Extracts of Stewart County Circuit Court Minutes
| MCGEHEE, Thomas, versus Sarah MCGEHEE | petition for divorce. | Sept. 1821 |
| TAYLOR, Thomas, versus Sally TAYLOR | petition for divorce. | Sept. 1821 and 26 March 1822. |
| BRUTON, Sally, vs William BRUTON | petition for divorce | Sept. 1821 |
| SPARKMAN, Hugh H. | charged and indicted by state for passing counterfeit money. | Sept. 1821 |
| MARTIN, Danl. | charged and indicted by state for burning mill house. | Sept. 1821 |
| BENNETT, Moses | a citizen of Stewart County, Tenn., amended his petition for a pension which petition was sworn in March 1821; he adds that he is now a citizen of Stewart County and has been for about 12 years and that he has no property. | 26 March 1822 |
| MOORE, Elizabeth versus William MOORE | petition for divorce. | 26 March 1822 |
| MORGAN, Mathew | Inquest held by Mathew MORGAN, coroner, on a stranger who was found in Cumberland River above Dyer’s Island. Came by his death by falling into river, drowned, and was three weeks in water before found. Wore black pantaloons, blue bassamere westcoat, yellow stamped handkerchief around his neck. | 26 March 1822 |
| HANDLIN, Elizabeth | charged with murder and indicted for murder of James MARTIN. She pleads “not guilty” and was found not guilty. | 26 March 1823 |
| MCKERNAN, John | charged for perjury. | 26 March 1823 |
| TAYLOR, Thomas, versus Sally TAYLOR | Divorce granted as Sally TAYLOR has been guilty of adultery. | Sept. 1823. |
| ETHERINGTON, Francis | appears in court and makes oath that he was a regular soldier in company of Capt. Richard PAYNE in Spotsylvania Co., Va., in Col. Richard PARKER’s regiment. Was in battle of Brandywine, at siege of Savannah, in battle of Camden; says he has four children, 4 sons and 1 daughter. Note: His second son enlisted in regular army of U. S. in the late war and was marched to Canada where he died; a third son died while an infant; his daughter was married and removed from him; he and his wife are living alone and he is in such indigent circumstances he is unable to support himself; signed with X on 23 March 1824. | March 1824 |
| LANSFORD, Lewis | charged with passing counterfeit money | March 1824 |
| SMITH, Edwin | charged by state with negro stealing. | March 1824 |
| DAVIDSON, William L., Columbus DAVIDSON, Drew A. OUTLAW, and John K. COLSON | charged with an affray. They plead guilty. | March 1824 |
| MOORE, William | charged with passing counterfeit money. | Sept. 1824 |
| WEBB, David | charged with horse stealing; says he is not guilty. | Sept. 1824 |
| SMITH, Curtis | charged with forgery. | Sept. 1824 |
| TAYLOR, Frederick | charged with assault and battery. | Sept. 1824 |
| TURNER, John T. | aged 78, resident of Stewart County, makes oath that in 1776 in Maryland he was in a company commanded by Edward BURGESS; regiment commanded by Col. Corvelte GALE in Maryland; also in company of Capt. Edward OLDHAM; was discharged in Baltimore; there are five in his family—three daughters, one six years old, on ten years old, and one fifteen years old, and “myself and wife”; by trade is a “taylor” but so old and sight so bad that he cannot see to work; was in battles of Germantown, Brandywine, Guilford, and others. | 27 Sept. 1824 |
| JUGG, Priscilla, versus Anthony LEE for trespass. | She needs deposition of Drury FLOYD living in Rutherford Co., William EZELL living in Kentucky; mentions Edward WINFIELD and Sally CNIGHT living in Virginia; also need depositions of Josiah FLOYD, Green HILL, Mrs. HILL, James CNIGHTON and Sally Cnighton, living in Virginia. Later depositions mentioned of Richard MANLY Senr. and his wife Keziah, Randle STONE, Thomas STONE, Ann OLDHAM, Daniel BROWN, William BROWN, Kesiah MARSHALL, and Drury FLOYD. On April 1825 depositions needed of William HOWARD, Mr. HOOD, and Mrs. TURNER; also of Neal, postmaster at Scottsville, Ky. | March 1825 |
| KINGSTON, William | born in county of Cork in Ireland and within dominions of King of Great Britain, makes oath that he is 26 years old; came from Ireland to Canada and then to U. S. in 1816; has lived in Tennessee seven years, and has no expectation of abandoning or removing from state. Petition for naturalization. | April 1825 |
| HAMBLETON, James | fined $1 for contempt of court. | Sept. 1825 |
| MCLEMORE, Charles | fined $2 for contempt of court. | Sept. 1825 |
| MCKENNON, John | charged with assault and battery. | March 1827 |
| BAILEY, William | charged with “maiming”. | March 1827 |
| CHERRY, Nehemiah, versus Fanny CHERRY | petition for divorce. Fanny has wilfully and maliciously quit the bed and board of the petitioner. Refused to return and live with him. Two years have elapsed since she left. | Sept. 1827 |
| TAYLOR, George | charged by state with the murder of Benjamin GRIFFIN. | Sept. 1827 |
| WILSON, Charles B. | sues Samuel NEELY for slander. | Sept. 1827 |
| BREEDING, James | sues William ELLIS for slander. | Sept. 1827 |
| SKINNER, Nathan, versus Marcy SKINNER | possibly a divorce, hard to read. | Sept. 1827 |
| PARROTT, John | charged with assault and battery. | Sept. 1827 |
| ORMSBY, Sarah | sues Judge ORMSBY for divorce as he has wickedly deserted and abandoned her for more than three years | March 1829. (Book IA, no page) |
| CURL, Elizabeth | by her next friend Caleb WILLIAMS, sues William CURL for divorce; CURL is a non-resident of state of Tennessee. Sept. 1829 term shows that CURL had intermarried in State of Alabama with another woman in year 1823. Marriage dissolved. | March 1829. (Book IA, no page) |
| VINSON, Enos | in Sept. 1829, pleaded not guilty to charge of stabbing; was ordered to be imprisoned at jail at Reynoldsburg for one month; Jesse VINSON was also charged with aiding and abetting him; Elizabeth VINSON went on Jesse VINSON’s bond. | Sept. 1829, no page number |
| JACKSON, Hetty | sues Elisha JACKSON for divorce; she says he has been guilty of conduct inconsistent with the marriage vow and treated her person with great violent; guilty of repeated acts of adultery. | March 1830 |
| THOMAS, Jane | by her next friend Augustus THOMSON, sues Benjamin THOMAS, who does not appear; she says he has been guilty of acts of adultery; bonds of matrimony were dissolved | Sept. 1830. |
| CHISUM, James | of Illinois, ordered to make a deposition Sept. 1830 in the case of James DUNN versus Charles BOGARD. | Sep 1830 |
| LUNSFORD, Lewis McWashington | Fined for contempt of court. | Sept. 1831. |
| MCKINNEY, Elizabeth | sues James MCKINNEY for divorce | March 1832 |
| FRIZZELL, Frances | sues John STANCIL for slander, and receives damages of $75. | March 1832, Book 1-B |
| ACREE, Elizabeth vs Lewis ACREE | petition for divorce. She says that Lewis ACREE has absconded himself for four years and she has not heard from him in that time. | 8 July 1840 |
| FOWLER, Nancy | sues H. D. FOWLER’s administrators for her dower. | 10 July 1840, Vol. 3-4 |
| HARRIS, Priscilla | sues Howell HARRIS heirs in her petition for dower; her suit is against Martin V. CHRISTOPHER and Howell HARRIS. | 10 July 1840, Vol. 3-4 |
| THOMPKINS, Robert, and wife Louisa, formerly Louisa L. BRUNSON | sues heirs and minor heirs of Jesse A. BRUNSON, deceased | 11 July 1840, Vol. 3-4 |
| LASITER, Rebecca, versus Thomas SHEMWELL | petition for dower | 11 July 1840, Vol. 3-4 |
| CHERRY, James, versus Marthy CHERRY | petition for divorce; Marthy abandoned the bed and board of James CHERRY, number of years she had been gone was illegible; | 11 July 1840, Vol. 3-4 |
| KERCHEVAL, John, and Benson BAYLISS, versus heirs of John SCARBOROUGH, deceased | the land and estate is in hands of William SCARBOROUGH, Theodore SCARBOROUGH, Henderson SCARBOROUGH, John SCARBOROUGH, Louisa SCARBOROUGH, Whitnel (minor) SCARBOROUGH, Martha (minor) SCARBOROUGH, Pelina (minor) SCARBOROUGH, William K. COULDON and wife Polly, and Cynthia RUNYAN (the widow who sometime married David L. RUNYAN), all devisees | 11 July 1840, Vol. 3-4 |
| MANNING, Sarah, versus James MANNING | divorce granted; he is guilty of adultery | 4 March 1841, Vol. 3-4 |
| GRAHAM, Samuel | declaration for naturalization; born in Kingdom of England, in part of the United Kingdom know as Scotland in 1812; at 19 came to U. S. and landed at New York; has been resident of Stewart County for 4 years. | 6 March 1841 |
| CUFF, Robert | on 6 June 1841 Calvin MANNING, Clement MANNING and William KING, laborers, with force and arms came upon Robert CUFF; Calvin, with a knife cut him in left shoulder and belly, mortal wound of six inches, and CUFF died of said wound. Received three mortal wounds; was stabbed on 6 day of June 1841 and died on 7 June 1841. | 5 July 1841 |
| HOLLIDAY, Alexander | petition for naturalization; native of that part of Great Britain called Scotland, born in Cree Town 7 Feb. 1793; in 1818 migrated to U. S.; first landed at Perth Amboy; for several years has lived in Stewart County and owes allegiance to Queen Victoria but desires to become citizen. | 8 July 1841 |
| HARRIS, Priscilla, versus heirs of Hardy HARRIS, deceased | 9 July 1841, Vol. 3-4 | |
| SUTTLES, Mary, Susan E. SUTTLES, Mary A. SUTTLES, and Marthy B. SUTTLES | heirs at law of Findling SUTTLES | Vol. 3-4 |
| LEE, Frances M. | minor of Anthony LEE, and other heirs (not named) ex parte | 4 Nov. 1841, Vol. 3-4 |
| WEAKS, Delila | widow of John F. WEAKS, ex parte. | 4 Nov. 1841 |
| SETTLE, Mary | court ordered to lay off her dower | 5 Nov. 1841, Vol. 3-4 |
| GARDNER, John | will of John GARDNER of Stewart County leaves his farm to his wife Esther; also “bequeaths to heirs of Walter BOSWELL, heirs say (?) my daughter Susannah, $200”; John LATTIMER’s heirs to get $200; Dicy GRIMES heirs, $200; Elizabeth GRAVES heirs, $200; Stephen GARDNER’s heirs, $200; my son James; my daughter Sally’s heirs; grandsons James WOFFORD and Samuel WOFFORD to be executors; will signed 8 Aug., no year given. Will was quoted in lawsuit in which James GARDNER, Walter BOSWELL, William BUCKINGHAM and wife, and Walter BOSWELL’s heirs were defendants. | 5 Nov. 1841 |
| READ, James, deceased | division of estate between his heirs made 6 Nov. 1841, but heirs not listed. | 6 Nov 1841, Vol. 3-4 |
| CHAMPION, Joseph | died intestate, had 40 acres on Tennessee River at Lick Creek; Penelope CHAMPION, Nancy, James and Martha CHAMPION are heirs-Penelope is to get a dower | 6 Nov. 1841, Vol. 3-4 |
| ROLLS, Franklin | Settlement made with Franklin ROLLS, guardian for Andrew J. ETHEREDGE | 7 Feb. 1853 |
| KIRKSEY | Ordered that a new trial be granted to America KIRKSEY; the testimony as to who was the father of a child begotten upon her body—court believes she having been maltreated in the premises | 6 June 1853 |
Transcribed from The River Counties, by J. K. Garrett