TIP#139 - VENUES (CHANGE OF), VAGRANTS, WEIGHTS & MEASURES, WITNESSES AND WOLVES Doesn't that sound like an unusual combination? VENUE - CHANGE OF: >From February 3, 1815, provisions were made for a change of venue when it was felt that an accused could not obtain a fair trial in the county of residence. VAGRANTS: Watch out! Vagrants were defined in a statute passed December 15th, 1795 and defined same as an "able bodied person who is found loitering or rambling about, not having wherewithal to maintain himself by some visible property, and who doth not betake himself to labor or some honest calling to producre a livlihood; and all persons who may be found begging, and who quit their habitations, and leave wives or children, without suitable means of subsistence, whereby they suffer or become chargeable to the county; and all other idle, vagrant and dissolute persons, rambling about without any reasonable means of subsistence". I wonder if genealogists rambling through fields and forests looking for the family cemetery would be a vagrant? If these vagrants were found, a warrant was issued by a sheriff or constable and they, upon proof, would be committed to the nearest jail. They had to raise a bond of 20 pounds . The sheriff could apprentice him/her to some person of useful occupation or trade until arriving at the age of 21. If they ran away from their "master" they would be dealt with as other apprentices. But, if the vagrant was older than 21, the sheriff would hire him/her out to the highest bidder for a term not exceeding 9 months. If the vagrant had a wife or family in the county, the vagrant could be set free at the discretion of the court after entering into bond. If no one wanted to hire the vagrant, a jury was empannelled, he was given lashes upon the back not to exceed 25 under the guidance of the sheriff. If the vagrant was hired out, the money coming out from the employment would be used by the court towards paying the vagrant's debts and the balance went to the vagrant - if he had a family, all the money would be applied to help the family. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: A standard for every measurement was set by the State by an act passed December 11, 1798. Some of the unusual or interesting measurements. By law, the governor was authorized to procure one set of weights and measures in this act with proper scales for the weights, together with the measures for one foot and one yard and the dry bushel. When the standard was set, each county was to have same and many comparisons made to be sure they were accurate. An individual or individuals were appointed in each county to keep the county standards; for their services they had a certificate and could charge 25 cents for every steelyard; 12 ½ cents for each weight or measured. Here are some the weights and measures listed: A Barrel of fish - (herring or eels) shall contain 30 gallons, fully packed. A butt of salmon shall contain 84 gallons fully packed. A wey of cheese - must contain 32 cloves, each clove weighing 7 pounds. A butt of malmsey (?) - 126 gallons. Tun of wine or oil - 252 gallons A pipe: 126 gallons A tertain - 84 gallons A hogshead - 63 gallons Rundlet - 18 ½ gallons. (Time for the dictionary!) A bushel - 8 gallons of wheat A gallon - eight pounds of wheat Pound - 12 ounces of Troy weight Ounce - 24 sterlings Sterlings - 32 corns of wheat Barrel of beer - 36 gallons Kilderkin of beer - 18 gallons Firkin of beer - 9 gallons Barrel of ale - 32 gallons Kilderkin of ale - 16 gallons Firkin of ale - 8 gallons. Are you an expert now? ON TO WITNESSES: Did you ever wonder if knowing something about those witnesses in law suits would help you find some hidden clues to your family's past? Being a witness was a very serious matter, especially in testimony taken in the Circuit Court cases. According to the Statutes of Virginia and Kentucky the following could NOT be a witness: One convicted of perjury or subornation of perjury (note that this is NOT a new term!) even thought he had been pardoner or punished. No Negro, mulatto or Indian except if they were giving testimony against another Negro, mulatto or Indian. I don't wanna testify: What happened if a witnesses failed to appear? Unless he had a good excuse, a witness failing to attend a case would be fined by the court in the sum of three pounds. He would also be liable to the action of the party for any and all damages sustained by his non-attendance. My mouth is sealed! If a witness refused to give testimony in a case - they were off to prison! He was held there until he decided to give the evidence before the court. What's in it for me? Witnesses were "privileged" from arrests in all cases except treason, felony and breach of the peace, during their time of testimony. Just try and find me! A witness was summoned by the clerk of the county, or by a commissioner, referee or suveyor and on the summons was stated their name, the court, the day they were to appear, the names of the parties in the suits. Special judicial decisions: Objections to the competency of a witness, never comes too late. If the objection to the competency be not made at the hearing of a cause, it cannot be made in the court. These are taken from an act passed February 6, 1798. NOW TO THE WOLVES!! Yes, there was even laws pertaining to wolves, or the demise of same. An act was passed January 28, 1814 which paid bounty on wolves which were quite thick in Kentucky. It stated in an abstracted form: Every person who killed a wolf was to receive one dollar for every wolf killed, not exceeding six months old; two dollars and fifty cents for older wolves. The hunter had to offer proof to a Justice of the Peace by bringing in the head of the wolf. They were reminded that they could not shoot a wolf in another state in bring it to Kentucky for payment or kill it in Kentucky and take it to another state. They also had to swear under oath as best they could, when it was killed, in what county. The Justice of the Peace then actually produced a certificate with the name of the killer, that he had killed a wolf, and the age of the wolf. The only thing that seemingly was not provided for … what did the Justice of the Peace do with the heads?? © Copyright 9 April 1998, Sandra K. Gorin, All Rights Reserved. sgorin@glasgow-ky.com >>}}}0>> <<0{{{<< Sandi Gorin - 205 Clements Ave., Glasgow, KY 42141-3409 502-651-9114 - sgorin@glasgow-ky.com GORIN GEN PUB: http://members.tripod.com/~GorinS/index.html KYRESEARCH ON THE WEB: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~usgwqury/Ky/Tips/index.cgi PAST KYBIOS FROM MY E-MAIL LIST: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~usgwqury/Ky/Bios/index.cgi