1. Nathaniel Bradford of Accomack County, Virginia - Lower ...

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not kept penned up. Landowners rather fenced in their crops and allowed their livestock to forage at will. Consequently animals often wandered past the bounds of their owners’ property or at any rate out of their owners’ sight. Since the momentary location of an animal was no indication of its ownership, one man’s livestock was distinguished from another’s by distinctive markings cut into the animals’ ears. Even with this precaution, livestock was frequently a prey to a neighbors’ avarice or a victim of mistaken identity. One of the cases in which Nathaniel was a juror involved two men who were found guilty of marking another man’s pigs. Edmond Kelly claimed that he had three unmarked sows in his pen which returned from foraging marked by Robert Hignet and John Goring. Hignet and Goring claimed they thought the sows were wild, since they had been unmarked. When Edmond Kelly came forward to claim the pigs he failed to prove his ownership so Colonel Scarburgh, as deputy to the Colonial treasurer, requisitioned them “for the use of the King.” 77 Nathaniel was a juror in another case involving a barrow of Richard Hill’s which had wandered into another individual’s field, where it was killed by Robert Huitt. One witness claimed to have seen a hog with both ears cut off in Huitt’s house. Cutting off the ears of an animal was essentially a means of eliminating evidence of ownership and was therefore illegal. Huitt was found guilty and forced to pay a fine of 1000 lbs tobacco. 78 In another of Nathaniel’s jury appearances he and his fellow jurors convicted John Rogers of mismarking a heifer belonging to John Jenkins. The court was very serious about punishing such offenses and in this case “taking into . . . consideration the bad consequence of such evil practices and to deter others from the like” they ordered Rogers to stand for an hour with his head in the pillory with the words “For mismarking a heifer which was none of his own” posted above him. 79 In all, Nathaniel served on 21 juries in Accomack County from 1663 to 1674, two thirds of them in the years 1663 and 1674. Following is a chart accounting for all of Nathaniel’s jury service: Complete Log of Nathaniel’s Jury Service 1663 Jul 16 on jury in case of Jno. Dolby vs. Thomas Smith over a dead horse 80 Jul 16 on jury in case of Jno. Goring & Robert Hignet marking pigs 81 Jul 16 on jury in case of Robert Huitt vs. James Atkinson for killing hogs and cattle 82 Aug 17 on jury in case of James Atkinson vs. Joseph Pitman over a dead pig 83 Aug 18 on jury in case of John Rogers mismarking John Jenkins’ heifer 84 Aug 18 on jury in case of William Blake vs. John Prittyman over a stolen sow 85 Aug 18 on jury in case of the King vs. George Hack for killing a stray cow 86 1669 Mar 17 on jury in case of Devorax Browne vs. Mihill Rickets for goods and services 87 Nov 23 on jury 88 Nov 24 on jury 89 1670 Jun 16 on jury 90 1671 Nov 18 on jury 91 1672 May 17 on jury 92 1673 Feb 6 on jury 93 1674 Jan 6 on jury 94 Jan 8 on jury 95 Feb 18 on jury 96 Mar 17 on jury 97 Apr 20 on jury in case of Isaac Jacob vs. Rowland Savage for trespass 98 May 18 on jury 99 Nov 11 on jury 100 Until a courthouse was built for the county later in Nathaniel’s life, sessions of the Acomack County court were held at Thomas Fowkes’ tavern. 101 This was essentially the local pub, so court day was often a festive occasion. Like those occasions when church services were held, sessions of the county court provided an opportunity for the community to gather together, catch up on the events of the day, and to socialize – and on court days Fowkes’ tavern did a brisk business. There are many instances in the court records of men being fined for appearing before the court drunk. Jurymen themselves were customarily given a free drink in Page 20 of 74 Copyright 2008 Adam M. Bradford
ecompense for their services. The most common drinks served were probably locally made rum and cider, but imported brandy and wine was also present. Sack was drunk, as was beer and mum, a strong ale. 102 Jurymen were not selected in advance; rather, they seem to have been chosen from among those already present at court, or those who happened to live nearby. There were probably always men on hand for such service, since it appears that a great number of the county’s residents showed up for court days. At the 16 April 1664 court, Justice Scarburgh declared that most of the county was present. 103 This level of attendance can’t have been that uncommon, since nothing sensational was occurring in the session for that particular day. Court day was simply one of the only opportunities for the community to gather together, and many took advantage of the opportunity. Though any resident might appear in court, only freeholders were allowed to serve on juries. Servants and freeman without land were not allowed to be selected, and in practice gentlemen and county magistrates were never selected, likely since such service was considered beneath them. After 1674 Nathaniel ceased to appear on any juries for Accomack County, and this may indicate that after that year jury service was considered inappropriate to his age or station. Leisure Activities Having a drink at Fowkes’ tavern was not the only entertainment to be had on the eastern shore. Accomack is the site of what is thought to be the first theatrical production ever given in America, The Bear and the Cub, performed in August 1665. Someone thought the performance objectionable and informed on the actors, who were arrested by the king’s attorney and ordered to reenact the play for the court. 104 The justices must have found it innocent enough; rather than punish the actors, they instead fined the man who had informed against them. 105 Although theater was not a normal diversion for guests at Fowkes’ Tavern, other diversions may have been common. The game of ten pins was popular in 17 th century Virginia and was frequently available at taverns, where owners would set up alleys devoted to the game. This and other games were frequently the object of wagers, and betting in general was very popular among Virginians. Dice were played as well as the two-person card game put. 106 Hunting for sport was also clearly prevalent, as is evidenced by the numerous cases brought before the court of men accidentally killing their neighbors’ hogs. Though frequently a matter for litigation, sometimes hunting could be a matter for neighborliness, as in the community hog hunt held around Christmas of 1662 in Accomack. 107 By far the most popular and prestigious pastime was horse racing. In some ways, it was considered a preserve of the upper class, since only the relatively wealthy could afford to own a horse. But, aside from private races, spectators were always welcome and frequently in great attendance. 108 There is evidence that Nathaniel Bradford himself was an avid equestrian. At his death, he possessed 33 horses and a copy of Markhams Masterpiece, the standard horse care manual of the day. 109 * * * * * Nathaniel as Surveyor of the Highways About the time he settled at Matchapungo, in 1665, Nathaniel Bradford was appointed one of the surveyors of Accomack County. 110 His title was surveyor of the highways, a position different from that of the surveyor proper, whose job was to lay out the boundaries of land. The primary task of the surveyors of the highways was to ensure that the county’s roads were maintained in a good state of repair, essentially that they remain clear of debris and in a condition suitable for frequent use. The surveyors didn’t do all this work themselves, but rather had authority from the Court to order the inhabitants to assist them in clearing whatever portions of the county’s roads passed near or through the inhabitants’ land. All taxable male inhabitants were required by law to take part in this work and furnish their own tools for it. In the event that residents proved delinquent in helping to clear the highways, the surveyor could accuse them of such before the Court, which could hold them to account. In 1679, Nathaniel himself was accused of delinquency in clearing the highways near his own land and was ordered by the court to “make the bridge by Jno. Willis passable for carts and horses.” 111 Surveyors themselves could also be found delinquent in their duties. At Nathaniel’s appointment, an overseer of the surveyors was actually named and tasked with ensuring that all the surveyors fulfilled their duties. 112 Page 21 of 74 Copyright 2008 Adam M. Bradford
Page 1 and 2: 1. Nathaniel 1 Bradford of Accomack
Page 3 and 4: Sketch of Nathaniel Bradford Nathan
Page 5 and 6: in London that “no question . . .
Page 7 and 8: Nathaniel’s Early Years to Settle
Page 9 and 10: to tender our Cause; that (if ye sd
Page 11 and 12: Nathaniel as Constable & Birth of N
Page 13 and 14: Alice sold the Occahannock plantati
Page 15 and 16: The occupation of currier no longer
Page 17 and 18: approve the appointment of the King
Page 19: The fundamental division within the
Page 23 and 24: Nathaniel in the Late 1660’s: 166
Page 25 and 26: practice that another of Nathaniel
Page 27 and 28: man were the father of Nathaniel Jr
Page 29 and 30: Nathaniel as Grand Juror and Repres
Page 31 and 32: court’s reputation. Since the acc
Page 33 and 34: Nathaniel Bradford During the 1670s
Page 35 and 36: 2800 acres. In that same year Natha
Page 37 and 38: household. A Thomas Williams was a
Page 39 and 40: In 17 th century Virginia slavery w
Page 41 and 42: Mathews’ lack of payment for cert
Page 43 and 44: Governor Berkeley used the eastern
Page 45 and 46: Though tobacco was the staple of Vi
Page 47 and 48: himself was probably not in Sussex
Page 49 and 50: Now that all of Nathaniel’s land
Page 51 and 52: * * * * * Nathaniel as Attorney On
Page 53 and 54: Nathaniel’s tithables remained co
Page 55 and 56: towels, a small chest, a small brok
Page 57 and 58: Citations Introduction 1.Nathaniel
Page 59 and 60: early 1640s, Richard Smith Jr. is a
Page 61 and 62: 122.McKey, 7: 232. For knowingly co
Page 63 and 64: 219.Wesley Frank Craven, The Coloni
Page 65 and 66: 298.McKey, 7: 73. 299.McKey, 8: 49.
Page 67 and 68: Appendix A: Timeline of Events in N
Page 69 and 70: Apr 20 verbal bargain with Mathew S
Page 71 and 72:
1692 Feb 19 Robert Watson’s estat
Page 73 and 74:
3) Henry Bradford of the Muster Per
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