Chapter V
Harrison County Court Proceedings
History of Randolph County West Virginia
AT a court held at the residence of George Jackson on the Buckhannon River, July 20, 1784, the oath of office was administered to the following Justices of the Peace: Benjamin Wilson, John P. Duval, Wm. Lowther, James Anderson, Henry Delay, Nicholas Carpenter, John Powers, Thos. Chane, Jacob Westfall, Salathiel Goff and Patrick Hamilton.
At the same term of the court Jacob Westfall and Patrick Hamilton were authorized to celebrate the rites of matrimony.
Cornelius Westfall, Geo. Jackson, Edward Jackson, John Wilson and Robert Maxwell were recommended to the Governor as suitable persons to hold the office of Justice of the Peace.
Jacob Riffle, John Currence and Matthew Whitman were appointed Constables.
At a court held at Clarksburg, September, 1784, Patrick Hamilton, Jacob Westfall, John Wilson, were appointed Captains of Militia. Peter Cassity, Cornelius Bogard, and George Westfall were appointed Lieutenants of Militia.
Abram Kittle, Thos. Phillips, Geo. Westfall, Sr. and Benjamin Hornbeck were appointed Viewers of a road from Jacob Westfall’s Mill to a bridge opposite Geo. Westfall’s Mill.
Ebenezer Petty, John Yokum, Peter Cassity and Jacob Stalnaker, Sr., were appointed Viewers of a road from the bridge opposite Geo. Westfall’s Mill to Darby Conly’s Place.
At a Court held at Clarksburg, September 22, 1784, Jonas Friend was appointed a Surveyor of a Public Highway from his own house to Eberman’s Creek. He was to collect tithables on Leading Creek, both side of the Valley River, up Eberman’s Creek and across the river to Hezekiah Rosecrances, and to keep same in lawful repair.
At a term of the Harrison County Court held at Clarksburg, September, 1784, Henry Petro was appointed Surveyor of a highway from Ebermans Creek to Jacob Westfall’s Mill and tithables from said Creek upwards to Files Creek and William Smith’s.
Most of the litigation in the Harrison county court seemed to be between parties then living in that part of Harrison, now embraced in Randolph. The case of Cornelius Westfall vs. Joseph Donohue and Westfall & Crouch vs. Donohue, both cases of debt were at the September term 1784, dismissed as generally agreed.
At the same term of the Court the following cases involving people living in the valley were disposed of:
John Warwick, plaintiff, vs. Joseph Friend, defendant. Upon motion of the defendant that the plaintiff be nonsuited for failing to file his declaration, the court ordered the same to be nonsuited.
Case of John Westfall vs. Benjamin Hornbeck, trespass, continued.
Johnathan Smith vs. James Taffe, attachment. The attachment was dissolved and Thos. Wilmoth entered special bail for defendant and the common proceedings of law to issue. Declaration and plea of payment filed and rule for trial at March term.
David Bradford took oath as directed by law and was admitted to practice as an attorney. He was thus the first attorney to qualify in what is now Randolph County.
At Court held at Clarksburg, Va., November, 1784 Jacob Stalnaker was appointed Surveyor of Roads from Jacob Westfall’s Mill to Alexander Maxwell’s Old Place and to collect tithables for same. It is significant that at this early date that a farm be designated as an Old Place.
On motion of Jacob Crouch, Thomas Lackey was fined 350 pounds of tobacco for contempt of Court for failing to answer summons as witness. He was summoned to appear at the next term of the Court to show cause why execution should not issue for said judgment.
The rate of liquor license, victuals, horse forage, etc., for Ordinary Keepers was fixed as follows for the year 1784:
S P Wine, per pint 1 6 Jamaica spirits, per pint 1 1/2 Peach and apple brandy, per pint 6 Rye whiskey, per pint 6 Beer, per quart 6 Cider, per quart 6 Mead, per quart 6 Warm breakfast 9 Cold breakfast 8 Warm supper 9 Cold supper 4 Bed for night, clean sheets 4 If not clean, nothing 0 Horse and hay for night 7 1/2 Corn and oats per gallon 7 1/2 Pasturage, 24 hours 4 The following Justices composed that Court: James Anderson, John Powers, John McCally, John Sleeth, and Edward Jackson.
In 1784 there were 337 tithables in Harrison County. Two-thirds, or 225 tithables, were in what is now Randolph, Tucker and Upshur counties.
At a court held at Clarksburg in August, 1785, Cornelius Bogard was appointed Surveyor of a highway from Wilson’s Mill to Rockingham County line. The tithables in Tygarts Valley from Joseph Crouch’s down, and including Leading Creek, Wilmoth’s settlement and Dry Fork of Cheat settlements were by their labor to keep this highway in good repair.
At the term of the Court held at Clarksburg, Va., February 1, 1786, it was ordered that a path be opened from Conoly’s Lick to the top of Allegheny Mountain. John Warwick was appointed Overseer. The petitioners for this road were James Lackey, Jr., David Henderson, James Lackey, Sr., Francis McDonald, Jacob Riffle, Geo. Wilson, Geo. Johnson, John Warwick, Geo. Parsons, Benjamin Abbott, John Alfred, David Haddan, Thos. Lackey, John Hamilton, James Moore, William Hamilton, James McLean, Pat. Hamilton, John Alexander and Robert Henderson.
At a Court held at Clarksburg, September, 1786, Wm. Wilson. Cornelius Westfall, Andrew Skidmore and Nicholas Petro were ordered to view a road from Tygarts Valley road by way of Mud Lick to Cheat River at Phillip Minear’s in Horse Shoe Settlement.
An Early Inventory.
An inventory of the personal estate of John Crouch was riled in the county court of Harrison County, September 4, 1786 by Charles Formelson, John Wilson and Patrick Hamilton. This indicates the usual articles possessed by the average citizen of that period as well as their valuation.
L S d One black mare 10 One sorrel yearling horse colt 3 One bay horse colt 15 One saddle and bridle 1 2 One rifle gun and shot bag 4 One yearling bay horse colt 11 One pair leather breeches 1 4 One iron pot and dutch oven with bails 1 4 One cow 3 One jacket with scarlet fore shirt 1 5 One pr. silver knee buckles and stork buck 18 One straight coat 1 16 One straight coat without lining 1 One furred hat 10 One Great coat 1 4 One old jacket and old leggins 6 One shirt 10 One pair old leather breeches 6 One sieve 8 Cash and one Johannas 4 16 Johannes, above mentioned, was a Portuguese coin of the value of eight dollars; often contracted into joe; half-joe. It is named from the figure of King John which it bears.
Residents in Randolph, 1785.
At the June term of the Harrison County Court, 1785, a list of all the white inhabitants of Harrison County, subject to the payment of taxes, was ordered taken. Assessors were appointed and the county divided into districts. The names of women who owned property are given.
H. Delay’s District from Petty’s Ford to Joseph Crouch.
Anthony Chevalear
George Westfall
John Crouch, Jr.
John Currence
Charles Parsons
Henry Delay
Johnathan Crouch
Ebenezer Petty
John Crouch, Sr.
Liddia Currence
William CurrenceEd. Jackson’s District Buckhannon River Settlement
Charles Foranash
Henry Fink, Sr.
John Cutrite, Jr.
John Bush
John Jackson
David Casto
Henry Fink, Jr.
Joseph Hall
Edward Jackson
John Bosart
Henry Runyan
John Cutrite, Sr.
John Jackson, Jr.Jacob Westfall’s District from Leading Creek up In Petty’s Ford. Both Sides of River.
Aaron Richardson
Abraham Kittle
Anthony Smith
Benjamin Wilson
Benjamin Cutright
Benjamin Jones
Cornelius Bogard
Daniel Westfall
David Cassity
David Henderson
David Phillips
Elizabeth Springstone
George Bredin
Henry Petro
John Trubies
John Pauly
John Wilson
Isaac McHenry
Johnathan Smith
Jacob Wolf
Joseph Donahue
Thomas Holder
George Breeding
Nicholas Petro
Nicholas Wolf
Peter Bredin
Peter Cassity
Phineas Wells
Phillip Clem
Richard Kittle
Solomon Ryan
Jonas Friend
Benjamin Hornbeck
Andrew Skidmore
Samuel McHenry
Samuel Quick
Thomas Phillip
Thomas Bore
Valentine Stalnaker
William Cassity
William Smith
William Levitt
William Blair. Sr.
William Briggs
William Blair, Jr.
Zacharia Westfall
Jacob Stalnaker, Sr.
Jacob Stalnaker, Jr.
Jacob Westfall, Sr.
Jacob Westfall, Jr.
John Johnson
John Yoakum
John Kittle
John Cassity
Mathias Whitman
Michael Toner
Nicholas Smith
William Anglin
George Teter
Jacob Shook
Samuel Eberman
Alexander Blair
Elizabeth Shaver
Hezekiah Rosecronts
Jacob Shaver
Jacob Brinkle
Joseph Friend
James BodkinCornelius Westfall’s District from Leading Creek Down to the County Line, Between the East Side of the River and Cheat Mountain.
Cornelius Westfall
John Westfall
Robert Maxwell
William Westfall
Daniel Booth
Phillip Washburn
Samuel Cole
William Wilson
George Westfall
Hannah Wire
William Haddix
William ClarkPatrick Hamilton’s District from Jacob Crouche’s up to the County Line.
George Alford
John Alexander
Judy Crouch
Robert Henderson
John Hadden
James Leckey, Sr.
Frances McDonald
Charles Wilson
Elmer Riffle
Christopher Truby
Benjamin Abbott
Margaret Bare
Richard Elliott
William Hamilton
David Hadden
Thomas Leckey
James Moore
James Prathor
Daniel Simerman
John Warwick
Peter Shavers
John Alford
Joseph Crouch
Patrick Hamilton
John Hamilton
James Leckey, Jr.
James McClain
Joseph Milton
Jacob Riffle
George Shavers
George WilsonSOURCE: Page(s) 80-85 , A History of Randolph County West Virginia, From its Earliest Exploration and Settlement to the Present Time, Dr. A. S. Bosworth, 1916
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