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by Mary Sue Smith (Author)
The legal records abstracted in this volume of entries from the Superior Court of Law and Equity Mero District of Tennessee cover all of early middle Tennessee from the years 1803 to 1805 and pre-date any surviving census of the region which makes them all the more valuable to genealogists and historians. By providing details, which are grounded in fact and official records, they contribute depth and substance to our understanding of daily life in early America. Debts and divorces, domestic and business disputes as well as more heinous misdeeds like forgery, robbery and murder are described briefly and the results of these proceedings are given in straight-forward paragraphs which supply names, and when given, the occupations of those parties involved. Hundreds of surnames, indexed for easy reference, are available in this book, and many of the people named may not be found in other existing documents. Mentioned frequently among the records is Andrew Jackson in the role of judge, witness, plaintiff and defendant. Some of the legal outcomes are unpredictable and perhaps foreshadow the future with their surprising resolutions. These early legal abstracts offer a unique perspective on the first settlers of America who, while struggling to survive in a rough and uncertain landscape, looked to old traditions of law and order to help define their new society. Perhaps this is why so many of them, memorialized in lists in this book, traveled over 200 miles to fulfill their obligation of jury duty. Now you can share the details of legal matters that they were willing to journey so far to hear.
