The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-03-06
BEDFORD COUNTY.
An Interesting Document
Colonial Times.
For Thc Tim es- Dispatch

OrGs'Lno Il
Memorandum y That at the house OF
Mathew talbot. Gent. Ii, the county Of
Bedford Il on Monday s, the 27tl, day q
May, In tho twentys..seventh. year Of the,
reign OF our soverelg rlS and King, George
the Second, &c. Ammo Dom. y 1854 his
ma esty. 81 Commissioner OF the Peace for
this county, under tho seal OF this colo-
ny and domlni lion II Of Virginia bearing
date the twelfth day OF May. instan T.. q !
JOHN Phelps, John; Anthony y, William Cal
tlaway, John Smith, Jr.fS zacl1ary 1sbell.
Robert Page, ohm Sutton, Thomas Pull
slin. Edmund Manion and Richard Calla.-
way. Gent. !, was openly read rs was IN
like manner hts najcsty .ss. Deds: Pote ~
Itatum UNDER the sal seal IND OF the
same date for administering the oaths,
&c. and 4 hereupor pursuant to tile said.
EDedmus the said john Pane took the
usual oaths to his maj Jest IS person. and
government, and took and subscribed the
abjuvation oath and also fsthscribed the.
test ana lkew ise H took q the oath OF a
Justice Gof peace and OF tee Of the
County Court I'M cha nee al which
,oatiis we're administe ed to- him by Zach
airy Isbell and Robert Page then the
said John Payne !; adm nistered all the
aforesaid oaths to the said wv liam Gala
way, John Smith. Jl.., X Zachary Isbell,B
Robert Page. Thomas Pullin and Ed
5lnund AIanion who took the same and
fsubscribe 5sthe said 4 abjuration oath and
test. at court held for b ford county
att 1.-THE house OF Ma thew abbot, Cent
May tho 9TH 754. 3}5s
3 Prcsen I'll ohm N Pa ync, II "a charyi Isbell.$
William Gail away !. u, obert s Page. John
Smith Jr., Thomas Pullt,i and Edmund Nd ]
Manion. Gent, Jnsti ices. sss sSS
BENZ Howard prod ced A II commission
to he clerk o. this court t and took the
oatns to his majesty's person and gov.
eminent and the abjuration oath. and
subscribed. the same and he feat and took
tho oath or his OH ce. IA 5i XII VI
;sl J ohm Harvey, Clement Reade aud James
Cary. Gent. \. sevcrally tooks the oatls to-
government &C.. and fsub ribed the test.
took the oath Of attorney and admitted
to prac tice In this Il collr r.. a.nd the SAID
FReade also sworn h Isl ma tastY at torney-!
general IN this county. 552 IL
1T he above are correct copies from the
FIRST mute book of the COUNTY Cour rt e
Bedford. Es 4 S,f A, \, a{
The proceedings 1t 3thet Count Court
were entered In brief in what was called
Y q. Minute Book up to 1870, " hen the
Justices were, superseded, under the Un-
&derwoo Constitution. by a judge;H after
that the proceeding of the court were en-
tered In what was called Order Book, A
and were entered In extenso.
S Benjamin y Howard was clerk UP to
February. 4 772. when he died, and was
succeeded by James steptoe. who held
the Office, until = SIG. when he died and
was succeeded by his son. JaHes Gala
way Steptoe, who died in 1927. and was
succeeded by Robert Crump 1itchell
who held it until 1915. Since which time
the office has been held by different per-
sons. The old Virginia County Court
system really expired LIST July. 1862.
The office OF Justice OF the peace and
clerk OF court became elective by the
people in the spring Of 1859, and many
OF the old justices and some OF the clerks
refused 60 serve longer, In my opinion
1t was the fairestl and best court the State
ever had. Fewer OF It's decisions We're
reversed by the Court OF Appeals than Of
the circuit courts. was connected with
the county, ana circuit courts off and on
3fronl Pr y .:s..a5