This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: my440sixpack Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.virginia.counties.russell/7518/mb.ashx Message Board Post: To the Honorable the Speaker and Members of the House of Delegates. The petition of sundry inhabitants of the County of Russell, respectfully sheweth That your petitioners having been advertised of a design in some persons to lay before your Honorable House a petition praying a division of Russell County, and to form a new one of parts taken from it & Wythe county. That it was in the year seventeen hundred & ninety two an Act of General Assembly passed for dividing the county of Russell into two distinct counties: that in consequence where of Lee County was formed of part of Russell which left Russell a small but compact & convenient county situated between Clinch & Cumberland mountains, having Lee County on the southwest and Wythe County on the northeast, which your petitioners conceived to be the proper, natural and most convenient bounds for the sd county of Russell: and that at present the county of Russell does not contain five hundred titheable persons, which small number of Titheables already subjects your petitioners to the yearly payment of a burdensome county levy & poor rates; and the increased number of delegates is conceived to be an unnecessary additional expense to the state in general. Your petitioners further beg leave to inform your Honorable Body, that from the circumstance of Lee County being taken from Russell by the above recited Act of General Assembly, has left the courthouse of Russell remote to many of the inhabitants in the extreme upper parts: that the public buildings being but indifferent & decayed, neither are they conveniently situated for water or in the center of the county; being also in a barren thin settled neighborhood which renders it difficult for persons attending public Justice to obtain the necessary accommodations for themselves & horses. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray your Honorable Body will in your wisdom continue the bounds of Russell county as already established by law: and also permit the inhabitants thereof to build a new courthouse at some convenient place near its center. And your petitioners as in duty bound will pray Russell County Oct 22 1794 H. Smith Thos Johnson Jacob Crabtree George Kinney Timothy Burgess Abner Vance Andrew Martin Moses Bevens Robert Coffey Thos Kenny James Ellett Wm Ellett Francis Browning James Scott Jesse Browning James Browning Henry Smith Michael Ellett Alex Shumaker William Gilmore Jonathan Davis Tho Davis George Robinson Andrew Cowan William Gilmore Sr James Hutchenson _____ Davis Peter Stacy Stephen Ogden Henry Smith Jr James Pemberton Daniel Gilmore Pa'k Koil Jonathan Prater Jeremiah Puckett James Coil John Koil Harden Smith George Asberry Jesse Daniel Will Webb Shadrack Nants Wm Fletcher Eph Hatfield Augustine Berry Samuel Short John Thompson Lan Vanhook Allden Williamson Wm Elam Wm Nash Thos Murphy Lazarus Damrell Jacob Francisco ______ ______ John Stacey Jeremiah Shelton Easur(?) Shelton Joshua Shelton Sam'l Hendrix Sam'l Ewing George Smith John Bristow(?) Moses Smith James VanHook Danel Price John Pucket John Hargis Wm Crumwell Charls Crumwell Thos Nash Alex Murphy John Murphy Adam Lash George Miller Elijah Webb Joseph Webb Isaac Moore John Green Peter Bays J___ Bays James Bays Simeon Jackson John Hunt Thomas Hunt Solomon Litton John Litton Henry Campbell Thomas Hendrix David Hendrix Wm Garret I do hereby certify that on the 26th day of August 1794, it being Court Day, in Russell County and likewise on the 28th day of October, it being also Court Day for the said county it was advertised on the wall of the courthouse near the doors that there would be a petition presented to the next General Assembly for a removal of the court house of said county given under my hand this 29th day of October 1794 Henry Dickinson CRC Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.