Southampton Oyer and Terminer Trials
Full Trial Records
Individual Trials
Aug. 31, 1831
Sept. 1, 1831
Sept. 2, 1831
Sept. 3, 1831
Sept. 5, 1831
Sept. 6, 1831
Sept. 7, 1831
Sept. 8, 1831
Sept. 19, 1831
Sept. 20, 1831
Sept. 21, 1831
Sept. 22, 1831
Sept. 28, 1831
Oct. 18, 1831
Nov. 5, 1831
Nov. 21, 1831
Trial of Andrew (slave of Caty Whitehead)
September 1, 1831 - Transported
[p. 72] At a court of Oyer and Terminer summoned and held for the County of Southampton at the Courthouse on the 31st day of August 1831 for the trial of Daniel, a negro man slave the property of Richard Porter, Jack, the property of Everett Bryant, Moses, the property of Thomas Barrow, Tom, late the property of Caty Whitehead, Jack, late the property of Caty Whitehead, Andrew, late the property of Caty Whitehead, Davy, late the property of Elizabeth Turner, Stephen, the property of Thomas Ridley, and Curtis, the property of Thomas Ridley, charged with feloniously consulting, advising & conspiring with each other and divers other slaves to rebel and make insurrection and making insurrection and taking the lives of divers free white persons of this Commonwealth—
Present: Jeremiah Cobb, James D. Massenburg, Alexander P. Peete, James Trezvant and Orris A. Browne. Gent. Justices.
Meriwether B. Broadnax, attorney for the Commonwealth filed an information against the prisoners above mentioned [struck through: and the court doth appoint William C. Parker, Esq., Att. at Law to defend the prisoners.]
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[p. 74] At a Court of Oyer and Terminer continued by adjournment and held for the County of Southampton on the first day of September 1831 for the trial of Moses a slave late the property of Thomas Barrow, Jack late the property of Caty Whitehead, Andrew late the property of Caty Whitehead, Davy late the property of Elizabeth Turner, Stephen the property of Thomas Ridley, Curtis the property of Thomas Ridley, and Jack the property of Everitt Bryant charged with having on the 22d day of August 1831 at this County feloniously consulted, advised and conspired with each other and with divers other slaves to rebel and make insurrection and for making insurrection and taking the lives of divers free white persons of the Commonwealth.
Present. Carr Bowers, James D. Massenburg, James W. Parker, James Trezvant and Orris A. Browne, Gent. Justices.
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[p. 75] Andrew a negro slave late the property of Caty Whitehead was set to the bar in custody of the Jailor of this County and being arraigned pleaded not guilty to the information and
Venus a negro slave was charged and sworn as a witness on behalf of the Commonwealth says that the prisoner & Jack a slave of Mrs. Whitehead came to her master’s, Richard Porter’s, house on the Monday before the last, about 9 o’clock in the morning and said all the white people were killed and enquired if the negroes had killed the white people there, she told them they had not for they were gone before the negroes got there, they then enquired where the black people were—(meaning the negroes that had been there and were in insurrection.) She told [p. 76] them they were gone. The prisoner and Jack said they were going on after them, that the negroes had left word for them to go on after them and they did not know what else to do, and they went off and the witness understood that the prisoner and Jack were going to join the insurgents—they were on one horse.
Hubbard a slave was charged and sworn—says that the negroes came to his mistresses and murdered her and family—that the prisoner and two other negroes belonging to his mistress went from home, after sometime the prisoner and Jack returned and asked if the negroes were gone, and the prisoner and Jack caught a horse and rode off. The witness thought they went off to join the insurgents, the prisoner appeared to be much distressed.
Whereupon the Court after hearing the testimony and the prisoner by James S. French his counsel assigned him by the Court in his defense, are unanimously of opinion that the prisoner is guilty in manner and in form as in the information against him is set forth, and it being demanded of the prisoner if anything for himself he had or knew to say why the Court should not proceed to pronounce judgment against him according to law and nothing being offered or alleged in delay of Judgment it is considered by the Court that the prisoner be taken hence to the place from whence he came there to be safely kept until Monday the twelfth day of September Instant on which day between the hours of ten o’clock in the forenoon and two o’clock in the afternoon the prisoner is to be taken by the Sheriff to the usual place of execution, and there to be hanged by the neck until he be dead. And the Court doth value the said slave Andrew to the sum of four hundred dollars. And the Court for sufficient reasons shown doth recommend to the Governor to commute the punishment of the prisoner. Absent: Carr Bowers and James D. Massenburg. Present. Alexander P. Peete, Robert Goodwin Gent.
Court Minute Book, Southampton County, Virginia, 1830-1835: http://www.brantleyassociation.com/southampton_project/gallery/min_bk_1830-35/index.html