Ancient Documents
Party Types
The following is a list of the party types that appear on the ancient documents. These party types will appear in parenthesis after the party name in the search results.
- Administrator (Admin.)
- Assignee - Individual tasked with acting officially on behalf of another person. For example, a third party paying a bond (though not mentioned in the bond), or in insolvent debtor cases the person who settles the debts on the debtor’s behalf.
- Assistant (assist.) Judge
- Attorney - for Def. or Plain. (sometimes listed as atty.)
- Clerk
- Coroner
- Creditor - Seen mostly in bonds or bills, person to whom money is owed.
- Debtor - Seen mostly in bonds or bills, person who is borrowing money. Often then appears as the defendant in a debt trial.
- Deceased
- Defendant (def.)
- Deponent (Dep.) - Anyone giving evidence, in recognizances where the individuals named are required to appear at court to provide testimony, they should be labeled as deponent.
- Elizor - Temporary Sheriff (Eliz.)
- Executor
- Former Sheriff
- Grantee - Someone buying a piece of property.
- Grantor - Someone selling a piece of property.
- Heir - Someone inheriting an estate.
- Host - Person at whose home or establishment a legal proceeding (such as an inquisition) takes place.
- Infant Guardian
- Judge / Justice
- Jurors / Jury
- Land Owner (used on controversy over roads / problems with roads)
- Owner (generally associated with manumissions of slaves)
- Petitioners
- Plaintiff (plain.)
- Plegis - Pledge. Also, someone called in a acquietandas plegiis writ, or an acquietandis plegiis writ, both related to sureties for a debt.
- Road Commissioner
- Sheriff
- Slave
- Surety - Persons on bonds or recognizances who swear to pay bail or other monetary stake for a third party’s good behavior.
- Tenant
Record Types
The following is a list of the record types contained within the historical documents.
- Account
- Affidavit
- Affidavit of Service
- Agreement Between Parties
- Allowance for the Poor
- Appeal
- Arbitration
- Arbitration Award (see award of referees)
- Articles of Agreement
- Award of Referees
- Bail Bond
- Bail Note
- Bail Piece
- Bench Warrant
- Bond
- Bond to Prosecute
- Call for Jurors (Venire)
- Case Summaries
- Certificate
- Certificate of Attachment
- Citation
- Confession of Judgment
- Controversy of Roads
- Cost
- Counter Part on Lease
- Court Minutes
- Court Order
- Court Summary / Court Summaries
- Court Transfer
- Coverletter
- Creditors List (insolvent debtor)
- Declaration
- Defendant Prayer
- Demurrer
- Deposition
- Discharge Discharge of Debt
- Discharge of Recognizance
- Distraint
- Distringas
- Elizor
- Entry of Record
- Escheat
- Evidence
- Examination
- Fieri Facie
- Fragment
- Grand Jury Indictment
- Indictment
- Inquiry, Notice of
- Inquiry, Writ of
- Inquisition
- Insolvent Debtor (packet of material relating to)
- Insolvent’s Oath
- Judgment
- Judgment Roll
- Justice of the Peace Record
- Justification of Bail
- Letter of Appointment (for attorney)
- List of Jurors
- Memorandum
- Memorial, Summons
- Mittimus
- Motion of Set Off
- Municipal Officers (list of)
- Narration (Narr.)
- Nolle Prosequi
- Non Suit
- Note
- Note for payment
- Notice of Inquiry
- Oath of Allegiance
- Oath of Assignee
- Oath of Creditor
- Order of Bastardy
- Order of Removal
- Penal Bill
- Plea
- Power of Attorney
- Presentment
- Recognizance
- Recognizance in Bastardy
- Record (Case Record)
- Rejoinder
- Relinquishment
- Replevin
- Replication
- Report of Referee
- Road Commissioner Report
- Rule of Reference, Report
- Ruling
- Satisfaction
- Scire Facias
- Summons
- Warrant
- Warrant for Arrest
- Warrant for Penalty
- Warrant of Attorney
- Warrant to Confess Judgment
Offenses
The following is a list of the offenses that appear on the historical documents.
- Abuse
- Aiding a Fugitive
- Assault
- Assault & Battery
- Breach of Peace
- Controversy Over Roads
- Debt
- Coroner Testimony
- Counterfeit Bills from Massachusetts
- Defamation & Slander
- Extortion
- Felony/ Fraud Constable Election Scandal
- Forgery
- Land Disputes
- Land Partition
- Making Counterfeit Coins
- Negligence (controversy over roads)
- Perjury
- Theft
- Vandalism