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/7514/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Russell County 1792 Oct 5 Box 227 Folder 3 To the Honorable the Speaker and members of the House of Delegates The inhabitants of the counties of Russell and Washington beg leave to lay before your Honorable Body this petition in opposition to two presented by the people of the county of Wythe The first praying that the county of Montgomery may be added to the Judicial District composed of Wythe, Washington and Russell and that the court for the same may be holden in Wythe Court House or to that purpose The other, that the District Court for the district composed of the counties of Wythe, Washington, and Russell may in the future be holden alternately at Washington & Wythe Court houses. As to the addition of the county of Montgomery to the Judicial District composed of the counties of Wythe, Washington, and Russell, your petitioners humbly conceive, should it be the case, would tend to defeat the purposed operations of the Act establishing District Courts and regulating General Court, and in a measure renew the evils it very wisely designed to prevent. The Law in it's present form proves to be very beneficial to the Commonwealth at large, and peculiarly so to the frontier counties of this state. Your petitioners also fear that such a measure would lay a foundation for the obtainment of Consolidation of the Judicial Districts throughought this state, which would not only com___ the wishes of a few advocates for such a scheme but effectively destroy the valuable purposes of the District Law. Your petitioners humbly conceive that the Judicial District in which they reside contains as large a space of territory if not larger than any other of the districts, and the population of which, particularly towards the boundary westward encreases very considerably. An addition therefore of territory, which would be extremely injurious, Your Petitioners humbly hope will never be acceeded to by your Honorable Body. Your petitioners would also humbly represent, that in consequence of the District Court being by law held at Washington Court House, considerable sums of money have been expended to greet a large and commodeous Court House, and a very strong and secure jail. The petition praying that the District Court may in future be held alternately at Washington and Wythe Court houses your petitioners conceive is extremely partial and inconsistent and could only have originated in the minds of some few designing characters only to gratify their interested motives, whose estates lying contiguous to Wythe Court house, would expect to receive some pecuniary advantages thereby. But from the following _____________________, the partiality and inconsistency of their petition will evidently appear. The distance from Washington Court house to the extremity of Russell county westward is one hundred and thirty computed miles. _____ the distance from the said Court house to the extremity of Wythe county eastward, at the head of Reedy Island is, as you petitioners conceive not more than ninety computed miles. Washington Court house is situated about ten miles from the southern boundary of this state, and not so far south of the line dividing Washington & Russell counties. Many of the inhabitants of Wythe county near the boundary line of Wythe & North Carolina live about an equidistance from Washington and Wythe Court houses, so that they labour under no inconvenience from their attendance upon the District Court as it is at present situated. The most remote inhabitants of Wythe county when they appear at the District Court have not to travel more than ninety miles, but the most remote inhabitants of Russell County when they attend have to travel one hundred and thirty. Therefore should the District Court be holden at Wythe Court house as prayed for the extreme inhabitants of Russell County westward would would have to travel one hundred and eighty five miles, and the extreme inhabitants of Wythe County eastward would have to travel but thirty two; this proves an amazing disproportion, consequently their petition contains evident partiality. Your petitioners are well aware that the alternate holding of the District Court will be attended with an intolerable inconvenience to the Clerk thereof, and dangerous consequences to the parties litigant by the removal within the year of the records & papers, which in their passage are subject to a variety of accident. Your petitioners found their opposition to the petitions above mentioned, only from the hints contained in two advertisements, set up at the doors of the Court house of Washington county, which to the knowledge of your petitioners were only discoverable at a court held for Washington County on Tuesday twenty first of August 1792, therefore can only guess at the reasons offered in those petitions to enforce the prayers thereof, they being so cautiously handed about, that few if any of those who could be supposed would act in opposition thereto have been favoured with a sight of them. Your petitioners (from a thorough conviction, that the present situation and establishment of their Judicial Districts, and Court house thereof, is perfectly eligible, convenient, equitable, and impartial) humbly hope that your Honorable Body will not think it expedient, to make any alteration or addition thereto, but they earnestly pray that in future it may remain as at present established by ! law; and you petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray. Samuel Ritchie Jno W. Crunk Sam'l Ewing Michael Oxer Henry Hamblin Moses Dorton Abraham Oxer John Robinson Howard (?) Dorton Richard Price (ILLEGIBLE) Lewis Harris Thomas Stapleton Andrew Cowan Thomas Hanieford (?) Benjamin Hanieford (?) Shadrack Williams Sam'l Williams William Gilmore Jr William Gilmore John Cowan James Scot Francis Browning H. Smith Harry Smith Richard Oney Henry Williams Richard Williams Robert Maysey Sam'l Robinson Sr George Robinson David Robinson Sam'l Robinson Jr Richard Preece William Preece Thomas Mcnight Steven Ogdon Petter Beays(?) George _____son John Grear _____ Gilmore Jesse Vermillion Enos Browning Joel Barker John Weir Michael Elliot Abraham Fuller Caleb Green John Green John Gibson Joseph Fealds David Hargaradas (ILLEGABLE) Antony Mcnight Thomas Price Sr John Price William Price Charles Bickley Henry Burke Edward Horn Albenego White Abraham Crabtree (ILLEGABLE) Sim (Sam?) Jackson Thos Hunt Abner Vance William Samples David Ward Edward Young John Bristow John Ruth (Keith?) Alexander Murphy Daniel Desp____(?) Jacob Francisco George Francisco William Ramey Thomas Nash Jr Peter _____ Henry Bowen Thos Ferguson ___ Ferguson John McCormick Edward Callahan Benjamin Longley Jonathan Dryden Leonard Hutton William Berry Sam'l _____ Jas Campbell James Trimble Willaim Kyburn(?) Thomas Berry Elisha Dungan Arch'ld McKinnie Robert _____dson Andrew Davison John Moffett John Montgomery James Smith David Evins Patk Watson John Orr Isaac Hughes John Allison Michael Fleenar James Weir (?) James Crow(?) Robert Kincaid Wm Beatie Abraham Bradley William _____ John Evans Sam'l Edmondson James Gl____ Jas Thompson (ILLEGIBLE) John Keys David Dryden Samuel Buchanan Rob't Montgomery William McDonnald (Illegible) Jno ___ John C. ____well Rob't Preston John Preston Sr Chas Cummings James Dickenson Jacob Coppes(?) John Balfour John English Mathew Smook David Watson Sam'l Russell Alex'r Doran Thomas Montgomery William Anderson Wm Scott Chas Hanes And'w Colvill Jr And'w Colvill William Leger Henry ____ Thomas Kindrick Richard _______ Robert Ramsey Rob't Ligget James Campbell Arch'd McGinnis Rob't Hornsby Henry Sh____ Wm Carmack John Fleenor Samuel Hensley William Carmack Lewis Pitts Nickles Hensley John Fleenor Nicklos Fleenor James Sprouls Samuel Sprouls John Sprouls D. Craig Henry Grimes John Barker Abram Fulkerson Thomas Goff Abraham Bledso Thomas Bledso Peter Levenston John Kendrick Sr John Russell James Smyth Thomas Barker James Burks Thomas Kendrick Daniel Frick (Friel?) John Gray Jas Logan Charls Barker Alexd'r Luony Timothy Cary William Carson William Bradshae Daniel ____ William Faren ____ Dilloughby William Robinson David Coons(?) Rob't Laris(?) James Wright Williams Wedly Jacob ____ John Gilworth Samuel Musgroves James Swan Moses Lathem (?) Thos Colley Sam'l Scott Sr ____ Vanhook Jesey Robinson Robert Houston Joseph Head Adam Deck Thomis Smith Frederick Deck Reuben Bradley John McCrabb Fielden Hensley John Stuart James Fulkerson David Beatie William Hayter Wm Hensley Henry Holt(?) Jacob Teton (?) James Cray (?) Henry Moore William Large John Benham Ezekle Hobbs Elija Frost William Smith John Phips Sr Jacob Goodman George Goodman William Bond John Phips Jr Basil Talburtt Levin Bledso Larkin Hensley John Sprouls Geor__ Nicely Charles Barker John ______ William Coys Roling Childs Henry Childs John Childs John Loid Levy Moore Joseph Breedon Thomas Mc Corm____ John Robinson Willim ____ Thos Scott William Hampton Sam'l Moore John Holliday Charles Scott Peter Scott John Smithers Thos Tate Benoni Banning Isaac Spratt John Whiteley Robert Fowler And'w Marshall Jno Marshall Jas Campbell Wm Bates Wm Clark ___ Bruster John Lucas Jas Young Wm Cox Walter Mattenly Sr Jas Tosh Chs Tate Thos Bray(?) Daniel Campbell Enoch Moore Brooks Mattenly Valentine Hatfield John Turley Wm Bennett Stepen Bennett Jno Bennett Clark Benning Alexander Wilie Joseph Campbell Andrew Lamie Walter Mattenly Wm Conway Enoch Mcharty Young Lee Jas Stokes Charles Mattenly John Shannon David Young Will Mathias Arthur Workman Wil Belcher Rich'd ___ Sam'l Feilds _ Fulkerson Sam'l Scott Wm Russell James Prosser (?) Neel McNeel John Brinks(?) James Craig Joseph Cole Jno Day (?) James Bradley John Fulkerson Sam'l Mc Chenney(?) Cornelioas Carmack David ____ Jacob Mungle Joseph Gray Jesse ___ Wm Pitcher(?) Jno Gobble Isaac Newland Jacob Zimmerle John Mc Cullack James Fulkerson Robert Henderson (ILLEGIBLE) James Longley George McNew Jesse Carmack Andrew eMES(?) Joseph Hensley Jon Manpower Rob't Johnson Hugh Neely Stephen _____ Levi Bishop James Berry Drury Flecher James Sprouls Andry Goff Joseph Frost Aliga Gilenwater James Fugit George Finley David Lowry(?) Robert Craig James Cummings Thos Cummings John Porterfield Jno White John Gilliland (ILLEGIBLE) Moses White W. King Andrew Forgison John King ELijah Kiny Wm Ward John Ward Ro't Barns James Daniel Gorge Belsher Rob't Belsher Craven Belsher Wm Garrison Gorg Asbury Jam Yong John Haney Wm Nash John Murphy Jeremiah Scaggs Thoa Murphy Russell & Washington Pet'n 5 Oct 1792 6th Justice 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.