PUBLISHED THURSDAYS OLD STOKES HISTORY T. S. Petree Continues His Accounts As Gathered From Records (BY T. S. PETREE.) A special term of court was called for October 28th, 1864. The court was in session for only one day. The first thing done was to rescind the order previously made to pay each member of soldier's families $2.00 each per month. It waa further ordered "that the County Commissioners b( au thorized to borrow on the faith and credit of the County a Sum Sufficient to purchase cotton, leather, to clothe & shoe the in digent families of soldiers in this County, and that the same, whe.i purchased shall be distributed among them under the same rule 3 and regulations as provided for the distribution of provisions." It was further ordered that "Lafayette Smith, salt agent for the county use all diligence in getting a supply of salt for the needy of this county - - • that Z. L. Wall be directed to sell peas & other provisions which is in a damaging condition - - - that th takers of the last tax lists for 1864 be allowed ?2.UU day." o The court next met on March 20, 1865. We note the following in the minutes, "that Commis sioners be appointed to contract, for the building of a Ferry boat to be used in crossing persons over the river near Danbury and also employ some suitable person to keep the same; "William A J Lash was appointed agent to re ceive from the State the quota of Scythe blades which is due to this county and sell the said blades to the best advantage of the county; "that J. J. Martin, card Commissioner, be authorized to sell the wool cards for Citizens and to individuals in different parts of the county & to citizens of other counties." On Tuesday, March 21st, 1805,1 thia court adjourned. The last l entry made on the minutes ol this court appears at the bottom j of the page in large letters: j "LAST COURT UNDER | CONFEDERATE RULE". -o— tfuppose we turn back the pages of history and review some oC j the laws that governed our peo prior to. and after the Rev olutionary war. VV? ran across ...i old law book in the Clerk's oi (ire wluc!. we presume was placet there f»i the convenient o: the courts, and notice that \s were ci'ed tint were enaete 1 \ rs 1m fo»e the Revolution aivl \\!i!e we wore under British rule. The last acts in thia book wero those laws that enacted during the year 1792. We will begin in the year 1741 when "Hia Majes J ty's council, and General Assent- | blv", met at Edonton. Ws quote briefly: ' That all and overy person and persons whataoever, on the Lord'? day, commonly called Sunday - - • vhali upon the land or water, ch ••xerciae any labor, bualneaa 01 work - • - employ themselves either in huntini* of flshlnsr, or lowling - - • use any pame, sport or play - - - of the *7o of fo'.ir- teen years and upward, shall for ' felt and pay the sum of ten shill ings. " I "That if any person or per sons, shall profanely swear or curse, in the hearing of any jus tice of the peace • - - shall for feit and pay the sum of two shil lings and six pence -• . and il any person, executing any public office, shall profanely swear 01 j curse • - • shall forfeit and pay jthe sum of Ave shillings, for each and every oath or curse - • - that |if any person or persons shall prophanely swear and curse, in the presence of any court of rec ord in this government, shall im mediately pay the sum of Ten shillings for each and every oath or curse. "That every person convicted of drunkeness on the Lord's day, pay the sum of Ave shillings; but if on any other day, the sum of two shillings and six pence, for each and every such offence - • - that this act shall be public ly read, in all parish churches and chapels, by the minister, cleric or reader of each parish, immediately after divine service, on the first or second Sunday in September, under the penalty of twenty shillings, proclamation money, for every such omission or neglect. I "That the keeper of the public gaol shall, by direction of thj court, let out any negro runaway to hire, to any persons, the said keeper shall, at the time of his delivery, cause an iron collar to be put on the neck of such negro, or runaway, with the letters P. G. stamped thereon; and that there after the said keeper shnll not be answerable for any escape of the said negro or runaway. "That when any runaway nor vants or slave shall be brought before any justice of the jxmcu within this government, shail commit tho said runaway to the next constable, and order him to give so many lashes, not exceed ing thirty nine lashes, well lalri on, on the back, thi-n car- lied home, or to tlw pjblle gac-l as aforesaid. "That no Hlnve shnll go armed with gun, sword, club oj- other weapon, or shall hunt or with a pun in the woo i« wlintso ever, if any slave so fo.tnd, shall 1,0 twenty 'asaes, on his oi her bere hack ail br. so in homt. "That no slave shall go from off the plantation, without a cer tificate of leave, in writing, for so doing, from his master or ov erseer, (negroes wearing liveries always excepted). "That where any negro, mulat to. or Indian, bond or free, give 1 false testimony in the County Court, without further trial have one ear nailed to the pillory, and there stand for the space of one , hour, and the aaid ear to be cv off, and thereafter the other ear n»llfcd in like manner.) and cut . off at the expiration of one other hour; and moreover, to order every such offender thirty nine THE DANBURY REPORTER lsshes, well laid on, oa..fcis or her bare back, at the commfta whip pin-post" 0 Among the laws passed by thi General Assembly, held at New bern (New Bern), March 17, ' 1749, we observe the following: "That the Justices of each | county court, shall have power and authority to purchase the latest editions of the law books following, to wit: Nelson's Jus tice, Cary's Abridgment of the Statutes, Swinburn of Wills, or Godolphin's Orphans Legacy, and Jacob's Law Dictionary or Institutes; which books provided, shall be forever after, for the use of the county court, kept In the office of the clerk, and laid by the clerk on the court table, for the use and perusal of the Justices of such court, and of all such us may have matters depending m court." On Dec. 12, 1754, the Assembly was again in session at Newbern. The following law waß passed: "1. Whereas many mischevious and illdisposed persons have of late, in a milicious and barbariou3 manner, maimed, wounded and defaced many of his majesty'n subjects. "2. Be it enacted, that if any person or persons, shall on pur pose cut out or disable the tongue, put out an eye, slit the nose, bito or cut off a nose or lip, bite or cut off, or disable, any limb or member of any subject, shall suf fer as in case of felony." It was not many months after the start of the Revolution that | the General Assembly was in an sion at New Bern. On April' 8, 1777, a law was passed that WHJ in use for almost 164 years, and for sanitary reasons was abolish ed by the Legislature during this present year, 1941. We rafer to the kissing of the Bible uron taking oath. We quote: "1. WHEREAS lawful oaths, for the discovery of truth, and establishing right, are necessary, and highly conducive to the Im portant ends of good government; and being, most solemn appeals to Almighty God, as the omniscient witness of the truth, just and omnipotent avenger of falsehood such oath ought therefore bi taken and administered with the moat aoleminty. "2. Bo it therefore enacted Dy the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina, and by tho authority of the same, that judges, justices of the peace, ami other persons, who are or shall he empowered to administer oaths, shall require the party to be sworn to lay his hand uyon the holy uvengeUat of Almighty God, in token of his engagement to apeak the truth, as he bopes to bo saved in the way and meth od of salvation pointed out in the blessed volume, and in fur., I I j ther token, that if he should kwerve from the truth, he may i justly be deprived of all the blessings of the Gospel, and mado liable to that vengeance which he l has imprecated on his own head, ! and after i "!\ting the words /'so help mi "\ shall kiss the • holy Ctospo' mnl o' confir mation to t 1 engagement." "| Another 1 a uansed re r garding w! we quote: : "and provide >, that all ne grots, Indiana, mulattoes, and all person* of mixed blood, descended from negroes and Indian ances tor*, to the fourth generation in clusive (though oae ancestor of each generation may have been a white person) whether bond or I free, shall be deemed and taken i to be incapable in law to be wit nesses in any cases whatsoever, except against each other." | On November 15, 1777, the General Assembly passed the fol lowing law: "An act to prevent domestic insurrections, and for other pui poses; "1. WHEREAS the evil and pernlscious practice of freeing slaves in this state, ought at this alarming and critical time to be guarded against by every friend and wellwisher to his country; "2. Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina, and by the authority of the same. That no negro or mulatto slave shall hereafter be set free, except for meritorious services, to be judg ed of and allowed by the county court." It was also at this session ' the General Assembly that the following act was passed: "Whereas it is necessary to a due and regular administration of justice, that courts be estab lished in this State." It was then that both the Su perior Court, and the Coart of Pleas and Quarter Session* vrere established in this State ami were defined in the act. A law directing the methodl of electing members to the Genanl Assembly was passed at this time.. The elecuons were to be held at the court bouse in the various counties after 20 day's notice giv en. by tks Sheriff. And the act further states: "and the return ing officer shall keep the election, apm. two days sad no longer." We notice another law that j went into effect at this time: f '"L, WHEREAS the peace and j| harmony of evepy neighborhood t much depends on good and suffl dint Canon.: "2. Be it therefore enacted, &c, that every planter shall make a sufficient fence about his cleared ground under cultivation, at least five feet high, unless where soma navigabU stream or deep water course shall be. that may be deemed sufficient instead of a fence." During those days, and for years after, there was no stock , law. All stock roamed at will I and if damage was done to tho:,o ,things under cultivation, regard less of who owned the laisd, the fault seemed to be with the mar. j who did not keep his fence in Rood oixler. 0 The General Assembly again met at New Bern on April 14th, 1778, and among other laws pass ed we note the following: "Whereas it is necessary that i a great seal be procured, to be > used by the governor for the time , being as the seal of this State; II "2. Be it therefore enacted, Ac, ) that William Ttsdalq, Esq 1 .,, be • and is hereby appointed to cut ' and engrave a seal - • - and tlv said seal - • - shall be callod tho : Great Seal of the State of Nortn • Carolina, and shall be used anJ aflxed - - -to all grants, procla mations, and other public acta." I At the same session of the As sembly an act was passed to pre vent the stealing of slaves, or free negroes, and dispose of them out of the State. The penalty being, "shall be guilty of felony, and shall suffer death without benefit of Clergy." The General Assembly met at jSmithfield on May 3, 1770. Wc set forth herewith a law passed at that time: "That no slave shall be permit ted on any pretense whatever, to | raise any horses, cattle, hogs ot | sheep - - - that one month after passing of this act - - - they shall be seized and sold - • - one half 'going to the wardens of the poor, jthe other to the informer." The next meeting of the As sembly was at Halifax on October 18, 1779. We wish to, briefly, produce here a law passed at that time regarding conterfeft ing: i "That if any person after the passing of this act shall by print ing, writing, engraving or any : other way or means, counterfeit, or attempt to counterfeit - - - such person or persons so offend ing, being thereof lawfully con victed, by confession or verdict, or standing mute on arrangement or trial, shall for the first offense stand in the pillory three hour*, and have his right ear nailed to the pillory and cut off, and re ceive on their bare back thirty nine lashes, and be branded with a red hot iron on the right cheek with the letter *C, and on the left cbeek with the letter 'M', and be imprisoned st the descretion of the Court - - - snd it is furth* er enaated*. that any person or persona - - - shall be found guilty for the second offence, he or they shad, suffer death without benefit of Clergy-" The General Assembly met at Fayettevifla on November 2nd. j1.789. Samuel Johnston was gov ernor at that time. It was then 'that an act wais passed that cre mated our county. We quote this !law below-.- "An aut for dividing the coun ty of Snrry into two distinct aountietr, and for other purposes. "WHEREAS the large extent and inconvenient situation of the WANTS j ||||k FOLKS are usually will* other plant fo6d "vila . ppl inj to pay more to |«t min" element*, iodine, bo- , the belt. That's natural, ron, magnesium, calcium, * .':t\ The beat ia usually the manganese, and many more. & A cheapest. Use it regularly on all your JpP Chilean Nitrate of Soda, (or crops, in mixed fertiliser instance! It'a natural, the before planting, and aa top jS|| only natural nitrate ia the dressing and aide dressing |||| LM» world. later on. That ia th« way j|||| y** •' com no more.. to get the fall benefit JIM It eontalna 16% nitrogen of ita fertilising and soil- '1 | and small quantities ef improving qualities. •'«•s* Be sure you get ifjlp NATURAL OF T SODA Thursday, Apr. 17,1W1 * county of Surry, reader (fit at tendance of the InhibHißti of the extreme pert* at coorts, elections and general musters, difficult and expensive: For rem edy whereof, and to gratify the wishes of the good people of eaii county: I "1 Be it enacted, be. That from and after the passing of this act, the county of Surry i shall be divided into two distinct '■ counties, by a line beginning ou the line dividing this state from the state of Virginia, at a point equidistant from the nearest • parts of the counties of Rocking ham and Wilkes, and running jfrom thence until it intersects jthe Rowan county line, so as to leave an equal number of acres s in each county. "2. And it is further enacted, T that all that part of said county, lying west of said line, shall be erected into a distinct county by the name of Surry county; and | all that part lying east of sat i ! line, shall be erected into anothei distinct county by the name of I Stokes county." At this point suppose we track bock the "Ancestry" of our coun ty and see where we started Bladen county was taken from . New Hanover in the year 1734. Anson county was taken from Bladen, March 17, 1749. Rowan, county was taken from Anson, March 7, 1753.. Surry county was taken from Rowan, January 28, 1771. Stokes county was talujn from Surry, November 2,. 1789. ~ t A I -OUJ. . ... m . Rumfoid Rrnous ► Why don Cqjri* Coflim I BECAUSE iho'g frying to HM •• high «i ft*cokes » •ha bokoi will* tUMFORD tho baking powder f tfiat act* H In #»r mining, H li IWI. Sond for NKW booklet, containing) dbcon* . of bright idooo to improve your bokln«\ Address* Romford Baking Powdsr, Boa K, Vumford, R. I. ««a«STE

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