Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1909-09-17

pieAe WIN eutTleb uotn QUdlht anu
curious. The earliest records Of
! deeds are In the year 1850. hut the
leaves are so moth eaten as to make
the entries undecipherable. The rec
0rds In the court order book dating
from the same period are In splen-
did state of preservation.
Here is one of the many entries
in the court order book:
AT a meeting of the Justices Of
he court. held I'd January. A. D..
1888. present Col. John Stone and
other Justices
1T having pleased Almighty God
to bless His Royal Majesty with the
birth Of a son and his subjects with
a Prince Of Wales. and for as much
as his Excelleney hath sett apart the
10th of this inst. Jan'ry for solemn
lzing the same. To this end, there
fore, that 1t may be done with all the
expressions OF Joy this country is cap
able Of, this court has ordered that
Capt. Geo. Taylor do provide and
bring to the North Side Court House
for this county (now Rappahannock
County, as much rum or other strong
liquor with sugar proportionable as
shall amount to. six Thousand hye
hundred pounds Of tobacco. To be
distributed amongst the troops OF
horse comp. of foot and other per-
sons that shall be present at the said
solemitie and that the said sum be
allowed him at the next laying of the
Lady. As also that Capt. Sam1 Blom-
field provide and bring to the South
Side Court House (now Richmond
County; the River Rappahannock d.
yides the two counties) of this coun-
ty as much rum or other strong liq-
uor with sugar proportionable as
1 shall amount to three thousand FIVE
hundred pounds of tobacco to be dis
/ tributed as above at the South Side
Court House and the said sum to be
allowed him at the next laying Of the
Lady"
At the same court the Sheriff was
directed " to seize and deliver to one
Sarah Harwood her goods and chat
tells and go and imprison her husband,
William Harwood. for the beating he
had given his Wife" and restrained
the said William from selling or
d-sposing OF any essaataacccusd 10 hin
by marriage of said Sarah until her
complaint be fully heard"
Imprisonment evidently had a So
4 bering effect upon the pugnaclous
William, or absence made the heart
OF Sarah grow fonder, for at a court
held on January 1. 1889, Just one
year after Williams Incarceration,
appearing in open court. 'acknowl
edged a reconciliation between her
self and the said William. and the
court thereupon ordered the release
of the said William Harwood"
At the court held on April /. 1891,
on the complaint of one John Mich
olas. Hugh French was admonished
''to refrain, In the future, to allow
poore labouring men to tipple sew
eral times a day at his house"
Having thus set their approval
upon tlppling. the Justices at the
next court. held June 8. 1891, turned
their attention to the habit of smok-
ing, and caused the following order
to be passed and entered upon the
records of the court:
Whereas rude and uncivilized
custom of smoking tobacco in this
County Court House during the ses-
sIons of court hath been frequently
used and practiced amongst us, and
I for as much as the same is greatly
derogatory from the respect due to
and dignitie of his Majesty's courts
I of justice, this court have ordered
that what person or persons so ever
shall be found smoking tobacco in
either of the Court Houses of this
county during the sitting of the
court shall be fined fifty pounds of
tobacco, to be paid to the Sheriff or
his deputy for the use OF the county
at large"
In the records of wills there is but
one instance of the will OF an Indian
being proved. 1t was the Will of Ed
ward Gunstocker. an Indian. dated
October 20, 1876. whepain the testa-
tor declared that being ow designed
upon an expedition with the English
against my countrymen, the Indians.
] do make. ordain, constitute, and re-
sign my soul to God and my body to
the earth" The will was proved in
the year 1850.
In Westmoreland County there
was proved in the year 1874 the will
of Richard Cole. who evidently was
somewhat eccentric. The will con-
tains the following clause: Item, it
is my will, and I desire that my body
be inferred upon Poynt Pleasant upon
my plantation in a neat coffin of black
walnut, If conveniently be had. and
that a gravestone of black marble
be with all convenient speed sent for
out of England with my coat OF arms
/ engrayen in brass and under 1t this
epitaph:
Here lies Dick Cole. a grievous sin
ner.
That died little before dinner.
Yot hopes in heaven to find a place
To sntiate his soul with grace"
Tae County OF York once numbered
among its inhabitants Andrew whe-
rlli. who. realizing the uncertainties
of life and the necessity before dying
OF disposing by will OF his worldly
goods, made and executed In due legal
form his will In these words
In the name of God, amen. This
win and Testament being the last
VIII and Testament OF Andrew Whe-
rill. made the 10th day OF March.
1851. being in his perfect senses as
ever he was in his lifetime. Witness
eth. That l make Christopher Stokes
my lawful oyerseer to see that the
tendure Of this my will be performed.
as follows:
Item, | give to my brother Ma
a