122Kent County Court Proceedings, 1656-1662.





         Liber B     in an action of debt due by bill & acompt in the sum of twelfe hun
               derd twenty pounds of tobacco & Caske & for this he bringeth his
               suite warrant issued
                 The Defendant haueing acknowledge the debt the court doth there
               fore order that the defendant make prsent payment of of this debt,
               out of the Estate of the late decedent unto the plantiue, Else
               Execution

                 Mr Tho: Bradnox complaineth agst Margreet Mannering Seruant
               Vnto Tho: South in an action of slander & for this he bringeth his
               suite Wart issued That whereas the plantiue hath maid Apeare
               that he caused the defendant to be Exam: by the Commander con
               cering slanderous words spoken by the defend wch the sd Commander
               hath publickly declared in court his complaint wch the defendant hath
               owned to be truth, & since & since wch tyme the sd defendant hath
               been Exa: by the Gou: & theare hath declared by way of complaint
               agst her former Maister Tho: Bradnox that he had the vse of her
               body & other passages therein recited wch now in open court she hath
               acknowledged to be false the court now finding p her contradictory
               complaints that she hath slandered the sd Bradnox, the court hath
               therefore orderd that the defendant for slandering of her sd Maister
               shall receiue ten lashes vpon her bare back with a whipp by the officer

                 It is orderd by this Court that the shrife shall collect 96lb of
               tobacco & Caske p Pole of all the taxable persons of this Iland of
               kent wch is now found by this court to be due & the shrife is hereby
               Impowered by Vertue hereof to make ceisü upon the Estate of any
               pson being taxable that ref useth to pay the aforesd Leuie

                 Whereas there was an order past at a court holden at Prouidence
               by the Prouintiall Comissrs the 11th of Nouem: 1657 for the Addi
               tion of some members to be Joined to the Comiss for kent This
               court hath desired that Capt Vaughan may be Joined in this Comis
               sion wch the sd prouintiall Comissrs hath assented vnto:

                 The deposition of Elisabeth Ward aged 40 yeares or there abouts
               sworne in court saith
                 That sometyme at a court holden vpon kent some six or seauen
               yeares past that this deponent did heare Capt Vaughan giue strict
               charge or order to lay walter smith neck & heeles & when he was laid
               neck & heeles Capt Vaughan came unto him & did reason the cause
               with the Sd Smith & asked him to cleare the oath that he tooke con
               cerning Joane hudd, the Sd Smith made Capt Vaughan answ: that he
               had cleared it as well as he could Capt Vaughan hearing the Sd
               Smith saie soc, he gaue him a kick & caled for more weight to put
               upon his neck, & further deposeth nott the signe of
                                            Elisab:     + Ward