Page 92 - History of Rockingham Co
P. 92
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY
It was also established to the satisfaction of the court
that John Smith, deceased, had been a lieutenant in Capt.
John Smith's company of rangers in 1756, and had been killed
at Fort Vause. Lieut. Smith was a brother to Abraham
Smith. Claims for land were made upon the military service
of Menzies and Smith.
It was ordered that Benj. Harrison, William Herron, and
John Davis, or any two of them, "let out the Building of a
Courtho. of square Logs with diamond Corners Thirty feet
Long by 20 feet wide from out to out with a partition twelve
feet in the Clear across the house divided into two rooms on
&12 feet wide the other 8 feet wide, the room 12 feet wide to
have a neat stone Chimney inside at the Gavle End of it the
whole to be floored with Earth as far as the Lawiers Bar &
then to be raised with a plank floor to the Justices Bench
&which; is to be raised three feet above the floor the Breast
of the Bench to be studed with a railed Top, the pitch of the
&house; to be 10 feet clear Ceiling lofted with Inch plank
with two window on each side of the ho. facing the Clks.
Table & one in Each of Jury rooms the windows 18 Lights
—each Glass 8 by 10 Inches, with a Door on side just Clear
of the Jury rooms."
This order was evidently to take the place of the one
issued May 25, preceding, as shown above. Accordingly,
it appears that the first court house was built of logs instead
of stone, and that in size it was 20x30 feet instead of 26x36.
Neither the court house nor the jail seems to have been com-
pleted before the end of 1783 or the beginning of 1784.
March 27, 1780.
The following were sworn in as captains of militia:
Josiah Harrison, Richard Reagan, Jeremiah Beasley.
The following as lieutenants:
, Joseph Rutherford. Stephen Conrod, Robt. Smith.
Gist, who accompanied Washington on his perilous journey to the French
forts in 1753.
-79—
It was also established to the satisfaction of the court
that John Smith, deceased, had been a lieutenant in Capt.
John Smith's company of rangers in 1756, and had been killed
at Fort Vause. Lieut. Smith was a brother to Abraham
Smith. Claims for land were made upon the military service
of Menzies and Smith.
It was ordered that Benj. Harrison, William Herron, and
John Davis, or any two of them, "let out the Building of a
Courtho. of square Logs with diamond Corners Thirty feet
Long by 20 feet wide from out to out with a partition twelve
feet in the Clear across the house divided into two rooms on
&12 feet wide the other 8 feet wide, the room 12 feet wide to
have a neat stone Chimney inside at the Gavle End of it the
whole to be floored with Earth as far as the Lawiers Bar &
then to be raised with a plank floor to the Justices Bench
&which; is to be raised three feet above the floor the Breast
of the Bench to be studed with a railed Top, the pitch of the
&house; to be 10 feet clear Ceiling lofted with Inch plank
with two window on each side of the ho. facing the Clks.
Table & one in Each of Jury rooms the windows 18 Lights
—each Glass 8 by 10 Inches, with a Door on side just Clear
of the Jury rooms."
This order was evidently to take the place of the one
issued May 25, preceding, as shown above. Accordingly,
it appears that the first court house was built of logs instead
of stone, and that in size it was 20x30 feet instead of 26x36.
Neither the court house nor the jail seems to have been com-
pleted before the end of 1783 or the beginning of 1784.
March 27, 1780.
The following were sworn in as captains of militia:
Josiah Harrison, Richard Reagan, Jeremiah Beasley.
The following as lieutenants:
, Joseph Rutherford. Stephen Conrod, Robt. Smith.
Gist, who accompanied Washington on his perilous journey to the French
forts in 1753.
-79—
