Wayne Co, KY Court Order Book B is finished WAYNE COUNTY, KENTUCKY Court Order Book B Courts held June 1824 through December 1830 The old Court Orders are actually an Index to the daily Court proceedings. Orders were given by the Gentlemen Justices called Esquires to the Sheriff and or Commissioners to take care of the business at hand. The orders will name people and places that are not found in any other record, proving the person you are searching for was living in Wayne County at a certain time and most of all, the orders will tell you something about their personal life, like those who were neglecting their children or who was caring for the poor or the orphans and who was suing whom. Most often the disputes were over land boundaries, thievery, debts due and unpaid. Those who died during 1824 to 1830 are mentioned along with the Executors, Administrators and Appraisers of the estate and occasionally the Heirs. The establishment and maintenance of public roads was one of the most important functions of the County Court. As each new road was opened, it was maintained by an Overseer of the Highways or Road appointed by the Gentlemen Justices. The Overseer of the Road was assigned all the ‘Labouring Male Tithables' living on or near the road for this purpose. These individuals then furnished all their own tools, wagons and teams and were required to labour for six days each year on the roads. Major projects such as bridges over rivers, demanding considerable expenditures were executed by the Commissioners appointed by the Court to select a site and to contract with workmen for the construction. In the summer of 1827-1828, you will find a major road was built, possibly what we would call today, a ‘freeway.' "Ordered that JAMES JONES SURVEYOR of this County together with GEORGE BERRY & ROGER OATTS as Commissioners be appointed to comply with the Provisions of An Act of Assembly passed at the last Session of the Legislature approved 9th of February 1828 entitled An Act Appointing Commissioners to View and Mark out a STATE ROAD from FRANKFORT to the TENNESSEE LINE in the direction to GEORGIA and ALABAMA and it is ordered that the said Surveyor and Commissioner be instructed to View and Mark out as well to STOCKTON VALLEY on a direction to the TENNESSEE LINE by VANWINKLEs ROAD in direction to GEORGIA and that said SURVEYOR & COMMISSIONERS make Special Report of all their proceedings concerning said Road as the law directs and It is further ordered that all expenses arising from making the Survey on the VANWINKLE ROAD be considered as an Individual expense and not chargeable to this County" The Road Orders are especially important to learn who was living near your ancestor. ‘Birds of a Feather usually flock together.' Wagon trains left one area and arrived at another. In this way, their security was neighbors helping neighbors. As each new family arrived in Wayne County, they were added to the road gangs supervised by the Overseer. By careful examination, you can easily see the latest arrivals on that road. County Court Day was held the 4th Monday of each month. This was not only a day for Court business, but a day for horse racing, cock fights, card games and all sorts of gambling and drinking bouts at the taverns. I was surprised to find so many taverns existed in Wayne County during 1824-1830: NATHAN DABNEY & JONATHAN SOUTHERLAND to keep Tavern at their house HIRAM GREGORY to keep Tavern at house now occupied by MESHECK GREGORY MESHECK GREGORY to keep Tavern at his house in Monticello (after Mesheck died, his widow ANNA kept the Tavern at her house). THOMAS HANSFORD JR, a Justice of the Peace to keep Tavern at his house ELIJAH HUTCHISON and DANIEL COOPER to keep Tavern at ELIJAHs house JOHN HUTCHISON to keep Tavern at his own house in Monticello JAMES LYNCH to keep Tavern at his own house in County ARCHIBALD C. McBEATH to keep Tavern at his own house in Monticello ROGER OATTS Esquire to keep Tavern in Monticello WILLIAM RAY to keep Tavern at his house in Monticello MESHECK STOCKTON and ABNER PHILLIPS to keep Tavern in Monticello June Court 1829 - The Court a majority of all the Justices being present proceeded to Regulate and fix the TAVERN RATES in this County which is as follows to wit For Each Meal of Victuals .25 cents For Lodging per night .12 œ cents For Single Horse feed .12 œ cents For Single Horse feed for 12 hrs or one night .25 cents For Rum & French Brandy per half pint .25 cents Peach Brandy per half pint .22 1/4 cents Whiskey per half pint .06 cents Apple Brandy per half pint .06 cents Cider per quart .06 cents For Cider Oil per quart .18 3/4 cents For Wine per pint (Foreign) .25 cents For Wine per pint (Domestick) .06 1/4 cents Wayne County, KY Court Order B is not an abstract, but a complete copy of the original book. One hundred fifty (150) pages of Index with 9,787 entries cross-indexed into categories. Please write me for details.