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Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history

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Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history <[log in to unmask]>
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Fri, 10 May 2019 14:31:54 +0000
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Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history <[log in to unmask]>
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Hi Brent,



May I ask how early are we speaking (for early judicial records in Virginia)?  I haven't had a chance to review the origins of this e-mail chain, but this caught my attention because of a previous project I worked on. I used to assist a professor through typing transcriptions of early court cases from English legal history, and I think that there were some from early cases in Virginia. The project was a bit monotonous to me at times, so I did not read all of the cases I typed, but perhaps I can suggest a few sources that can help, depending on the desired time period.



Sincerely,

LaToya 





LaToya S. Gray

User Support Specialist

Boatwright Memorial Library

University of Richmond, VA 23173

804.287.8884

[log in to unmask]







-----Original Message-----

From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Tarter, Brent

Sent: Friday, May 10, 2019 9:28 AM

To: [log in to unmask]

Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] John Casor



I don't know enough about the surviving judicial records of other colonies know whether an earlier such record exists. Earlier records may have once upon a time existed in Virginia, but we can't say for sure.



Brent



On Thu, May 9, 2019 at 4:25 PM Johnson, Kirk N. <[log in to unmask]>

wrote:



> Boris,

>

> I don't understand your tone here. Brent was making a very particular 

> observation about the archival realities when researching early 

> Virginia history. Maybe your question should be to ask is it the first KNOWN case.

>

> Kirk Johnson

> Serials Manager

>

> Prince William Public Library System

> 13083 Chinn Park Drive

> Prince William, VA  22192-5073

>

> (703) 792-4883

>

> [log in to unmask]

>

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history < 

> [log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Boris Sokolovsky

> Sent: Thursday, May 9, 2019 2:20 PM

> To: [log in to unmask]

> Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] John Casor

>

> Historical research is not based on what is "missing".  The challenge 

> facing you in using archival data is to find materials from the 

> multitude of materials available in various archives and collections, 

> which are both reasonable and suitable for the research topic. The 

> treatment of very old materials is a particularly difficult challenge to overcome.

> So, I am asking again, based on what material is available, was Was 

> "Johnson vs Parker" a first case in the colonies that recognized a 

> person as a "property' of another person?

> As you know British Laws did not have any Law that mentioned "Slavery".

>

> On Thu, May 9, 2019 at 10:54 AM Tarter, Brent < 

> [log in to unmask]>

> wrote:

>

> > Early court records are very, very incomplete and scattered, so it 

> > is not wise to state that that or any other one case was definitely 

> > the first. The best we can do is to state that one might be the 

> > earliest identified case and hedge even that by reference to the 

> > loss of a vast abundance of county and General Court records from Virginia.

> >

> > Brent Tarter

> > [log in to unmask]

> >

> >

> > On Thu, May 9, 2019 at 1:08 PM Boris Sokolovsky <[log in to unmask]>

> wrote:

> >

> > > Can you formulate a concise answer to this question?

> > > Was Johnson vs Parker a first case in the colonies that recognized 

> > > a

> > person

> > > as a "property' of another person?

> > > The case of Punch was a punishment for violating an Indenture Contract.

> > >

> > > On Tue, May 7, 2019 at 6:23 AM Kimball, Gregg < 

> > > [log in to unmask]> wrote:

> > >

> > > > There are a few premises in the initial post that I would 

> > > > consider

> > > suspect,

> > > > but I'm sure better scholars on the list will weigh in. I hope 

> > > > they

> > will,

> > > > because a few of these assumptions have troubled me for some time.

> > > >

> > > > How can we consider the "20 and odd" Africans who arrived in 

> > > > Virginia

> > in

> > > > 1619 as "indentured servants with time restricted contracts" if 

> > > > they

> > were

> > > > taken from a Spanish slave ship by English raiders and traded in 

> > > > the colony?

> > > >

> > > > Do we know that there were "no laws regarding slavery for life"

> > anywhere

> > > in

> > > > Britain and its colonies? I ask that because we seem to assume 

> > > > that a

> > > lack

> > > > of statutes means "no law," but British law, as I understand it, 

> > > > was largely based on the common law.

> > > >

> > > > Can we EVER assume a "first" in terms of the law of slavery in 

> > > > Virginia given the massive loss of early records?

> > > >

> > > > Gregg

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > On Tue, May 7, 2019 at 7:58 AM Boris Sokolovsky 

> > > > <[log in to unmask]>

> > > wrote:

> > > >

> > > > > Since there were no laws regarding slavery for life(all "slaves"

> > > > > were brought in as indentured servants with time restricted

> > > > > contracts)

> > what

> > > > was

> > > > > the first established by law case of slavery?

> > > > > Many resources point at the Johnson vs Parker case.

> > > > > Can you clarify the issue?

> > > > >

> > > > > On Mon, May 6, 2019 at 1:11 PM Paul Heinegg 

> > > > > <[log in to unmask]>

> > > > wrote:

> > > > >

> > > > > > No, but he may have been the first slave owned by a former slave.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Casor sued for his freedom from former slave Anthony Johnson 

> > > > > > in Northampton County, Virginia, in 1653, but Johnson 

> > > > > > insisted that "hee had ye

> > > Negro

> > > > > for

> > > > > > his life" [Orders, Deeds, Wills, 1651-54, 226].

> > > > > > John Casor/ Cazara travelled with the Johnson family to 

> > > > > > Somerset

> > > > County,

> > > > > > Maryland, where he recorded his livestock mark in court, 

> > > > > > with the

> > > > consent

> > > > > > of

> > > > > > Anthony's widow Mary Johnson [Archives of Maryland, 54:760-1].

> > > > > > He was a witness (signing) to her power of attorney by which 

> > > > > > she

> > > > assigned

> > > > > > her son John Johnson authority over her property in Virginia

> > > [Somerset

> > > > > > County Judicial Record, 1671-75, 159-62].

> > > > > > Paul

> > > > > >

> > > > > > -----Original Message-----

> > > > > > From: Boris Sokolovsky

> > > > > > Sent: Saturday, May 04, 2019 3:14 PM

> > > > > > To: [log in to unmask]

> > > > > > Subject: [VA-HIST] John Casor

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Was John Casor one of the first legal black slave?

> > > > > >

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> > > > 804-909-4501 (cell)

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> This list is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of 

> Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

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> Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

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