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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 Tom
Trial of Tom for murder, Jan 1771.

Abram convicted of hogstealing, January 1771
Abram, a repeat offender, convicted of hog stealing. Note the severe penalty. Owner Mann Page advertised for Jack, also known as John Wilkinson, Virginia Gazette (Purdie & Dixon), September 27, 1770, and Virginia Gazette (Rind), September 27, 1770.

Trial of George
Trial of George, August 19, 1771. See trial of Jack, October 9, 1772.

Trial of Luke alias Jack
Trial of Luke alias Jack, August 19, 1771. Luke was pardoned, became property of John Edmondson, who advertised him when he ran away soon after. (Virginia Gazette (Purdie & Dixon), September 3, 1772).

Another of Mann Page's slaves tried for felony
4 Sept. 1771: another of Mann Page's slaves tried for felony. Owner Mann Page advertised for Jack, also known as John Wilkinson, Sept. 27, 1770 (Virginia Gazette (Purdie & Dixon), September 27, 1770 and Virginia Gazette (Rind), September 27, 1770).

Another of Mann Page's slaves tried for stealing a horse
In September 1771 another of Mann Page's slaves tried for stealing a horse. Owner Mann Page advertised for Jack, also known as John Wilkinson, Sept. 27, 1770 (Virginia Gazette (Purdie & Dixon), September 27, 1770 and Virginia Gazette (Rind), September 27, 1770).