Collection of Courthouse Records
ID: Stack and number / Identification / Date range / NotesStack 1
First cabinet, top, far left
1.1 / Nathaniel Oldham
docket / May 1815 –Dec 1819 / Cover is a section of Federal Republican (Georgetown) dated Aug 4, 1815.
1.2 / James Purnell docket (Elkton) / Feb 1817 –Dec 1819 / Names indexed alphabetically in the front, only by plaintiff name (and the index list is incomplete); a record of what appears to be expenses on the last page. Cases numbered 1 – 180, but cases continue unnumbered for more pages; pages numbered 1 – 47.
1.3 / Joseph Phillips docket (3rd-4th district) / Jun 1810 –Aug 1817, and an added record for 6 Oct 1821 / Front cover missing; has several loose papers. Cases numbered 1 – 534. After the numbered cases, there is another set of cases in the back involving women. Some cases provide no information and those cases that do pertain to an illegitimate child. The index is in the back, alphabetized by plaintiff with defendant names. Cases numbered 1 – 534. Some loose documents are enclosed in the docket.
1.4 / Hyland Penington Docket (appears to be for First District) / Jan 1813 –Dec 1813 / Inside front cover: list of constable fees; first page: “List of fees to which Justices of the peace are entitled for the following services.” Cases numbered from 1 – 291.
1.5 / Richard Reynolds docket / Jul 1816 –Nov 1819 / Cover in poor condition; corners and edges of pages in crumbly condition.
1.6 / James Rowlands
Docket / Oct 1814 –Jul 1815
1.7 / Docket (family names suggest 5th - 6th districts) / Aug 1814 –Dec 1819 / JP not named.
1.8 / Thomas Janney docket (might be 5th – 6th district) / Jul 1814 –Dec 1819
1.9 / John Patterson docket (western district of the county) / Jun 1817 –Feb 1818
1.10 / Hyland Penington docket (appears to be 1st District) / Mar 1819 –Dec 1819 / Names indexed in the front, alphabetized by plaintiff and with defendant name; At least two loose paper in the book. Cases numbered 1 – 129.
1.11 / Thomas Janney docket (might be 5th – 6th district) / Feb 1813 –Aug 1816 / Last page torn out
1.12 / Richard Simpson Magistrate’s docket (3rd – 4th District) / Jan 1811 –Nov 1812 / Stopped numbering cases at #45, about half way through.
1.13 / Andrew Smith docket (appears to be 1st District) / Aug 1817 –Nov 1818 / Water damage along top edge. Some over sized pages in the back, with crumbling on the outside edges. Cases numbered 181 – 390. One loose paper
1.14 / Detailed inventory of individual mills and record of agricultural transactions. Judging by names, the area appears to be 3rd - 4th districts. / 1801 – 1803 / Pages are loose and care is needed to keep them together in folder; edges crumbling, some damages at the edges.
1.15 / John H. Ford docket / Feb 1817- Dec 1819 / The handwriting a little difficult to read. The ink is bleeding through the pages a bit.
1.16 / Benjamin Reynolds docket (appears to be in the western part of the county) / Apr 1815 –Jan 1820 / Plaintiff names indexed in front, without defendant names. Pages of cases numbered 1 – 127. Some pages around the 80s and again around the low 100s have pronounced bleeding of the ink through the pages. Some pages are faint.
1.17 / James Kilgore docket (3rd – 4th district) / Mar 1820 -Feb 1832 / Added notes on the back pages. Pages of cases numbered 1 – 98 (some page numbering errors). One section of cases on smaller pages than the rest of the docket. Last two pages have notes about counterfeit bank notes, a case of illegitimacy, and the use of gin sling and nutmeg for bleeding of the lungs.
1.18 / Unidentified docket (but one of the papers s signed by Jacob Conrad – note 1.21
Also found a loose cover with Conrad’s named dated 1818 and with the same dimensions – placed the cover with this document. Repetition of some names are found in other dockets identified as belonging to Conrad. / Aug 1818 – Aug 1819 (With some dates in up to 1822 scattered and out of sequence) / No cover. Writing faded. Some loose papers. Index of plaintiff names on front pages. Pages numbered 1-50.
1.19 / Charles Foard docket / 26 Mar 1814 – 13 Oct 1815
1.20 / Andrew C. Smith docket (appears to be for 1st or 2nd district) / 15 Feb 1816 – 8 Aug 1817 / Cases numbered 1 – 180. A few loose papers
1.21 / Jacob Conrad docket (appears to be for the western part of the county) / 30 Jul 1814 – 8 Aug 1818 / Front cover torn. First two pages have index of names, but the first page is damaged and the lower half is ripped from the upper half (both halves are in poor condition). Back cover missing and back pages creased. Several loose documents enclosed in the book.
1.22 / Johnson Simpers docket (appears to be 5th – 6th district) / 17 Aug 1816 – 30 Dec 1820 / Front and back cover missing. The second section of the book is slightly longer than the first section.
1.23 / John Conway docket
(Charlestown) / 17 Aug 1815 – Jul 1820 / Name index on back pages; alphabetized by plaintiff name and with defendant name.
1.24 / Feb 1817 - Dec 1817 / No cover. The docket is divided into two separate sections. The first section has a name index of everyone, plaintiffs and defendants, listed individually in the front and pages of cases numbered 1-22; and 23 – 78 in the second section. The last few pages are loose from the binding.
1.24(b) / Turnpike docket
Several parts –
Elkton and Christiana Turnpike tool (toll) docket – execution [of court orders] docket; / Oct 1816 – June 1817 / No cover, loose pages. Name index in front, but the docket is incomplete. Edges of pages are dark from apparent water damage and brittle. Also includes execution [of court orders] docket.
Use caution in handling dockets in this section, the unusual numbering was due to some difficulty in distinguishing pages from different uncovered dockets.
1.25 / Robert Johns docket
(References to other dockets suggest this may be a higher county court.) / Feb 1816 – Dec 1816 / Page corners are in poor condition. Pages numbered 1 – 90, with some page numbers unreadable due to deterioration on corners. Crowded organization and frequent lack of capitalization of names makes names harder to skim in this docket compared to other dockets. Organization improves around page 29, but inconsistent use of capitalization of names continues.
1.26 / Richard Simpson docket (appears to be 5th - 6th district area) / Jul 1812 –Feb 1814 / Two cases of illegitimate children listed separately in front, separate from the listing of other cases.
1.27 / John Black docket
(Charlestown) / Jan 1814 –Jan 1818 / Cases number 1-114.
1.28 / John Patterson docket
(Appears to be for western part of the county) / Jul 1818 –Jan 1820
1.29 / Trials and Judgments
(Judging from names in the document this is likely the first district) / Feb 1813 (with references to 1811, 1812)- April 1814 / No cover. Some writing faded. Some pages in back creased and deteriorating along the edges.
1.30 / Robert John docket (Apparently 3rd and 4th district) / July 1816 –Jan 1818 / An alphabetized name index in front. This does not appear to be an ordinary case docket; the first items reads “issued”(as in a warrant) and date, then the first name line listed is Boyle and Macky. Throughout the rest of the document, the first name line reads “same” (referring to Boyle and Macky and only the second name line changes. There are other repeated references to Boyle and Macky throughout – one example of a frequent phase is “Not found and Boyle and Macky pay …cost.” Wells is named as the constable in most cases, so if Boyle and Macky are not constables, their roles, including why they are paying costs so frequently are unclear. If Boyle and Macky were suing all these people, this would be a unique docket. End pages have been cut out. The pages are loose from the cover. Same named marked Negro and notations include “ran away, or “not found.” The pages are numbered up to page 55; the few remaining unnumbered pages take on the appearance of other dockets (although still a little confusing in organization compared to other dockets), with references to Boyle and Macky ended. Names on the unnumbered pages are not included in the name index.
1.31 / Hyland B. Penington docket (appears to be1st District) / Jun 1815 –Sep 1815 / Cases are numbered 576 – 594, and the docket abruptly ends - “Resigned 16 Sept 1815” and Penington’s signature with a Latin phrase (Laus Deo) meaning “praise God.” (note that 1.33 precedes this docket)
1.32 / Jacob Conrad docket (appears to be for the western part of the county) / Aug 1819 –Aug 1820 / Name index in front. Numerous loose papers in the book. Pages numbered 1 – 53, the last page on the back cover.
1.33 / Hyland B. Penington
(appears to be first District) / Jan 1814 –Jun 1815 / Cases numbered 292 – 575. (note that 1.31 continues this docket)
1.34 / Edward McVey docket / Jul 1817 –Feb 1818 / Small percentage of book used. A few additional pages of judgments started in the back of the book. The spine is close to splitting.
1.35 / James Rowland docket (appears to be for the western part of the county) / Mar 1816 – Feb 1817 / Loose papers in book. The handwriting can be confusing at times.
1.36 / Israel Reynolds docket (appears be for the 6th district area) / Feb 1816 –Feb 1817 / The first page is an inquisition into the death of Eli Haines (ruled suicide by hanging). Only used a small portion of the book. Some notes on the back page and cover.
1.37 / William Crow docket (appears to be for area of 2nd District) / 1816 –Nov 1819 / Name index in front (plaintiffs only), arranged alphabetically by first name. Cases numbered 1 – 209.
f1.38 / John Bryan docket
(names suggest 3rd and 4th districts, and possibly part of 2nd and 5th) / Oct 1813 –Dec 1819 / Cases numbered 1-125.
1.39 / Cyrus Oldham docket (has names that would be associated with 5th and 6th, some names associated with 4th). / Mar 1813 – 13 Dec 1815 / Thin loose cover in poor condition – has been placed in a folder. There is a name index in the back, alphabetized by plaintiff with defendant name. Cases numbered 1-42.
1.40 / Thomas Reynolds docket (has names associated with 4th and 5th districts) / May 1817 – four entries for 1820 / Index of plaintiff names listed, but not alphabetized, in the front. Cases numbered 1-229.
1.41 / Collins Tatman docket (appears to cover a large area that would include the 3rd – 4th District and parts of neighboring areas) / May 1814 –Dec 1819 / Cases numbered 1-391.
1.42 / John Patterson docket (Appears to be for western part of the county) / Jan 1818 – Dec 1818
STACK 2
(some numbers within the stack are currently out of sequence)
2.1 / William Peirce docket (appears to encompass a large area in the northern section of the county- names currently associated with 4th, 5th, and 6th districts) / 12 Jun 1829 – 20 Feb 1830 / Cases numbered 1 – 78.
2.2 / Samuel Hayes dock (Appears to be for 1st District (at least); some cases are transferred from other dockets, suggesting this might be a higher level court) / Sep 1828 – Feb 1829 / Cases numbered 1 – 228.
2.3 / William Miller docket (Thomas Miller, constable, South Milford Hundred) / Jun 1823 –Jan 1824 / In poor condition. Thin torn cover, pages loose – placed in a folder.
2.4 / Thomas Russell docket (appears to be in the area of the 5th – 6th District) / Feb 1821 –Jul 1825 / One loose note enclosed. The handwriting is difficult to read at times, and ink has bled through some pages, making them somewhat more difficult to read.
2.5 / Thomas Rutter docket (includes names associated with 3rd, 4th, 5th districts) / Jul 1821 –Mar 1824 / Front and back cover loose. Pages intact except the first page is loose and brittle (with edges deteriorating) and a number of pages at the end had been torn out and are missing. Includes “State of Maryland” cases; this is rare in the early dockets abut become more common over time. These state cases might also indicate a higher level county court.
2.6 / Jacob Conrad docket (Appears to be for the western part of the county) / May 1820 – Jun 1823 / Names (of plaintiffs) are indexed alphabetically in the front of the docket. Pages are numbered 1 to 100. Several loose papers enclosed.
2.7 / Benoni Harris docket (Includes names associated with 2nd, 3rd – 4th districts) / Jan 1820 –Oct 1820 / In poor condition with some heavily creased and curled pages. Dappled darker stains.
2.8 / Samuel Nesbitt docket (appears to be for the western part of the county) / Jun 1820 –Mar 1821 / Numbered the first 14 cases and then stopped numbering even though the docket continues well beyond.
2.9 / Robert Johns docket (appears to be for 3rd and adjacent districts) / Jan 1820 –Dec 1822 / No cover. Name index in front (plaintiffs and defendants). Cases numbered 1 – 92.
2.10 / Alfred Nowland docket (1st District) / Mar 1825 – Dec 1826 / Section of back pages close to tearing loose from binding. Cases numbered 1 – 379.
2.11 / John Conrad docket
(Appears to be for the western part of the county) / Feb 1826 –Mar 1828 (Conrad’s resignation)
2.12 / Samuel McCullough docket (Sam McCullough resided in the Bayview area) / Jan 1820 –Nov 1824 / Pages crumbly at edges. Some writing faded and some pages darkened by bleeding ink for opposite side.. Some water damage at bottom. Cover in poor condition, loose, and attached by one thread. Many cases per page making for compact (cramped) entries.
2.13 / Enoch Cloud docket
(3rd, 4th, and 2nd districts) / Dec 1822 –Jun 1826 / Some loose papers in the back of the docket.
2.14 / William Miller docket (This docket appears to cover some of the same area as the Cloud docket above.) / Feb 1825 –Dec 1826 / No binding – placed in folder. The cover states “Beginning Jan the 1st 1822” but the entries on the back of that cover are for 1825 and 1826, but what looks like the front cover may be the back cover, with the first page of entries in starting January or February 1825. This is evidently an incomplete docket.