[Page 413]
At a Council held for the Town & Corporation of Fredericksburg on Saturday the 17th day of March 1798
Prest.
William Taylor Recorder
| Fontaine Maury | ) |
| George W. B. Spooner | ) Aldermen |
| Wm. S. Stone | ) |
| George French | ) |
| James Brown | ) |
| John Benson | ) |
| Richard Peacock | ) Common Councilmen |
| Wm. Herndon | ) |
| Zacha. Lucas | ) |
The office of Mayor being vacant by the Death of William Harvey Esqr. The vacancy is filled up in the following manner agreeable to Law, viz: William Taylor esqr. Recorder to be Mayor in the room of said Harvey decd. Fontaine Maury esqr. the eldest Alderman to be Recorder in the room of the said Wm Taylor and James Brown esqr. the Eldest Councilman to be an Alderman in the room of the said Fontaine Maury.
The Council men proceeded to the choice of a Councilman (by ballott) in the room of the said James Brown when James Newby Gent. was chosen.
William Taylor esq. qualified as Mayor before Mann Page esq. one of the Quorum Justices for the County of Spotsylvania and then the said William Taylor administered the oath of Recorder to Fontaine Maury esqr.
The Chamberlain returned the receipt of the Trustees of the Charity School for the funds belonging to the Estate of Archibald McPhearson decd. which is ordered to be recorded.
Adjourned
Signed William Taylor
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Fredg. 20th Febry. 1798
Agreeable to an act of the assembly of Virginia dated December 1797 We have this day received of George W. B. Spooner Chamberlain of the Corporation of Fredericksburg the following property in Trust, belong to the Estate of Archibald McPhparson.
| Jos. Jones Bond dated 3d Dec. 1797 | £76 | 16 | 8 | |||
| Francis Taliaferro's 26th Oct.1790 | £130 | |||||
| Do. Do. | 102 | 7 | 6 | 232 | 7 | 6 |
| Fontaine Maury's do dated 1st May 1778 | 92 | 19 | 7 | |||
| Geo. W. B. Spooner's Mortgage of an Insured house & Lott on the Main Street | 401 | 14 | 6 | |||
| William Harveys Bond dated 12 Augt.1797 | 59 | 8 | 9 | |||
| Cash | 23 | 4 | 3 | |||
| £886 | 11 | 3 |
Amounting as above stated to eight hundred & eighty six pounds, eleven shillings & three pence, accompanied with the opinion of Council annexed relative to the debt due from Francis Taliaferro esqr.
signed
Benjn. Day Trustee
William Harvey Mayor
Chs. Yates, Trustee
Geo. French, Trustee
William Lovell
Fontaine Maury, Trustee
Elisha Hall, Trustee
William Taylor
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March 19th 1798
This being the day appointed by Law for the annual election of 12 persons to serve the Corporation the ensuing year as Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen and Common Councilmen, The freeholders and Housekeepers being notified thereof and having met at the house of John Benson in the said Corporation and deposited their Ballots in the Ballott Box upon Examination the greatest number of votes were found in favour of the following persons viz;
| For | Fontaine Maury | 60 |
| William Taylor | 55 | |
| G. W. B. Spooner | 53 | |
| Richard Peacock | 52 | |
| James Brown | 48 | |
| Fielding Lucas | 47 | |
| John Benson | 42 | |
| George French | 37 | |
| William Herndon | 40 | |
| Zachh. Lucas | 39 | |
| D. C. Ker | 39 | |
| John Mercer | 24 | |
| James Newby | 23 | |
| William Drummond | 18 | |
| James Smock | 18 |
So that the first named 12 were duly elected Who proceeded to the choice of Mayor when Fontaine Maury Esqr. was duly elected who took the usual oath of office.
They then proceeded to the choice of Recorder when Geo. W. B. Spooner Esqr. was elected who took the usual oath of office.
They also proceeded to the choice of 4 Aldermen when George French D. C. Ker, John Mercer and William Taylor Esqrs. were elected and the said Ker and Tayor took the usual oath of office.
And the remaining 6 to wit Richard Peacock James Brown Fielding Lucas John Benson William Herndon Zachariah Lucas are Common Councilmen who (except William Herndon) Qualified accordingly.
John Chew is Reelected Clerk to this Board.
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George W. B. Spooner is reelected Chamberlain the ensuing year.
Thomas Miller is reelected Guager and Geographer the ensuing Year.
Moses Perry is appointed Clerk of the Markett the present year who took the oath of office.
Fontaine Maury George French William Taylor Richard Peacock and John Benson are reappointed Trustees of the Markett House the ensuing year.
John Ferneyhough is appointed keeper of the powder Magazine the present year.
The minutes were signed
Fontaine Maury
And on Saturday the 24th day of March 1798 George French and John Mercer Esqrs. two of the Aldermen Elected to serve the Corporation the present year took the usual oaths Directed by Law before Fontaine Maury esqr. the Mayor and William Herndon qualified as one of the Common Council
The Minutes were signed
Fontaine Maury
At a Council held in the Town and Corporation of Fredericksburg on 20th June 1798
Present
Fontaine Maury Mayor
| Geo. W. B. Spooner | ) |
| John Mercer | ) |
| David C. Ker | ) Aldermen |
| William Taylor | ) |
| James Brown | ) |
| John Benson | ) Councilmen |
| Richd. Peacock | ) |
| Zachh. Lucas | ) |
Ordered that the proprietor or Manager of the Theatre in this Corporation pay or secure to be paid to the Chamberlain of said Corporation the sum of $100 to be paid within ten days from the commencement of
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their performing therein, being for the priviledge of Representing Theatrical Pieces in said Corporation till the third Monday in March next to be applied towards lessing the Taxes of this Corporation.
Ordered that permission shall not be given to any person to represent or exhibit any Theatrical, Equestrian, Slight of hand or any other such like performance within this Corporation, unless they first pay or secure to be paid to the Chamberlain of said Corporation $5 for each time of such performance to be applied in like manner as above directed.
John Mercer, David C. Ker, William Taylor, Geo. W. B. Spooner & Fontaine Maury Gent. or any 3 of them are appointed a Committee, to draught an Ordinance respecting Hoggs in this Corporation and report the same to this board on Monday next.
Ordered that the same Committee do examine the by Laws of this Corporation and to report what alteration ought to be made in any of them.
The following persons are appointed to take the number of white Males tithables, Slaves above 12 years, horses Riding carriages, Drays, Carts, Cattle and no. of Hogs within this Corporation to wit Geo. French and John Mercer from the lower end of the Town to James Newbys Corner, Wm. Taylor and Richard Peacock from James Newbys to William Lovells Corner, John Benson and William Herndon from William Lovells to David Hendersons corner, and George W. B. Spooner and Zachh Lucas from David Hendersons to the uper end of said Corporation and make return thereof to the next Council.
The minutes were signed
Fontaine Maury
Mayor
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At a Council held for the Town and Corporation of Fredericksburg on Monday the 25th day of June 1798
Prest.
Fontaine Maury Mayor
Geo. W. B. Spooner Recorder
| Geo. French | ) |
| John Mercer | ) Aldermen |
| William Taylor | ) |
| James Brown | ) |
| John Benson | ) |
| Rd. Peacock | ) Common Councilmen |
| Fieldg. Lucas | ) |
| Zach. Lucas | ) |
The Council proceeded to adjust and allow the following accounts viz;
| To Charles Steward Const. by account | £10 | 5 | 3 | |||
| To James Allan p acct. | £12 | 18 | 6 | |||
| To ditto as Jailor | 2 | 8 | 0 | |||
| To ditto for attending this board | 15 | 0 | 0 | |||
| To ditto his Sallary by Law | 7 | 10 | 0 | 37 | 16 | 6 |
| Thomas Miller by account for repairs to the fire engine | 6 | 14 | 0 | |||
| To Joshua Ingham by account | 10 | 9 | 0 | |||
| To Moses Perry Const. by acct. | 13 | 13 | 9 | |||
| To Timothy Green by acct. | 5 | 0 | 0 | |||
| To John Minor atto. for the Corporation | 20 | 0 | 0 | |||
| £103 | 18 | 6 | ||||
| (carrd. over) amount Brought over | ||||||
| To John Chew Clerk by account $111.28 | 33 | 7 | 8 | |||
| To Moses Perry clerk of the Market | 6 | 0 | 0 | |||
| £143 | 6 | 2 |
The Commissioners appointed to take the list of Taxable property in this Corporation this day returned their lists amounting to 301 wht. Tithables 443 Slaves above 12 years, 150 horses, 132 wheels to rdg. Carriages 25 drays & carts 244 Hogs. Ordered that the Clerk make out fair copies of the said lists and deliver one to the Chamberlain & one to the Sergeant, and that the Sergeant collect of each wht. Tithable 4/p poll, on each slave above 12 years 4/- on each horse 6/ on each Riding carriage p wheel 3/- on each Dray or Cart 24/ on each hog shoat or pig 3/- on the number this day retd. by the Comnr. for the quarter ending the 21st September next, and also 20/ on every £100 value of Rent, agreeable to the Comnr. of the Revenue's retd. the last year and the Sergeant collect the said taxes and account for the same with the Chamberlain within three Months from this date.
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Ordered that the Trustees of the Markett house be authorized to contract with some person or persons to remove from the streets all filth and manure that may be found therein.
The Comnrs. appointed to report an Ordinance respecting Hogs this day retd. the same which was approved and ordered to be Recorded and also published in the Virga. Herald.
The Minutes of these proceedings were signed
Fontaine Maury
AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING HOGS.
Whereas great inconveniences have arisen to the Inhabitants of this Corporation, owing to the number of Hogs raised in Town & running at large, and whereas the Council have experienced that the several ordinances passed for the prevention of the evil have hitherto proven ineffectual, Be it therefore Ordained by the Mayor, Aldermen and Common Council men of the Corporation of Fredericksburg, and it is hereby ordained, by the authority of the same That from and after the 21st day of June 1798 all Hogs, Shoats or pigs found within the Corporation belonging to persons living within the jurisdiction of the same shall be subject to and pay the following Tax, To wit, Fifty cents for the first three months for each Hog shoat or Pig return'd by the Commissioners for that purpose appointed Two Dollars on each Hog shoat or Pig so returned within the Corporation in the month of October insuing, and two Dollars on such Hog Shoat or Pig returned within the Corporation in the month of February 1799.
The above Tax to be collected from the owner or owners if Free persons, and in case such Hog or Hogs be found in the possession of a Slave, then of the Master or owner of such slave.
All Ordinances made respecting Hogs, Shoats or Pigs within this Corporation are hereby repeal'd.
June 20th 1798
Fontaine Maury Mayor