COURT ORDERS - CHARLOTTE COUNTY, VA EXCERPTS FROM BOOK THIRTEEN 1801 - 1803 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 November 1801 Pg 84 DAVID RYAN came into court and undertook for the defendant Bottom . . . On the motion of the defendant Bottom, by his atty pleaded payment, to which the plaintiff replied generally and the defendant rejoined. Ordered that the judgement obtained in the office against the defendant Bottom and Joshua Brizendine, security for his payment, be set aside. 20 February 1802 Pg 112 In a court held for Charlotte County the 20th day of February, the year of our Lord 1802, for the trial of Mercer,a Negro man slave belonging to WILLIAM RYAN SNR, who stands committed to the common jail of the county, on the suspicion of feloniously preparing and exhibiting certain medicine of poisonous quality, to be administered Reps Osborne . . . with intent to him, the sd Osborne, to poison and murder. Joseph Venable, Atty for the Commonwealth, prosecuting. Be it remembered that on this 20th day of February 1802, Joseph Venable for the Commonwealth coming here in his proper person and giving the court to understand and be informed, that Mercer,a Negro man slave belonging to WILLIAM RYAN SNR, on the 10th day of February, 1802 did feloniously, wickedly and maliciously prepare and exhibit certain medicine of poisonous quality, to be administered to Reps Osborne, Gent . . . with an intent to him, the sd Reps Osborne, to poison and murder . . . and that he the sd Mercer did plot and conspire the death of the sd Reps Osborne by preparing certain poisonous roots and other poisonous materials to be administered to the sd Reps Osborne. Whereupon the sd Joseph Venable prays that the judgement of the court be passed upon the sd Mercer . . . and no practicing attorney being present that the court could assign as counsel for the prisoner in his defense . . . he is remanded back to jail, to be tried at the next court. 1 March 1802 Mercer,a Negro man slave belonging to WILLIAM RYAN SNR, who stands committed to the common jail of the county, on the suspicion of feloniously preparing and exhibiting certain medicine of poisonous quality, to be administered Reps Osborne . . . with intent to him, the sd Osborne, to poison and murder; the court heard in his defense, John B. Scott, Gent . . . It is the opinion of the court, the sd Mercer is not guilty . . . he is subsequently discharged from custody and go home and It is ordered that WILLIAM RYAN SNR the owner of the sd prisoner, pay to John B. Scott, atty, his fee of five dollars. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Court Records Digest Common Abbreviations @ --> original document /s/ --> signature admr / admor / adm --> Administrator admrx / admorx / admx --> Administratrix ads --> adverse assee --> assignee dec'd --> deceased DT / Deed T --> Deed of Trust endee --> endorsee exor / exr / extr --> Executor exorx / exrx / extrx --> Executrix FN --> Free Negro gdn --> guardian GO --> Guardian of -mr- --> marriage referenced OOP --> Overseers of the Poor pd --> attorney for the defendant pq --> attorney for the prosecution Tr --> Trustee vs --> versus (number) following a name is the age of the person named ---------------------------------------------------------------------------