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Show CURIOUS OLD LAWS WERE THOSE OF COLONY AND DOMINION OF VIRGINIA. Order Given for Building of Jp.ll Seems to Have Been Beginning of Law and Order Rules for Innkeepers. During ono of his lnst lecture tours through Old Virginia Mr. Harry Ellafd was in a small town called Klncastlo, which Is tho county scat of Dototourt county, nnd thero gave a talk to tha Confederate Veteran association of thnt plnco. He met n number of gentlemen who wero connected with tho courthouse court-house nnd who allowed him access to nil of the records of the county. On looking back nearly MO years ho camo across n curious order of the court which ho copied and which Is as follows: "Ilo It remembered thnt nt the houso of Mr. Itobcrt nreckenridge, In tho County of Dotetourt, on Tuesday, tho thirteenth day of February, In the tenth year of tho reign of our Sovereign Sover-eign King George tho Third, by the graco of God of Great Dritnln, Franco nnd Ireland, King Deronder of the Faith, and In the year of our Lord Christ ono thousand seven hundred and soventy, in tho Colony nnd Dominion Do-minion of Virginia, that tho Court orders or-ders that the Surveyor of Botetourt county do lay off two nnd one-hall ncrcs of land for tho uso of tho county directed by Robert Hrcckcnrldgo, whe shall nppolnt by court Christian nnd Stephen Flgg to ngrce with a workman to build n log cabin twenty-four feet long nnd twenty foot wide, for n Courthouse, Court-house, with a clapboard roof with two small rooms, ono nt euch end, for n jury room. "Tho court doth glvo leave to James M. Gcoock to build a log cabin twenty-four twenty-four feet long and sixteen feet wide, with nn addition nt tho end sixteen feet wldo nnd twelvo feet Jong, for n prison nnd tho Gaoler's House, tho expense of which to ho paid by tho county." This was tho nrst record Mr. Ellard camo across, so It will bo seen that by tho building of tho courthouse nnd Jail Inw and order began to provail In this section. Another curious order which Mr. Kllard copied Is as follows: "Order of tho Colonial Court regulating regulat-ing tho chargo ot Innkeepers nt Fin-castlo, Fin-castlo, Virginia, 14th day of February 1770, under King Gcorgo HI. of England, Eng-land, Defender of tho Fnlth. "Ordered that tho following rates bo observed by Innkeepers In riotetourt county to-wlt: For East India rum thoy may domnnd 10 shillings per gallon, gal-lon, for rum mndo on this continent 2 shillings slxpenco per gallon, Madeira wine 12 shillings per gallon, for Tono-rlff Tono-rlff 11 shillings per gallon, for poach brandy f shillings per gallon, for ap-plo ap-plo brandy -l shillings per gallon. For Virginia strong malt beer, bottled thrco months, 7 penco half penny per bottlo, samo not bottled threo months ono shilling thrco penco; for Dumbo with two gills of rum to tho quart mndo with whlto sugar ono shilling thrco penco, for samo with brown sugar ono shilling. For a warm diet with beer sixpence, for lodging with clean sheets ono In a bed, sixpence, two In n bod threo penco threo farthings, moro than two In a bed nothing." Thoro wns.no explanation glvon ns tc what Dumbo wns, but It might have been a colonial highball. |
