Richard Braswell of Edgecombe Co. tried for counterfeiting - [BI-1745]

(Documents provided by Carey Hamilton Bracewell)

Edgecombe County Court Minutes, 1744-46 (C.R. 037.301.1, Archives)

p. 38 May 1745 - Ordd that the late Sheriff Capt Jas Speir pay to HARDY CANE L4 procl Money for the great Trouble & Expence he Hath been at in Executing his office of Constable in Detecting some Money Coiners.

Mr. Haywood one of the Members of this Court acquaintd the Bench that he had issued a Search Warrt agt one RIDHd BRSWELL for passing and uttering false Coine and had accordingly ordered HARDY CANE a Sworn Constable to apprehend the said BRASWELL and to search his house for Counterfeit money & the materials for making it, & that the Constable HARDY CANE had Exed the Warrt and had also brought the sd BRASWELL her to be Eamd, thereon and that the Constable had also found some Counterfeit money and he believed some materials for making it in the sd BRASSWELLs House therefore desired the matter may be Examined into by the Court.

Accordingly the sd RICHARD BRASWELL was ordered before this Court & appeared and HARDY CANE the Constable who Executed the Warrt also appeared and brought with him a small Cagg or Barrel which contained several little Wooden Moulds with some Brass & Pewter Mettle, some Chalk & Borax, the sd CANE was theron Sworn & his Deposition taken as also the Examination and Confession of the said RICHARD BRASWELL.

It is thereupon Considered and Ordered by the Court on hearing the sd CANEs Deposition as also on hearing the Deposition of JHON CHAMBERS taken before Mr. Haywood that the sd RICHd BRASWELL stand Committed and Sheriff is hereby Ordd forthwith to convey the said RICHd BRASWELL to the Publick Goal (sic) at Edenton and deliver the sd RICHd BRASWELL to the Keeper thereof to be kept untill he shall be thence discharged by due Course of Law

Ordd that the sd HARDY CANE Give Secuty as an Evidence &c in the Sum of L20 Proc &c And accordingly the sd HARDY CANE as principal in L20 Proc & JAMES CANE as Secuty in the Sum of L20 like money &c Ackd

Ordd that the sd CANE carry with him the Barrel with the materials found in it &cc.

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Colonial Court Papers, Criminal Papers, General & Assize Courts, 1745-1749.

(CCR 178, Archives, Raleigh)

Examination of JOHN CHAMBERS taken one oath before me JOHN HAYWOOD one of his Majestes Justices for the Countyu of EdgeCombe assigned this Examinant Saith that the Acoute Six Weake laste paste he Did Dee some spainish miled pieces of Eight & half peices of Eight and some pistereans maid of putter and the moulds they were Caste In and did verrely bleive that oald Mr. RICHARD BRASWELL was the Coiner of them and that sd BRASWELL had uttered and paste Some of the aforesd fals Money to Coll ANDREW MEADE in Virginia and that there was ono Silver in the sd Coins by him Caste and Uttered & paste as aforesd and that there is at this presente time a Considerable quantity of the afresd Eight & two small peices in likeness of Pistereens which he now produced. That the Depont went afterwards into said BRASWELLs dwelling house where there was a Desk wch sd BRASWELL opened and found nothing in it but a Paper in wch the Dept Say’d that the sd BRASWELL told him that what was in the Paper belong’s to HUGHS & was the Truck they made use on for runing the pieces of money aforesd. Then the sd BRASWELL took two baggs of money out of his Chest, & out of one of them he took Three peices wch this Dept took to be Counterfeit & now produced them. That this Dept coming along with the sd RICHd BRASWELL to this Court last Night he the sd BRASWELL told him that he had pass’d some money to Colo MEAD several years agoe which he thought was no Good, but That Colo MEAD Say’d, if that was not good money he did know which was Good. The sd BRASWELL also told this Dept that he sometime agoe asked one HUGHES and one CLIFT whither they could make any money Genteely, That CLIFT answered he could and accordingly he made some which sd BRASWELL did not like, and tht one of them (HUGHES or CLIFT) said they could make money as good as any if they had Ingredients, upon which sd BRASWELL sent his son to Williamsburgh and gave him forty shillings to buy Ingredients to run this Silver money seemingly by his discourse but that his Son could not get any.

Any further this Dept Saith not

Hardy Cane (signed)

N.B. the foregoing deposition of HARDY CANE and statement of RICHd BRASWELL are all one document in these papers. The mark of RICHARD BRASWELL is the only example of his own mark that I know of and closely resembles clerk’s copies of his mark on some of his deeds.

WCF

28/VII/71

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Colonial Court Papers, Criminal Papers, General & Assize Courts, 1745-1749

(CCR 178, Archives, Raleigh)

deceit of the Subjects of Our said Lord the King and against the Peace of the said Lord the now Kind his Crown and dignity &c and also against the form of the Statute in that Case made and provided.

Jos: Anderson Atty Genl

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General Court Papers - Dockets - 1737 - 1745 - 1746 (CCR 126, Archives, Raleigh)

July General Session, 1745 - References

Case No. 1 - Doms Rex vs RICHd BRASWELL

Recog for his appearance for uttering false coin. Hardy Czane, Jechoniah Yancy & Jno Chanmbers, King’s Evidences Deft appd - Bill returned Ignoramus - cont’d

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October General Sessions, 1745 (p. 151b)

Case No. 33-Dom: Rex vs RICHd BRASWELL

Recgd for his appe for uttering false coyn- Virdit not Guilty

Cases No. 34 & 35 are the discharges of Jechoniah Yanc and Hardy Case as Evidences against RICHd BRASWELL

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October General Sessions, 1745 (p. 180b)

Case No. 33-Dam vs RICHd BRASWELL

Recod for his apprce for uttering false Coin

"Deft appd Arraigned &c - pleads Not Guilty & for Tryel put himself upon God his Country &c.

Jury Sworn &c Say we of the Jury do find the Deft Not Guilty neither that he fled &c