Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-12-23
A Soldiers Find.

When John Bean went South to helu
quell the Rebellion as a member of Com
pany A, 18th Vermont regiment, he was
stationed for q time at Fairfax. Va,
where the soldiers beguiled the tedium of
warfare by thoroughly ransacking the
records and papers OF the Fairfax county
court house. Out of those musty
archives he saved four ancient documents
OF curious tenor.
One OF them, dated Fairfax county,
Va, April 20, 1915, gives "John Berkeley
liberty to procure from Fairfax county
clerk license, as be may think proper, to
marry Betsy Brewer" and is signed
"Yours respectfully, John Brewer"
Having thus "seen papa" successfully
and having secured his written permit to
wed the fair Betsy, the ardent lover Of 90
years ago evidently bied him straight to
the county clerk and procured the liz
cense; for il is mentioned In another pa
per bearing same date, April %, 1915,
and reading as follows:-
"Know all men by these presents that
We, John Berkeley and Francis @. Nash,
Jr., are held and firmly bound unto Will
son c. Nichols, governor OF the Common
wealth OF Virginia in the full and Just
sum of one hundred and fifty dollars, to
the payment whereof, we'll and truly to
be made, we bind ourselves, our heirs, ex-
ecutors and administrators, jointly and
severally, firmly by these presents, sealed
with our seals and dates this 25th day of
April, 1915. The condition of the above
obligation is such that, whereas there
has this day issued a license from the
clerks Office of Fairfax county for a mar
riage intended to be bad and solemnized
between the above-bound John Berkeley
and Betsy Brewer. Now IL there is law
ful cause to obstruct the said marriage,
then the above obligation to be void, else
to remain in full force and virtue" The
paper was signed and sealed and wit
Just why the prospective bridegroom
had to become indebted to the governor
Of Virginia in the sum OF $3.50 in order to
espouse a wife is not apparent; because II
the marriage was obstructed, then the
debt was to be void, otherwise to remain
in force. Had the $3.50 been put up with
/ he governor to bind the trade, SO to
speak, that John should not enter into an
engagement lightly and unadvisedly and
then back out rudely and unceremonious-
" without FORGETTING so much money
" neither he were sued for breach Of
promise or not, the pre-matrimonial Gus
ioms OF Fairfax county in 1916 would |
have been worth perpetuating. How
aver, after valiautly boarding Brewer pere |
ind Wringing a written permit from him,
obtaining the license and persuading a
riend into binding contract with the
II is hoped John married his
Betsy and lived happy ever after. Il is
nconceivable that John with his mind so
et on Betsy as to be willing to encounter
III this formality, ever changed it enough
o attempt tc get his $3.50 back through
he divorce court.
The wine, punch and rum account OF
ohm Massey, debtor to Hugh West in
1884, is another document which had
zen preserved in the court house for
ONE unaccountable reason; while anoth
r, dated Dec. %, 1749, is the bond OF
John Williams and Susannah, his
rife" administrators OF the estate OF
ames simmonds, to do well and truly
dminister the same and make just parti-
ION OF the goods OF said deceased. This
ond was given to the Right Hon. Thom-
) Lord Fairfax, the FIRST justice in the
ommission OF the peace for Fairfax
ounty.