Homicides of Adults in York County, Virginia
Beverley Fleet, Virginia Colonial Abstracts
v. 24, 1633-46
v. 25, 1646-48
v. 26, 1648-57
John Frederick Dorman, York County, Virginia, Deeds, Orders, Wills, etc. (Washington, D.C.: John Frederick Dorman, 1974- ). Many volumes, 1687-1698 (Books no. 8 - no. 10).
Deeds, Orders, and Wills
3: 1657-62
4: 1664-
5:
YORK
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Intoxication?:
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VICTIM(s):
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Personal history:
1659, Jan.YORK
CT
Class: certain
Crime: HOM
Rela: HHLD MASTER and MISTRESS by SERVANT
Motive: UNK
Intox?:
Day of week:
Holiday?:
Time of day:[night]
Days to death: 0
HOM: Huntington Ayers (servant of the Halls) m. Francis Hall and his wife, Elizabeth Hall
Weapon: blows to the head with a lathing hammer
Circumstances: the victims were found dead in their bed
Inquest: i.d. 1/21/1659. "they were both knockt on ye head lying on their Beds in ye dead of the night with a lathing Hamer by a Servant Huntington Ayers as by ye Confession of ye said Ayers before us did appear Shewing us ye manner."
Indictment?
Term?: SE 1/25/1659
Court proceedings: confessed. DEATH. Executed 3/12/1659.
Legal records:
York Co. Deeds, Wills, & Orders, v. 3: 46, 50, 97
SE 2/24/1659: inventory of estate of Francis Hall. Ample list of household goods, but no real property listed. Appears to have been a tenant farmer.
Many charges for his case listed in the levy accounts, and a special account to William Drummond, the High Sheriff of James City County, for HA's imprisonment, trial, & execution.
Newspaper:
Census:
Genealogy:
Accused 1: Huntington Ayers
Ethnicity:
Race:w
Gender:m
Age:adult
Literate:
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Children:
Occupation:servant of the Halls
Town:YOR
Birthplace:
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Organizations:
Victim 1: Francis Hall
Ethnicity:
Race:w
Gender:m
Age:adult
Literate:
Marital Status:m. Elizabeth
Children:
Occupation:[tenant farmer]
Town:YOR
Birthplace:
Religion:
Organizations:
Victim 2: Elizabeth Hall
Ethnicity:
Race:w
Gender:f
Age:adult
Literate:
Marital Status:m. Francis
Children:
Occupation:[tenant farmer]
Town:YOR
Birthplace:
Religion:
Organizations:
1661, Sept. 24YORK
CT
Class: possible
Crime: poss CAS DRO / prob HOM MANSL
Rela: HHLD SERVANT by SERVANT
Motive: QUARREL
Intox?:
Day of week:
Holiday?:
Time of day:
Days to death: 0
HOM: John Simmons suspected of m. Thomas Leea
Weapon: going for oysters in a boat on the creek a little below Oystershell Bank, near Gerrard Hawthorne's. Quarrel about rowing, fought in the boat. TL fell out of the boat and drowned.
Circumstances:
Inquest: i.d. 10/1/1661: Capt. Daniel Parke, acting coroner. Find that Thos. Leea "was drowned by accidnt." // TL "casually drowned in Queenes Creek as appears from the coroner's inquest "by falling out of a Boat." John Simmons, also a servant of Wm Lee, was in the boat at the time TL drowned.
Indictment?
Term?: SE 10/31/1661
Court proceedings: JS was summoned to court concerning the death & "noe Evidence app'ing to prosecute agt him," JS was discharged by proclamation.
Legal records:
York Co. Deeds, Wills, Orders, Etc., v. 3: 133-4
TEST: John Symmons: d.d. 9/27/1661: going for oysters on 9/24 in Mr. Whithares (my master's) boat, and Thos. Leea with wit. (also a servant to RW), "and being uppon ye Creeke a little below ye Oystershell bancke about Gerrard Hawthornes wee fell out about Rowing and hee told mee hee would throw mee overboard for my uncles sake, George Lee in England, and soe hee did & did hold me by ye legg till I was almost stifled and then hee let mee goe and presently I did see him in the water behyind mee & I swammed to ye shoare & what became of him I know note."
Newspaper:
Census:
Genealogy:
Accused 1: John Simmons
Ethnicity:[English]
Race:w
Gender:m
Age:adult
Literate:
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Children:
Occupation:late servant of Mr. Robert Whitehare as attorney to Mr. William Lee
Town:YOR
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Victim 1: Thomas Leea
Ethnicity:[English]
Race:w
Gender:m
Age:adult
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Occupation:late servant of Mr. Robert Whitehare as attorney to Mr. William Lee
Town:YOR
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1686, [Sept.]YORK
CT
Class:
Crime: poss. CAS / prob. HOM
Rela: UNK
Motive:
Intox?:
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Holiday?:
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HOM: a [male] negro slave m. Henry Todd
Weapon:
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Inquest:
Indictment?
Term?: SE 9/24/1686
Court proceedings: petition of Mr. John Hunt for his "great charge & trouble" caring for and burying Henry Todd, who was "mortally wounded by a negro." Ordered: the two cows left in HT's estate granted to JH, & ordered that it be determined if HT had any additional property.
Legal records:
York Co. Deeds, Wills, Orders, Etc., v. 7: 214
Newspaper:
Census:
Genealogy:
Accused 1: ___
Ethnicity:
Race:b
Gender:[m]
Age:adult
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Occupation:slave
Town:YOR
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Victim 1: Henry Todd
Ethnicity:
Race:w
Gender:m
Age:adult
Literate:
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Town:YOR
Birthplace:
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