This is interesting, Lynn. 'Scuse me if I'm a little behind here - This explains a lot of things we didn't understand about Chalkley's. I was looking at a Lincoln history today, looking at the pictures <G>, and it showed pictures of the courthouses Lincoln regularly attended court in the 8th district of IL, and between 1850-1860 the courthouses he attended were anywhere from a big stone building to a rough log cabin to somebody's living room. The baby days of our court system - who would have guessed it would become so complicated. It no longers matters if you're guilty or innocent, only how your case is argued. Maybe we're learning how it felt to be branded! Norma Lynne Hundley wrote: > > Hi all, > > I've discovered a fascinating new (to me) book: Isaac, Rhys, The > Transformation of Virginia: 1740-1790 (1982, 400+ pages, winner of > Pulitizer Prize) > > The chapter on court system explains one record which lists my ancestor as > a "venireman." > > I'm including my notes on courts below. Hope you find this as interesting > as I did. > > Lynne Hundley >