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Official Records - County Records - Essex County

Essex County--Founded on the south side of the Rappahannock River in 1692, by the eighteenth century Essex County was one of the established Tidewater counties, its economy fully bound to tobacco and the number of slaves relatively high. In the 1790 census, of the total population of 9,122, 5,440, or 60 percent, were slaves. The county justices met at the town of Hobb's Hole, which today is called Tappahannock, and its prominent men included merchant-planter Archibald Ritchie, and Robert Beverley. Across the Rappahannock was Richmond County, whose planters, among them John Tayloe and Landon Carter, joined with those of Essex in family and business relationships.

Trial of Sam
Trial of Sam, property of James Emerson, jailer and ferry operator, January 7, 1766.

Examination of a female slave Joyce, July 1766
No commission of Oyer and Terminer was procured, for Joyce was examined for only threatening to poison John Birandinent. There are a number of cases throughout eighteenth-century Virginia in which slaves were charged with administering poison.

In July 1766 William Porter petitioned the Essex court to have his slave James, a chronic runaway, castrated.
In July 1766 William Porter petitioned the Essex court to have his slave James, a chronic runaway, castrated. Such extreme punishments, while not common, were occasionally ordered. The law of 1705 stated: "any slave, that hath run away and lain out as aforesaid, shall be apprehended by the sheriff, or any other person, upon the application of the owner of the said slave, it shall and may be lawful for the county court, to order such punishment to the said slave, either by dismembring, or any other way, not touching his life, as they in their discretion shall think fit, for the reclaiming any such incorrigible slave, and terrifying others from the like practices." Porter advertised for runaway Tom in the Virginia Gazette (Purdie & Dixon), January 28, 1768 and Virginia Gazette (Rind), February 4, 1768, and was one of three subscribers to an ad for two English convict servants and one mulatto servant who were advertised for in the Virginia Gazette (Rind), September 22, 1768.

Trial of Sam
Trial of Sam, property of James Emerson, Sept. 18, 1766. Emerson was keeper of the Essex County jail; in August he advertised for another slave named SAM, a prisoner in the jail whom the constables had refused to receive or convey to his owner. See the Virginia Gazette (Purdie & Dixon), August 15, 1766. Legal proceedings against Emerson's Sam had begun in January 1766. It is possible that Emerson had acquired Sam because his owner had not appeared to reclaim him.

Trial of Tom and Flora
Trial of Tom and Flora for hog stealing. Since hogs generally ran free, there were numerous cases of slaves' caught stealing, although slaves may have viewed hogs as common property.

William Porter and slaves James and Tom are to be added to the tithe list
A note that William Porter and slaves James and Tom are to be added to the tithe list, November 17, 1766. The tithe was a tax on every male and female above the age of sixteen. Masters paid for all members of their households above that age, including slaves and servants. Porter advertised for runaway Tom in January and February 1768, and was one of three subscribers to an ad for two English convict servants and one mulatto servant who ran away in August 1768. Porter had earlier requested to be allowed to castrate his slave James as a chronic runaway (July 1766). See above.

Trial of Sam
Trial of Sam, property of John Emerson dec'd, Nov 17, 1766.