MlNUTKS OK Corur ok ^'(mO(;A^"IA Coi'NTV. 207 



the Virginia court at Fort Dunmore, the following entry was made 

 upon the minutes of the Supreme I'^xecutive Council : 



"At a Council held at Philadelphia, 25th January, 1775, • ■ • 

 Captain St. Clair appearing at the Board and representing that William 

 Crawford, Esijuire, President of the Court in Westmoreland County, 

 hath lately joined with the Ciovernment of \'irginia in opposing the 

 jurisdiction of Pennsylvania in the County, the Board advised the 

 Governor to supersede him in his office as Justice of the Peace and 

 common Pleas. A Supersedeas was accordingly ordered to be issued : ' ' 

 X. Col. Rccoj'ds, 2 28. 



Others of the Justices of the Westmoreland County court were Arthur 

 St. Clair, afterward a Major-general in the Revolution ; Thomas (iist, 

 above mentioned, Alexander McKee, afterwards with Simon Girty 

 and Matthew Elliot, a deserter to the British Indians ; Robert Hanna, 

 William Louchry, George Wilson, above mentioned, Eneas McKay, 

 Joseph Spear, Alexander McClean and James Caveat. 



The early courts of Westmoreland County appear by their records 

 to have been regularly held from April 6, 1773, to the second Tuesday 

 of April, 1776. Observe that this last date was but a short time before 

 the meeting of the Provincial Conference at Carpenter's Hall, Phila- 

 delphia, resulting in the great Declaration of Independence by the 

 American colonies. At this session there were orders made relating 

 to township lines, roads, and recognizances in criminal cases ; and 

 then there was an interregnum, and there are no records of any court 

 held for Westmoreland County afterward until January 6, 1778. But 

 the court for Yohogania County continued right along in a varied and 

 extensive business, as will appear from the transcript of its records 

 now publishing. 



The Nature ok the Business Transacted. 

 It would seem that the transactions of these Virginia Courts were 

 not confined to merely business matters. Witness the fact that at the 

 session of the Yohogania County court held on September 22, 1777, 

 "William Taylor produced a Licence appointing him to preach the 

 Gospel after the Manner of his Sect ; which being read, the said 

 William Taylor came [ — into Court and took the Oath of fidelity and 

 Allegiance to this Commonwealth : " Annals, \o\. II., p. 102. Who 

 was this William Taylor, and what was his " Sect " ? And note that 

 at the session of the same Court held on March 24, 1778, "John 



