In 1769 the Assembly passed an improved version of the previous year's circuit court act. It was the culmination of the long and bitter campaign to provide the interior of South Carolina with an adequate system of judicial administration. One of the legislative landmarks of South Carolina's colonial period, the Circuit Court Act of 1769 divided the province into seven judicial districts, Charleston, Beaufort, and Georgetown on the coast; and Orangeburg, Camden, the Cheraws, and Ninety Six in the interior. Silver Bluff on the Savannah to the mouth of Rocky Creek on the Saluda River and thence in the same course to the Broad River. It embraced the present counties of Edgefield, Saluda, McCormick, Abbeville, Greenwood, Newberry, Laurens, Union, Spartanburg, and parts of Aiken and Cherokee. The act provided that court houses and jails be built in each district and commissioners were named to erect them. Provision was made for preparing a new jury list for each district, and sheriffs were to be named by the governorr from three names submitted to him by the court. All pleadings were to be filed in Charleston, all documents were to be registered there, and all writs were to be issued from the court there. However, the trials were to be held in the district courts with jurors from the judicial district. Court was to be held in Ninety Six twice each year, in November and April. On April 7, 1770, the circuit court act was amended to require the courthouse and jail for Ninety Six District to be built within a mile of Fort Ninety Six. The governor was also authorized to name a clerk of court for the district when the public buildings were erected. In JUne 1772 the governor appointed Robert Stark as sheriff for Ninety Six District. Stark, John Lewis Gervais, and Patrick Calhoun (the father of John C. Calhoun) had been recommended to him. James Pritchard was listed as clerk of court in the South-Carolina Gazette for September 3, 1772. The first term of court was held at Ninety Six on November 16, 1772. The grand jury presented as grievances the same complaints which the Regulators had earlier made about the lack of schools and churches, the failure to codify the laws of the province, and the fact that all writs were issuable from and returnable to Charleston. In addition, the jury recommended that provision be made for building proper chambers with fireplaces for the convenience of the judges and lawyers. The presentments were ordered printed and were published in the Gazette for December 17, 1772. The presentment recited that the district contained upwards of fifteen thousand souls. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com