From: JACK W. WOOD To: dmorgan@efn.org Subject: Re: Lydia Dent The following is from the book "This Was The Life", which contains excerpts from the judgement records of Frederick Co. during the period 1748-1763. The book was authored by Millard Milburn Rice and was copyrighted in 1973. It is thought that the author died recently in Frederick Co. and was aged in the ninties. "The suit of Lydia Dent against Charles Wood was for breach of promise. 'Charles Wood, late of Frederick County, planter, was attached to answer unto Lydia Dent of a plea of trespass upon the case and whereupon the said Lydia by Henry Darnall, her attorney, complains that whereas the said Charles while sole (i.e., unmarried), to wit: on the twenty-fifth day of February 1747 at Frederick County aforesaid within the jurisdiction of the Court in consideration that the said Lydia then and there being sole and unmarried at the special instance and request of the said Charles then and there undertook and faithfully promised the said Charles to marry him, the said Charles. He, the said Charles, undertook and faithfully promised the said Lydia that he, the said Charles, would be joined to the said Lydia in lawful matrimony and although she, the said Lydia, was always ready and willing from the time of making her said promise and undertaking to be joined to the said Charles in lawful matrimony, that is to say, at Frederick County aforesaid the jurisdiction aforesaid. Nevertheless, the said Charles his promise and assumption aforesaid not regarding but minding and frauduently intending the same Lydia in this part craftily and subtilly to deceive and defraud the said Lydia to be his wife to take did altogether refuse and still doth refuse and after the promise and assumption aforesaid, to wit, on the 10th day of May 1748 at Frederick County aforesaid within the jurisdiction aforesaid did take to his wife another woman, to wit, Sarah Brightwell, now his wife contrary to his promise and assumption aforesaid to the damage of the said Lydia Dent 100 lbs. current money of Maryland and therefore she brings suit, etc. And the aforesaid Charles Wood by Edward Dorsey, his attorney, comes and defends the force and injury when etc. and prays license thereof to imparle here until the next County Court.' "Charles Wood by his attorney appeared in several Courts and in each case asked for permission of imparle, which means of course that he wanted a continuance. It finally came down to this particular Court, and a jury was impaneled as follows: Edward Beatty, Moses Chapline, Harbert Wallace, Peter Stull, Joseph Dodridge, John Johnson of Kittocton, Shadrick Hyatt, Elias DeLashmutt, James Spurgeon, George Bond, Thomas Stoddert, and Patrick Matthews. The jury decided for the plaintiff, Lydia Dent." "The Court ordered that Lydia Dent recover from Wood damages assessed at 30 lbs. current money and also 1,443 pounds of tobacco for her costs and charges."