. w. III. 3.
Conclusion of this paper next week.