Friday, December 10, 2010

Friend of Friends Friday - Rhode Island General Court of Trials 1673



Yesterday I finally received the book "Rhode Island General Court of Trials 1671-1704", transcribed by Jane Fletcher Fiske and published in 1998 that I had ordered through the Inter-Library Loan (ILL) department. While skimming through the book last night I found a few entries that would be fitting for for an AFoF post.


At the Generall Court of Tryalls Held for the Collony at Newport the: 12th of May 1673


Upon an Indictment by the Generall Solicetor against Jobba a Negro woman servant to Mr Caleb Carr for that the said Jobba about the latter end last had Carnall Copulation with James Gray - she being mandamassed and in court Cald apeared, pleads Not Guilty and Referrs her selfe for Tryall to the Cuntry: The Jurry sent forth on the case: The Jurrys Verdict Not Guilty. The Verdict accepted by the Court: The Court order she be cleerd by proclamation payinge ffees. (page 20)


Upon Indictment by the Genrl Solicetor against George a Negroe servant (belonging to Mrs Sarah Davis) for com[m]ittinge ffornication with Maria Negro servant to Mr ffrancis Brinley, the said Negroe being Mandamassed and in Court Cald apeard: his charge beinge Read and he askt whether Guilty or not Guilty - Ownes: Guilty. The Court doe centance him to be whipt with fifteene stripes.(page 21)


Upon Indictment by the Generall Solicetor against Maria a Negro woman (servant to Mr ffran. Brinley) ffor com[m]itting ffornication with George a Negro servant to Mrs Sarah Davis, the said Negro beinge mandamassed, and in Court Cald apeard, and beinge askt whether Guilty or not Guilty owned Guilty. The Court doe centance her to be forthwith whipt with fifteene stripes.(page 22)


Upon Indictment by the Solicetor against Hope a Negro woman (servant to Mr William Coddington) for com[m]ittinge the act of ffornication with James Parr. The said Negro beinge Mandamassed and in Court Cald apeard, and her charge read, and she askt whether Guilty or not Guilty. Ownes Guilty.
The centance of the Court is That the said Negro be forthwith whipt with fifteene stripes or pay fforty shillings to the Generall Treasury. (page 22)



For those unfamiliar with legal terms (like me):


Mandamassed [i.e. served with a writ of mandamus]
writ of mandamus (which means "we command" in Latin), or sometimes mandate, is the name of one of the prerogative writs in the common law, and is "issued by a superior court to compel a lower court or a government officer to perform mandatory or purely ministerial duties correctly"



4 comments:

  1. Very interesting! No indictments for the males I see. Thanks for the article.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Leslie Ann,
    Could you do me a favor and look in the index to see if there is a Jackwise / Jackway / Jaquays? I believe they are from Rhode Island. Right now, I am pulling at straws. I don't need any information, but just to know if the name is listed. Many thanks. And Thanks for this post.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Barbara,
    There is an Aron mentioned 3 times with three different spellings - Jaquis, Jackwise, and Jakewise. If you need me to transcribe these, just let me know.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Leslie Ann,
    Thank you so much for checking your book. Now, I will try and see if I can check it out at a library in Boston (now that I know). Many thanks.
    Barb (PS, I don't even have an Aron!)

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
The Breast Cancer Site