In 1830, 55% of Jones County families owned slaves, and the men that participated in the county court were predominantly slave owners. This court's jurisdiction "extended to suits of $100 or more for violations of the penal code, and to suits for dower, partition, and legacies. It served as an orphans' court and had criminal jurisdiction in all cases in which judgment did not extend to death or dismemberment. The state legislature delegated an assortment of duties to the county court which gave it a pervasive sphere of influence. It appointed county officers, approved licenses to peddlers and retailers of spirituous liquor, bound out apprentices, heard petitions, emancipated slaves, and levied county taxes among other duties." A brief, but detailed historical/sociological background to the records is provided in the introduction. The records themselves offer a treasure trove of names and dates, along with historical and genealogical tidbits. The Nat Turner rebellion, slave ownership, law terms, North Carolina geography and people who were active in the court are also touched on. Helpful notations by the author, a list of references, a map of Jones County in 1865, and an index to fullnames, places and some subjects enhance this work.
Nancy Bryan Aiken
(2002), 2008, 8.5" x 11", paper, indexes, 302 pp.
ISBN: 9780788420443
101-A2044
