Sunday, October 31, 2010

John Melzard of Marblehead Massachusetts

August 16, 1814. Massachusetts. A receipt signed “John Melzard” for taxes paid on his property in his hometown of Marblehead, MA: “Received this 16 day of Augst., 1814 from John Melzard the sum of eight two cents for direct tax upon the property of J.M. in the Town of M.head in the ninth Collection District, in the State of Massachusetts, under the act of Congress passed the 2d August, 1813, to lay and collect a direct tax within the United States.”

1812. No Place. A bill to John Melzard for the amount of $30.00 for shares of prize money owed to P. Smith.

August 15, 1822. Marblehead, MA. A state, town, and county tax assessment document for John Melzard in 1822.

No Date. No Place. An extract from the report of Capt. Brown which mentions the sea captain John Melzard: “I therefore beg leave to acquaint you that John Melzard appears by the List that accompanied him from the Sandwich … a volunteer entered at Gravesend on the 2nd of May 1796 and received an able seaman’s bounty, and farther beg leave to inform that he has run from the Kite two months pass.”

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Thomas Stagg 1806

Document dated 1806, where Thomas Stagg of the City of New York has sold to James C. Roosevelt; a piece of land in Palmer's Purchase, lot number 42, in the River Division......signed by Thomas Stagg, Catherine Stagg and William Rose.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Georgia, Macon County 1856

Georgia, Macon County
Before me Benjamin Harris, a justice of the Inferior Court and for said county, personally came Samuel M. McKenzie, who being duly sworn … saith that James H. Wadsworth and Henry Abraham, both of said county--

WITH FORCE AND ARMS … on the first day of July, in the year 1856, at or about the hour of 9 o’clock of the night, IN A VIOLENT AND TUMULTUOUS MANNER, WITH GUNS AND OTHER WEAPONS, DID APPROACH WITHIN 30 PACES OF THE DWELLING HOUSE OF MRS. MILLEY MCKENZIE … AND DID THEN AND THERE WITH TUMULT AND LOUD NOISE, the said James H. Wadsworth did CURSE, INSULT, AND USE HIGHLY ABUSIVE LANGUAGE toward the inmates of the said house, and did then and there FIRE OFF AND DISCHARGE A SHOTGUN LOADED WITH POWDER at the said dwelling house, which the said Milley McKenzie, one Maria C. McKenzie, Eusche Chatam a widow, two infants of the said Milley, and also George W. McKenzie and Samuel M. McKenzie, sons of the said Milley, and all members of her family, were quietly inhabiting said dwelling house as their regular place of abode.”

“And the said Wadsworth then and there FIRED OFF THE SAID GUN AS MANY AS SIX OR EIGHT TIMES, AND AT ONE OF THE FIRINGS, A NUMBER OS SHOTS STRUCK THE SAID DWELLING HOUSE. all the said time the said Wadsworth was in A GREAT RAGE, CURSING AT THE PERSONS IN SAID DWELLING AND DARING THEM TO COME OUT. And defendant states that the said Henry Abraham was present aiding and abetting the said James H. Wadsworth in the said outrages by loading the said gun for the said discharges and otherwise assisting the said Wadsworth to commit said violence.

And defendant also further states that A CERTAIN NEGRO MAN SLAVE BY THE NAME OF CAESAR the property of the estate of Ethel Wadsworth deceased, was also present, shouting and making a noise with the said James H. Wadsworth by his orders and directions, and by his command, THE SAID NEGRO CURSING THE SAID GEORGE W. MCKENZIE AND SAMUEL M. MCKENZIE, AND DARED THEM TO COME OUT OF THE HOUSE, AND HE WOULD GIVE THEM A WHIPPING, or language to that effect …”

Note written in lighter ink on the reverse: “The defendants Wadesworth NOT FOUND in the County after diligent searching. John(?) L. Parker, Sheriff.”


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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

1817 PULASKI COUNTY GEORGIA SLAVE DOCUMENTS

“On or before the first day of January Eighteen Hundred and Seventeen we or each of us do promise to pay Jas Bryan or bearer the sum of one hundred and seventy eight dollars for THE HIRE OF TWO NEGROS upon condition of the said Negroes continuing with us twelve months from the date this 11th of January 1816.
Sam Fowle

The second from Pulaski, County, GA recording the details of a lawsuit that arose over this slave hire debt in the first paper above. The first two pages of this second document read in part as follows:

“Pulaski County, Georgia. The petition of James Bryan showeth that Samuel Fowle and Joseph Reid . . . promised to pay J. Bryan (your petitioner) or bearer the sum of one hundred and seventy eight dollars for THE HIRE OF TWO NEGROS upon condition of the said Negroes continuing with us twelve months from the date of the aforesaid note, and your petitioner affirms(?) that said two negroes hired as aforesaid did continue with said Samuel and Joseph for the term of twelve months . . . said Samuel & Joseph being so indebted though often requested, have never paid your petitioner said sum of money or any part thereof, but so to do they have refused . . . Wherefore your petitioner prays process may (?) requiring said Samuel Fowle and Joseph Reid, personally or by attorney to be and appear at the next Superior Court to be held in and for the County of Pulaski, there suffer to answer your petitioner in an action upon the case.”
The document is signed by Richard Jones (an attorney?).

The third page of this second document is a note directing the SHERIFF OF PULASKI COUNTY to detain the two defendants, signed by Edward Smith Clerk in the name of Judge Christopher B. Strong.

The fourth page has several different notes & annotation written upon it, including another note from Richard Jones. There is also a statement “Personally served each of the Defendants with a copy of the writ. 22nd March 1817”signed by B. Barker, Sheriff. There is also the following note: “WE THE JURY FIND FOR THE PLAINTIFF THE SUM OF ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTY EIGHT DOLLARS WITH INTEREST & COST OF SUIT,” Signed Stephen Mitchell, Juror.

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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

ALEXANDER MCGINTY 1784

State of North Carolina Document, Number 389.

ALEXANDER MCGINTY purchased SEVENTY ACRES in the COUNTY OF MECKLENBURG.

The front of the document has Official State of North Carolina Printing, plus lots of information about the land purchase WRITTEN BY HAND.

The backside of the document has manuscript information by the Mecklenburg County Clerk, including: "This certifies that this grant is registered in my office in book..." there are also a few relevant signatures (that I can't decipher) on the backside.

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