# Lancaster County, SC - Court of Common Pleas - Judgment Roll 2554 | | | |---|---| | **Case** | James R. Massey v. Uriah Blackman | | **Dates** | 1839-1841 | | **Roll** | Roll 2554 | | **Pages in source images** | 8 | ## Source Lancaster County (formerly Lancaster District), South Carolina, Court of Common Pleas, Judgment Roll 2554. Original records held by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, SC. Transcribed from photographs of the original judgment roll (image files: folder [2554](2554/), 8 photographs). ## Disclaimer This transcription was made using AI (Claude, by Anthropic) from photographs of the original court papers. It is an attempted transcription, not a certified copy. Faded ink, difficult handwriting, torn folds and damaged pages make some readings uncertain, and errors are possible. Check the original images before relying on any reading. ## Transcription conventions - Original spelling, capitalization and abbreviations are kept as written. - `[?]` = uncertain reading; `[illegible]` = could not be read; `[blank]` = a space left empty on the original. - `[struck: ...]` = printed or written text that is lined through on the original. - `[...]` and *[italic bracketed notes]* = editorial explanations added by the transcriber; `[letters]` inside a word = letters supplied to expand an abbreviation. - On printed forms, handwritten fill-ins are shown in ***bold italics*** where it helps to tell them apart from the printed text. - "Img." numbers refer to the photographs in the roll's image folder, in file-name order, which is not always the order the papers were written in. **Notes on these images:** - Imgs. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8 were photographed sideways or upside down and were rotated for reading. - No box number appears on the papers photographed. - The note sued on was signed by both Elisha Blackman and Uriah Blackman; a separate suit on the same note against Elisha Blackman is Roll 2555 (see the endorsement on Img. 8). ## Transcription **Img. 4 - Original writ (printed form: "Copy Writ")** > STATE OF SOUTH-CAROLINA. > TO ALL AND SINGULAR THE SHERIFFS OF THE SAID STATE - GREETING. > > YOU, and each of you, are hereby commanded, without delay, to ***attach the body of Uriah Blackman*** wheresoever ***he*** may be found within your and each of your respective Districts, so that you compel ***him*** to be and appear before the Associate Judges of the said State, at the Court of Common Pleas, to be holden at ***Lancaster*** Court-House, in and for the District of ***Lancaster*** on the ***first*** Monday after the fourth Monday in ***October [struck: next]***, to answer to ***James R. Massey the plaintiff of a plea that defendant render unto plaintiff the sum of three hundred & eighty seven dollars - which to said plaintiff he owes and from him unjustly detains - to his damage one thousand dollars &c*** > > And have you there this Writ, before the Clerk of the said Court, fifteen days next before the sitting of the said Court. > > WITNESS, ***S. Beckham*** Esquire, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, in and for the District of ***Lancaster*** at ***Lancaster*** Court-House, the ***tenth*** day of ***October*** in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ***forty*** and in the ***sixty fifth*** year of the Sovereignty and Independence of the United States of America. > > ***Wright & McMullan*** Plaintiff's Attorney. > > [Left margin:] S. Beckham Clk **Img. 3 - Back of the writ** > [Left panel:] > Entd. 15 Oct. 1840 > S. Small [?] Shff > > Copy left at defendant's residence 17th Oct. 1840 > S. Small [?] Shff > > Serv. - .25 > Ent. - 1.00 > 10 miles - .50 > 1.75 > > [Center panel:] > 335 > Lancaster > James R. Massey > v } Writ in Debt > Uriah Blackman > > Wright & McMullan > > Service proven before me > S. Beckham C.C.P. > > (Orig.) *[The sheriff's name is read here as "S. Small"; it is written in a looping hand.]* --- **Img. 1 - Docket cover of the declaration** > Lancaster > # 3510 2554 > > James R. Massey > vs } Decl. in Debt > Uriah Blackman > > Wright & McMullan Plffs Attys > > Filed 10 March 1841 > Order for Judgment same day > S. Beckham Clk > > I ascertain the above debt [?] to be three hundred and Eighty seven dollars with interest from the 1 January 1840 > S. Beckham Clk > > Jd. 13 April 1841 **Img. 2 - Declaration (printed form: "Declaration on Sealed Note"), with copy of the note** > State of South-Carolina, } To wit. > ***Lancaster*** District. } > > ***Uriah Blackman the defendant was*** attached to answer to ***James R. Massey the plaintiff*** of a plea that ***defendant*** render unto ***plaintiff*** the sum of ***three hundred and eighty seven dollars*** which to [struck: him] ***said plaintiff he*** owes and from ***him*** unjustly detains and so forth. > > And whereupon, the said ***James R. by Wright & McMullan his*** Attorneys complain that whereas the said ***Uriah*** on the ***twenty ninth day*** of ***December*** in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ***thirty nine*** at ***Lancaster*** Court-House, in the District and State aforesaid, and within the Jurisdiction of this Court, by ***his certain writing obligatory, commonly called a sealed note*** [struck: certain Bill obligatory], with ***his*** seal sealed and to the Court here shewn, the date whereof is the day and year aforesaid, [struck: acknowledged to be indebted to the said ... in the sum of] ***promised to pay James R. Massey or bearer three hundred and eighty seven dollars for value received on or before the first day of January 1840*** [struck: to be paid to the said ... or] > > To which payment well and truly to be made, the said ***Uriah*** bound ***himself*** firmly by the [struck: same Bill] ***said sealed note***. > > Yet the said ***Uriah*** although often required, the said sum of money in the said ***sealed note*** [struck: Bill] contained, or any part thereof, to the said ***James R.*** has not yet paid, but the same to pay, hitherto has altogether refused and still does refuse; to the damage of the said ***James R. one thousand dollars***, and therefore ***he*** brings suit and so forth. > > ***Wright & McMullan*** > Plaintiff's Attorney. > > $387 On or before the first day of January 1840 We or Either of us promise to pay James R. Massey (Trustee of Mary Lanier decd) or bearer three hundred and Eighty seven Dollars value Recd; witness our hands and seals this 29th day of Decr. 1839 > Elisha Blackman (Seal) > Uriah Blackman (Seal) > Attest > H. W. Chivis [?] *[The copy of the note is cramped; its readings of James R. Massey's capacity ("Trustee of Mary Lanier decd") and of the witness follow the original note, which is in Roll 2555.]* --- **Img. 6 - Judgment (printed form: "Judgment by Default in Case - Reference to Clerk - Printed and Sold by W. Riley, 41 Broad-street")** > AND now at this day, to wit, the ***first*** Monday in ***April*** in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ***forty one*** to which day the said ***Uriah Blackman*** had leave to answer to the declaration aforesaid of the said ***James R. Massey*** at a Court to be held at ***Lancaster CH*** before the Justices of the Court of Common Pleas, comes the said ***Pltff*** by ***his*** Attorney aforesaid, and prays that the said ***defendant*** to the declaration aforesaid, may answer; and the said ***defendant*** though solemnly called, doth not come, nor say any thing in bar or preclusion of the action aforesaid, but hath made default; wherefore the said Plaintiff remain against ***him*** undefended; wherefore the said Plaintiff ought to recover against the said Defendant damages sustained by reason of the premises; and because the same is a liquidated demand, according to the Act of the General Assembly of the said State, in such case made and provided, it becomes unnecessary to execute a Writ of Inquiry, but only on motion to the Court, to refer the said demand to the Clerk thereof, to ascertain the amount due:- and the same being so referred, the said Clerk, namely, ***S. Beckham*** finds the amount of the principal [struck: and interest] to be ***three hundred & eighty seven dollars with interest from the first day of January 1840*** > > Therefore, it is considered, that the said ***plaintiff*** do recover against the said ***defendant*** as well the said sum of ***three hundred & eighty seven dollars with interest*** as found, as also ***eighteen dollars & 12 1/2 cents*** for ***his*** costs and charges, by ***him*** in and about prosecuting ***his*** suit in this behalf expended, and to ***him*** by the Court, with ***his*** assent adjudged, amounting in the whole to ***four hundred & five dollars [illegible] 12 1/2 cents***, and be the said ***defendant*** in mercy, and so forth. > > [Left margin:] Judgment entd. up 13 April 1841 > S. Beckham Clk **Img. 5 - Back of the judgment** > J. R. Massey > vs } Judgt. > U. Blackman > > Debt - $387 > Int. fr. 1 Jany 1840 > Atty - 11 > Clk - 5.12 1/2 > Shff - 1.75 17.87 [?] > > Satisfied --- **Img. 7 - Writ of fieri facias (printed form: "Fi. Fa. in Debt - Printed and sold by W. Riley, 92 Church-st.")** > The State of South-Carolina. > TO ALL AND SINGULAR THE SHERIFFS OF THE SAID STATE - GREETING. > > YOU, and each of you, are hereby commanded, without delay, that of the goods, chattels, houses, and lands, and other hereditaments, and real estates, of ***Uriah Blackman*** you cause to be levied a certain debt of ***three hundred & eighty seven dollars with interest from 1 Jany 1840*** [struck: illegible] which ***plaintiff*** in the Court of Common Pleas, before the Justices of the said Court, at ***Lancaster C.H.*** lately recovered against the said ***defendant*** [struck: And also] for ***his*** damages, which ***he*** sustained, as well by reason of the detention of the said debt, as for ***his*** costs and charges, by ***him*** expended in and about prosecuting ***his*** suit in that behalf, whereof the said ***defendant*** convicted, as appears on record. > > And that you have the money before the said Justices of the said Court of Common Pleas, to be holden at ***Lancaster C.H.*** [struck: on the] ***according to law*** to render to the said ***plaintiff*** for ***his*** debt, damages, costs, and charges, aforesaid. And have you this Writ, before the Clerk of the said Court, at ***Lancaster*** according to law. > > Witness, ***S. Beckham*** Esquire, Clerk of the said Court, at ***Lancaster C.H.*** the ***12th*** day of ***April*** in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ***forty one*** and in the ***sixty fifth*** year of the Sovereignty and Independence of the United States of America. > > ***Wright & McMullan*** Plaintiff's Attorney. > > [Left margin:] S. Beckham Clk **Img. 8 - Back of the fi. fa.** > [Left panel:] > Entd. 14 Apl 1841 > J. Hancock [?] S.L.D. > > [Center panel:] > 16 > Lancaster > J. R. Massey > vs } Fi. Fa. > U. Blackman } Debt > > Wright & McMullan > > Debt - $387 > Int. fr. 1 Jany 1840 > Attys - 11. > Clk - 5.72 1/2 > Shff - 1.75 17.82 1/2 > 1/4 Costs - .55 > > Satisfied 13 Apl 1841 > > This case & the one for same amt. against E. Blackman are for the same debt. > > [Written across the top:] Recd 3 May 1841 Seventy [?] dollars from [illegible] > [illegible] *[A printed "New Bill of Costs" occupies the right side of this sheet, with the costs filled in: attorney 8, 3; clerk 1.22, 1.25, .62, .25, .25, .75, .50, 1.50 = 5.72 1/2 [?]; sheriff 1.25, .50 = 2.75 [?]. The handwritten line across the top is faint.]*