Fayette County, Illinois - Prosperity Op the County. First Deed Recorded Tn » Ol'nty. First Session, 1878

5JAYETTE County now entered upon an era of prosperity. Settlers J were arriving m considerable numbers, coming principally from ^ Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Vandalia was rapidly becoming a thriving and important city. Its situation was excellent, and the lands contiguous to it fertile and productive, and only needed the work of the husbandman to make it one of the most beau¬ tiful and productive counties in the state. The meetings of the legislature and sessions of the various courts drew many persons to Vandalia, many of them men of prominence and ability.

" At a circuit court begun and held in Vandalia, in and for the County of Fayette, on Thursday, the fifteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-one, and of the independence of the United States the forty-sixth.

The first Grand Jury, July 3,1821. Thomas Cox, (Foreman), William Tilford, Wm. Wallace, Wm. Johnson, John Shields, John Evans, Wm. L. Hicherson, Abram Starnes, James Allen, John Haley, John H. Van Fleck, Jacob Neely, Barnett Bone, Henry Walker, Joseph Hynes, John Hall, James L. Dorries, Abijah Lee, John F. Ross and Aaron Shean, were em¬ paneled and sworn a grand jury.

The first marriage license issued in Fayette County, was on the first day of May, 1821, to John F. Ross and Melinda Osborne. The marriage ceremony was solemnized the same day by James S. Dorris, a Justice of the Peace. During the remainder of the year 1821 only two marriage licenses were issued.

Whereas, James M. Duncan did, on the 25th day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-one, purchase of the Register of the Land Office for the sales of the United States Lands in the District of Vandalia, a certain lot or piece of ground designated and known on the General Map of the United States Lands in the said district, by the name or title of the West half of the North East or. of section No. 19 of Township No. 6, Range No. 1, East of the third principal meridian - Containing 80 acres.

Now, therefore, be it known, That I, the said James M. Duncan, for value received, do hereby assign, transfer, set over and unto Thomas Cox, his heirs and assigns forever, all my right, title, interest, claim and demand of, in and to the said tract of Land intended to be conveyed. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 18th day of July, one thousand, eight hundred and twenty-one. James M. Duncan.

Personally appeared before me, John Baugh, a Justice of the Peace for said County, John 8. Duncan, a subscribing witness to the within Transfer, who, after being sworn, saith that he saw James M. Duncan whose name appears to the within Transfer, seal, sign and deliver the same for the pur¬ poses therein mentioned.

The grand jury during the first session found a number of indictments, all of them for minor offences. The civil suits engaging the attention of the court were few. The following are copies of the first cases entered upon the docket: and how disposed of.

The attorney for the appellee moved to dismiss the appeal herein on the ground that the bond was insufficient, which was argued; but the court not being sufficiently advised, took time, etc. On the following day, July 6, the case was continued until the next term of court

On motion of complainant by his counsel to dismiss the case herein, it is considered by the court that this cause be dismissed, and that the defendant recover against the said complainant his costs by him about his defence in this behalf expended, and may have, etc.

The jury consisted of Abraham Tetrich, Archibald Ezell, Joseph Chaffin, William Berrv, John K. Harris, John C. Kellogg, Valentine Brazil, John Deleplain, Adam Smith, Jr., James Hooper, Jeremiah Evans and Robert Blackwell, who being elected, tried and sworn to well and truly try the issue found.

Know ye, That, reposing special trust and confidence in the integrity, diligence and abilities of James Jones, of Fayette County, I do hereby in virtue of the power and authority in me as Presiding Justice of the Third Circuit, appoint him Clerk of the Circuit Court of Fayette County; and he is hereby authorized to execute the duties of the said office, and have and receive the emoluments with the same belonging according to law.

This day came the above-named James Jones before the undersigned, one of the Justices of the Supreme Court of the State of Illinois aforesaid, and took the several oaths required by law (to be taken by civil officers in this State^ as Clerks of the Circuit Court of Fayette County.

After a spirited and interesting trial, the case was given to the jury, com¬ posed of John Watwood, James Hull, James Kelly, William B. Thacher, John Hull, Henry Walker, Patrick Murphy, Elisha Whitley, John Whitley, John Depeu, Adam Smith, Jr., and Edward Tunstall- Their verdict was as follows :

That the said defendant has been guilty of extreme and repeated cruelty towards his said wife, etc., etc., etc.; wherefore it is ordered and decreed by the Court that the said complainant be divorced from the bed and board of the said Andrew Milton; it is further ordered that the child of the said Andrew Milton and Nancy Milton be delivered to the said Nancy Milton, and by her raised and educated until he shall arrive at the age of fourteen years, and that the said Andrew Milton pay annually, in quarterly insUdments, the sum of thirty dollars, and further decreed that the said Andrew Milton pay all the costs of this suit.