01418Doris Y. Stone, "Surry County Court Records: Early Surry County Legal Matters,"

SouthsideVirginian

(April-June 1994).

[page 85]

Submitter's Note: This may have been the first Strike in America

.Whereas a company of rude & disordrly psons to ye Number of ffoureteene did unlawfully Assemble on or about ye4th day of xbr (

Dec.

) last at ye pish Church of Lawnes Creeke in yis County wth Intent to alter ye Late Levy, or notto pay ye Sume & yt they Expected divers others of theire Confederates to meete wth them, for yt it appeares by yeConfession of Mathew SWAN, Jno. BARNES, Wm. HANCOCK, Robt. LACY, Jno. GREGORY, Tho: CLEY,Michll: UPCHURCH, Jno: SHEPPARD, Wm. TOOKE, Geo: PETERS, Wm. LITTLE, Jno: GREENE & JamesCHISSETT yt they did meete att ye Time & place aforesd & for yt ye greatest pte of ye psons aforesd did this dayalso Riottously meete togeather in ye feild commonly called ye Divells feild, not withstanding some of them wereadvertised to ye Contrary: Wch we Conceive to be agst ye peace of or. Sovraigne Lord ye King, & ye quiett of thisCounty: These are therefore in ye Kings Maties name to witt & reqre you to take into yr. Custody ye bodyes of yeSevrall psons before Named, & them in Safe Custody to Keepe, untell they Enter into Bond wth Sufft:: Security for there appearance att ye Ware Neck on Tuesday ye 6th Instant att ye Cort there; there to be pceeded agst. accordingto Law & alsoe that they be of good behavior: & keep ye peace of or: sd Sovragne Lord ye King, & for soe doeingthis shall be yr: warrt: Given undr: or: hands this3d Janry 1673/4To ye Sherff of ye sdLaw BAKER County or his deputy:Robt SPENSOR

Vera recordant Teste Wm EDWARDS

Cl Cur

Deeds & Wills 1671-1684 page 42, Surry County, Virginia

Mathew SWAN being yis day brought before us ye Subscribed, & being asked why he & others mett at ye Churchye 12th Xber Last, he said it was to agree about redress from their taxes wch were heavey, he was asked how heKnew theire taxes were unreasonably laid; he said Mr. MASON told him, & alsoe Mr. GOREING said ye same, ytthere were some Extraordinry taxes, he being demanded wt discourse be there if he did not goe from Home, ye saidSWAN hath alsoe very obstinately professed in ye Lawfullness of ye meeting, & said yt all or most of ye Countywere of his minde:

Deeds & Wills 1671-1684 page 42, Surry County, Virginia

[page 86]

Att a court held at Southwarke for the County of Surry July 5th: Prest:Mr. Benja: HARRISONCapt. Henry TOOKERCapt. Robt. RANDALLCapt. Thomas SWANN Capt. Francis CLEMENTS

John CASSE having caused Jno: ONION to be arrested Set Forth that the said ONION about five weeks sincecame to his house and indeavoured to Ravish his wife, and thereby hath very much hurt her breast by reasonwhereof she hath ever Since & Still doth suffer great pains & Misery, and groeth every day worse rather than better, and is thereby unable to doe what belongs to her, to his great hinderance, and it is like to cost himConsiderable to some Dockter before she recovers, which is to that an able Jury might be Impannelled to try thesame and award such reparation as they shall see fitt, and a Jury being accordingly impannelled & Sworne vizt:Mr. John THOMPSON Mr. Geo. WILLIAMS, Mr. William ROSE, Mr. John CLARKE Mr. Allen WARREN Mr.Will NASH Mr. James KILPATRICK Mr. Charles DIGBY Mr. Thomas COLLIER, Capt. Roger POTTER, Mr.Robert CRAFORD & Mr. Thomas DAVIS returne for Virdict wee finde for the defdt: upon the defedts. motion theJurys Virdict is confirmed & the Suite dismist and the said CASSE ordered to pay Costs at Exo:

Order Book 1691-1713 page 43, Surry County, Virginia

22028741.doc Page 1 printed 13 September 2009