BackStory With the American History Guys just aired a radio show on the history of voting that you might be interested in; it includes a soundscape and verbal description of what it would have been like to vote in colonial Virginia. Check it out! <http://www.backstoryradio.org/2008/10/early-and-often-voting-in-america-2/> Levy, Suzanne S. wrote: > This article appeared in today's online Ancestry Weekly Journal. > > > > Elections: Eighteenth Century Virginia Style > > > > by Michael John Neill > > Ever wonder why they don't allow alcohol and electioneering at a polling > place? That's because it can get out of hand, like it did in Orange > County, Virginia, more than 200 years ago. As the November elections > approach, I thought it would be fun to take a look at what things were > like when only landowners were allowed to vote. It was not quite as > dignified and genteel as one might think. > > My ancestor John Rucker brought more than just himself to the election > for the Virginia House in 1741. It took six months, but the orneriness > of him and several others got the results thrown out. The scene is > outlined in government journals, which appear in edited form (Journals > of the House of Burgesses of Virginia, 1742-47, pp. 50-51). > > In the report dated, Friday, 4 June 1742, a Mr. Thomas-Wright Belfield > filed a petition complaining, > > "That as soon as the Poll was opened [a group of men] throng'd > into the Court-house in a riotous Manner, and made such a Disturbance, > that the Sheriff and Candidates were obliged to go out of the Court- > house, 'til the House was clear'd . . . > > "And that the said Mr [Thomas] Chew, whilst he was on the Bench, > called for a Bowl of Punch, and had it brought to him; upon which, the > Sheriff stay'd the Poll, and said he would not have any Punch drank on > the Bench, but wou'd have a fair Election; to which Mr Chew replied, he > would have Punch, and drink it, and that the Sheriff should not hinder > him. > > ". . . the Candidates and Sheriff return'd into the Court-house, > and proceeded in taking the Poll; Mr Jonathan Gibson and John Newport, > the Under-Sheriff . . . [stood at] . . . the Court-house Doors, with > drawn Swords across the Doors, in order to let the Voters pass in and > out quietly and regularly in their Polling. > > "That after the Under-Sheriff was placed at the Door, one Mr > John Rucker came to the Door, and demanded Entrance, which he had; and > then the said Rucker threw the Under-Sheriff and another Person headlong > out of the Doors; and when the Under-Sheriff recovered his Post, the > said Rucker insisted to clear the Doors, so that everyone might have > free Entrance, and seized the Under-Sheriff's Sword with both his Hands, > endeavouring to break it, which the Under-Sheriff prevented, by drawing > it through his Hands. > > "That then one John Burk came to the said Rucker's Assistance, > and laid violent Hold on the Under-Sheriff, who was rescued by the By- > standers. That towards Night . . . the People throng'd into the > Court-house in a drunken riotous Manner, one of them jumping upon the > Clerk's Table, and dancing among the Papers, so that the Sheriff was > unable to clear the Bar, or the Clerks to take the Poll: > > "It also appeared to the Committee, that the said John Rucker > did, before and during the Time of the Election give several large Bowls > of Punch amongst the People, crying out for those Persons who intended > to vote for Mr Slaughter to come and drink of his Punch; and that the > said Rucker stood at the Court-house, and kept out those who were Mr > Belfield's Friends and after the Election was over, confessed he had won > several Pistoles upon Mr Slaughter's being elected the First Burgess." > > (Note: The term "Pistoles" most likely refers to a Spanish coin and not > to a gun. > > On 5 June 1742, the House of Burgesses declared that Slaughter had not > been duly elected. They also stated that John Rucker (among others) were > "guilty of great misdemeanors and breaches . . ." > > On 19 June 1742 a petition was read from John Rucker (and others) which > indicated they were truly sorry and that they would not behave in a way > that would incur the displeasure of the house in the future. They were > discharged from custody and paid their fees. > > John Rucker apparently lived a fairly short, low-key life after the > voting altercation. His will was probated in Orange County on 28 January > 1742 [sic]; he lived a little over a year after the election incident. > Interestingly enough, in his will he gives a lot in Fredericksburg, > Virginia, to Thomas Wright Belfield, the man he was "campaigning" > against. Belfield did not live long after the incident either and I > found a record of his wife transferring ownership of the lot after > Belfield's death. Those with Ancestry subscriptions can see abstracts > of deeds where Belfield's widow sold the land he inherited from Rucker. > > > It has been conjectured by some that John's hands might have been > injured in the sword pulling incident and that this might have in part > led to his death. We will never know whether this was the case or not. > What is known is that he died at a relatively young age and his wife > survived him by nearly thirty years. None of John's children were as > involved in politics as he was. (If they were, they were a little more > discreet.) > > > Those who wish to learn more about voting in Colonial America might want > to take a look at an article by Ed Crews in the Colonial Williamsburg > Journal, Spring 2007, "Voting in Early America". It provides an > interesting background to the shenanigans that took place in Orange > County. > > > ______________________________________ > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at > http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > -- Catherine Moore Assisting Producer of Research BackStory With the American History Guys Virginia Foundation for the Humanities Radio 145 Ednam Drive Charlottesville, VA 22903 434-924-4403 www.backstoryradio.org [log in to unmask] ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html