Council Minutes
City of Fredericksburg, Virginia
1811

At a Council held at the Town Hall on Thursday the 7th day of March 1811

Pres't
Joseph Walker, Mayor
George French, Recorder
Adam Cooke, Common Councilman
William Allen, Common Councilman
Alex'r Walker, Common Councilman
John Scott, Common Councilman
Horace Marshall, Common Councilman
David Almond, Common Councilman
Philip Terrier, Common Councilman

The Commissioners appointed to superintend the repairs to the Streets and who were directed by an order of councill of the 7th July 1810 to contract with R'd Chew for the purchase of a Lott if there should be sufficiency of gravel thereon for the sum of one hundred and twenty dollars payable within twelve months with Interest from that date till paid this day informed the Board that they had contracted with Robert S Chew for the purchase of said Lott upon the terms above mentioned & said Chew having presented to this board a bond for the conveyance of sd Lott in fee simple to the Mayor for the time being and to his successors in office for the usse of the corporation, It is ordererd that the Chamberlain of the Corporation do pay to the said Robert S Chew on the 7th day of July 1811 the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars with Interest thereon from the 7th day of July 1810. It appears also to the board that the said Chew had theretofor sold the said Lott to a certain John Rogers and the said Rogers having failed to pay the purchase money no conveyance was made to him and at the time the order of the 7th of July 1810 was made the said John Rogers was present at the Council board and relinquished his claim to the said Lott and consented to the above sale made by Rober S Chew to the Mayor and Commonalty of the Town of Fredericksburg

The Council proceeded to allow the following claims against the Corporation

To Bartholomew Fuller pr a/c $3.00
To Robert S Chew Clerk pr a/c 115.14
To Benj'n Day Exor of Chas Yates for costs in Spot'a Sup'r Court in suit Corpo vs Yates 21.04
To William Jackson pr a/c 19.70
To Philip Terrier pr a/c 10.50
To Birkett Bowen for serv'g inquest 3.50
To Benj'n Day Coroner for Inquest on Mrs Fisher 5.00
To Birkett Bowen salary as constable 60.00
To Charles Steward salary as constable 60.00
To Gerard McKenney salary as constable 60.00
Amt carried over $357.88
[Page 147]
Amt brot over $357.88
To Joseph Walker pr a/c 5.00
To John W Green atto for Salary 66.67
To Timothy Green for printing 24.00
To Jno Taliaferro for salary as physician to the poor 30.00
To Wm Jackson serg't for public services 50.00
To Baldwin Fletcher pr a/c 5.83
To John Mundell pr a/c 6.00
[Total] $545.38

Ordered that the sum of $5 being half the price of a hog belonging to Maj'r Curtis which was taken up and sold agreeable to the bye laws be refunded to the said Curtis for reasons appearing to the board

Ordered that Adam Cooke, Alexander Walker and Wm Allen or any two of them do examine the Chamberlains and serjeant accounts and report thereupon to the next council

It appearing to the council that John W Green the attorney for the Copo was engaged as counsel for Mord Marston at the suit of the Corpo previous to his being appointed attorney for the Corporation It ordered that Robert Stanard be requested to prosecute the said suit and that the Chamberlain pay him the customary fee.

Ordered that the police officer give notice to the proprietor of the house formerly owned by Joseph Berry to remove the same within ten days and if the said proprietor fails to remove the house the police officer is hereby directed to remove it and expose the materials to public sale and out of the proceeds of sale in the first place pay the expences of removing it & the balance if any to the said proprietor.

Ordered that the Commissioner of the Revenue do include in his next list of property subject to taxation, the number of dogs within this Corporation.

Joseph Walker, Mayor
R S Chew C C

At a Council held at the Town Hall on Wednesday the 13th day of March 1811

Pres't
Joseph Walker, Mayor
Adam Cooke, Common Councilman
John Mundell, Common Councilman
William Allen, Common Councilman
David Almond, Common Councilman
John Smith, Common Councilman
Philip Terrier, Common Councilman
Horace Marshall, Common Councilman

Ordered that the Chamberlain pay to John Robinson 16/ per his account this day allowed

[Page 148]

Ordered that the Chamberlain pay to William Smock the sum of £17 per his account this day allowed

The Committee appointed to settle the account of Horace Marshall Chamberlain made their report that the said account is correctly stated and supported by proper vouchers and that the balance of $38.52 is due to the Chamberlain. Ordered that the said account and report be published in the Virginia Herald

Joseph Walker

March 18th 1811

This being day appointed by Law for the Election of 12 persons to serve the Corporation of Fredericksburg as Mayor, Recorder and Common Council for one year, The free-holders and house keepers being notified thereof met at the Town Hall and having deposited their ballots in the ballot box, upon examination thereof, the greatest number of votes were found to be favour of the following persons viz't.

Joseph Walker 38
David Almond 38
George French 36
John Scott 36
Charles L Carter 33
Adam Cooke 33
William Allen 30
David Henderson 26
John Mundell 24
Horace Marshall 21
Philip Terrier 21

Who were duly elected

Adjourned till tomorrow morning 10 O'clock

Joseph Walker

At a Council held at the Town Hall on Tuesday the 19th day of March 1811

Pres't
Joseph Walker
George French
John Scott
Adam Cooke
William Allen
David Henderson
William Pearson
John Mundell
Horace Marshall

The Council then proceeded to the choice of Mayor, when George French was elected and qualified accordingly

They then proceeded to the choice of Recorder when John Scott was duly elected and qualified accordingly

Horace Marshall is elected chamberlain this comporation the present year who qualified & It is ordered that he give [Page 149] bond and security in the penalty of $5000 at the next Council & It is further ordered that he receive the sum of $50 for his service

Robert S Chew is unanimously elected Clerk of this board the present year

John Goolrick is appointed Geographer in this Corporation the present year

Adam Darby is reappointed Gauger in this corporation the present year, who qualified accordingly

Birkett Bowen is reappointed measurer of Coal and Salt the present year

Horace Marshall, Adam Cooke & David Henderson are appointed Trustees of the Markett House the present year and also to rent out the public wharf & to take care of the fire hooks, ladders, and Engine & also to rent out the Hay Scales

William Pearson, Joseph Walker, and Philip Terrier are appointed to superintend the pumps for the present year adn they are authorized to draw on the Chamberlain for what money may be necessary for that purpose

Timothy Green is reappointed Printer for the purpose of printing the orders &c of this board for which he is to receive the sum of $24

Ordered that the Mayor do affix the size of Bread from time to time as he shall see cause

George W B Spooner is reappointed Commissioner of the Revenue for the present year

Adj'd
Geo French
Attest
R S Chew

At a Council held at the Town Hall on Monday the 22d day of April 1811

Pres't
George French, Mayor
John Scott, Recorder
Horace Marshall, Common Councilman
William Allen, Common Councilman
John Mundell, Common Councilman
David Henderson, Common Councilman
William Pearson, Common Councilman
Joseph Walker, Common Councilman

David Almond and Philip Terrier two of the Common Council appeared and were duly qualified and took their seats

The Commissioner of the revenue returned an abstract of property subject to taxation in this Corporation the present years as follows Viz't

391 Free Males above 12 years
585 Slaves above sixteen
152 Horses
112 Pleasure carriage wheels
1 Stud Horse

And on motion made and seconded, Resolved [Page 150] that the same species of property and persons subjected to taxation the last year be again taxed at the same rates which were imposed on the 6 April 1810

Be it ordained by the mayor and common councilmen of the Corpo of Fredericksburg in Common Hall assembled and it is hereby ordained by the authority of the same, that (in addition to the taxes this day imposed) all dogs within this corporation on the first day of June next shall be subject to tax of $1 each, to be paid by the owner or owners thereof and be it further ordained that the owner or owners of Dogs on or before the first day of June ensuing shall put a collar made of brass, tin or other metal on the neck of their dogs which collar together with a receipt from the Sergeant for the payment of the tax shall be produced to the Commissioner of the revenue and the collar shall by him be stamped with the letters C F; It shall be the duty of the said Commissioner to keep a register of the number of collars by him stamped with the names of the persons owning the same and furnish two copies thereof one to the Sergeant and the other to the Chamberlaine of this Corporation. And be it further ordered that It shall be the duty of the constables to shoot and bury all dogs they may find going at large without collars stamped as aforesaid after the 10th day of June next (Dogs following and belonging to Travellers only excepted) fo rwhcih they shall be allowed and paid 25 cents for each dog by them killed and buried under this ordinance. The commissioner of the revenue shall be entitled to demand and receive for each collar stamped 12½ cents to be paid by the person applying for the stamp; Order that the foregoing ordinance be published in the Virginia Herald three weeks successively

Ordered that the Chamberlain pay to Robert Parrott $4.50 cent pr his account for moving ballast

Order that the ordinance forfeiting meat sold in the Markett and weighed by steelyards be and the same is hereby repealed, leaving in force the ordinance subjecting the person so weighing with steelyards and selling by that weight to be fine of one Dollar.

George W B Spooner, police officer is hereby authorized and directed to procure ten water hogsheads in addition to those already procured to be examine and approved of by David Almond and Horace Marshall and to draw upon the Chamberlain for the expence thereof

Ordered that every house keeper within this Corporation who shall suffer any nuisance to lie before his or their house or near to it, in any of the streets shall forfeit and pay the sum of $1 to be recovered by warrant before a magistrate and [Page 151] where any nuisance shall lie between or adjacent to two houses then and in that case the owners or occupiers of such houses shall both be liable to the payment of the said find of one dollar to be paid equally by them unless it shall appear which of the persons has committed the nuisance and unless information is given by the person before whose door the nuisance exists against the person by whom the nuisance was committed; ordered that the foregoing order be published in the Virginia Herald

George W B Spooner police officer is hereby directed to procure 20 pair of water bucketts to be numbered and market with the letters CF adn draw upon the Chamberlain for the expence thereof

John Scott, Horace Marshall & George W B Spooner are appointed committee to superintend the prosecution of two suits now depending in the Superior Court of Spotsylvania County against William Morton and Joseph Christy

George W B Spooner is reappointed police officer in this corporation the present year who qualified accordingly

Philip Terrier, Horace Marshall, George French and Joseph Walker are appointed a committee to superintend the conduct of the Police officer & report thereupon when they shall think proper

Geo French
Attest
R S Chew, C C

A Council held at the Town hall on Saturday the 8th day of June 1811

Pres't
George French, Mayor
John Scott, Recorder
Horace Marshall, Common Councilman
Adam Cooke, Common Councilman
David Almond, Common Councilman
William Allen, Common Councilman
William Pearson, Common Councilman

Charles L Carter who was heretofore elected a Common Councilman appeared and was duly qualified and took his seat

George W B Spooner, Commissioner of the Revenue for this Corporation having returned his books of taxable property under the ordinance respecting the Revenue, it is ordered the Chamberlain pay to the said Commissioner the sum of forty dollars for his services

Amount of tax on personal property $1250.00
Amount of tax on real property 1249.11
[Total] $2499.11

Geo French
Teste
R S Chew, C C

[Page 152]

At a Council held at the town Hall on Tuesday the 9th day of July 1811

Pres't
George French, Mayor
John Scott, Recorder
Charles L Carter, Common Councilman
Horace Marshall, Common Councilman
Adam Cooke, Common Councilman
David Henderson, Common Councilman
John Mundell, Common Councilman
David Almond, Common Councilman
William Allen, Common Councilman
Philip Terrier, Common Councilman
William Pearson, Common Councilman

Ordered that the Chamberlain pay to John T Brooke the sum of $12.62 pr his claim this day allowed

On Motion made and seconded, It is Resolved that the sum of one thousand dollars be appropriated towards repairing Caroline and Amelia Streets, and for filing up the cellar of Mr Chapmans Lott.

David Almond, David Henderson Horace Marshall and Adam Cooke are appointed a committee to superintend the repairing of the said streets

Ordered that the Chamberlain pay to Philip Terrier £20.17.3 per his account this day allowed

Ordered that the Law, respecting the measuring of Coal & Salt be so amended that hereafter the seller thereof be liable to pay to the measurer his fee for measuring.

Ordered that the same be published in the Virg'a Herald

Geo French

At a Court held at the Town Hall on Monday the 26th day of August 1811

Pres't
George French, Mayor
Joseph Walker, Common Councilman
William Allen, Common Councilman
Horace Marshall, Common Councilman
Wm Pearson, Common Councilman
Adam Cooke, Common Councilman
David Almond, Common Councilman
David Henderson, Common Councilman
John Mundell, Common Councilman

Ordered that the Mayor be authorized to borrow of the office of Discount and Deposit at Fredericksburg the sum of $400, $200 of which to be applied towards the repairs of the Streets & $200 to be applied to the purpose of enclosing the Public Burying Ground

Horace Marshall entered into and acknowledged bond with Security as Chamberlain in this Corporation for the present year

[Page 153]

Present
Chas L Carter
Philip Terrier

Ordered that the Chamberlain pay to Gerard McKenney & Chas Stewart the sum of twenty one dollars pr their account this day allowed killing dogs

John Mundell, William Allen, and Philip Terrier are appointed a committee to contract for the enclosing the public burying ground and they are instructed to have the same enlosed ina substantial manner with a ditch where it may be necessary

Geo French
Attest
R S Chew, C C


Transcribed by Gary Stanton
Please send comments or corrections to Gary Stanton at gstanton@umw.edu
Last Modified 30 January 2013