County Court Sessions 1853-1886

In October, 1869, the court ordered a new court house erected, and appointed Thomas H. Caldwell, H. P. Clearland. L. B. Knott, William Gosling and William P. Cowan a building committee to prepare plans, estimates and specifications, and award the contract for building the court house and superintend the same. The building was completed in 1872. In June, 1872, the court issued articles of incorporation to the town of Flat Creek. In 1873 the court appointed John R. Dean superintendent of the county schools.

In 1874 the court ordered a new bridge built across Duck River, at Hall's mill, and for that purpose appropriated $500. In 1883 an order for the erection of two buildings at the Poor Asylum, was passed by the court, said buildings to be of frame, two rooms each. 16x18 feet, and appropriated for the erection thereof $2,500. These buildings having been destroyed in 1886, the court at its last session appropriated $2,500 with which to replace them. Owing to the absence of the records it is impossible to give the term of years the different county officers served, but the following is a correct and complete list of the names of the officers in the manner in which they held office.

Chairmen of County Court:

County Clerks:

The first sessions of the Circuit Court of Bedford County were held in 1808 at Mrs. Payne's house on Mulberry Creek, and were presided over by Hon. Thomas Stuart, circuit judge. Judge Stuart afterward held the courts at Amos Balch's, and was still on the bench when the county seat was located at Shelbyville. However, there remains no record of those early courts, the existing records beginning with December, 1853, at which time Hon. Westly W. Pepper was judge, John H. O'Neal was clerk and James W. Johnson was sheriff. The first grand jury was drawn in the following manner: the names of the venire were written on slips of paper and the papers placed in a hat, from whence thirteen names were drawn out by a child under ten years of age, and of the men whose names were thus selected was the grand jury composed.

During the sessions of the court in 1853;

Gilbert E. Holder was fined $200 and sent to jail for three months for carrying a bowie knife.
John Record was fined $5 for gambling.
William Neil was sentenced to one year's imprisonment in penitentiary for larceny.

In 1854 Martha Dobbins was granted a divorce from William Dobbins.
John W. Nelson was fined $5 for malicious shooting.
Isaac Williams for larceny, was sent to prison for one year.
Mary Low was fined $5 for permitting one of her slaves to live as a free person of color.

In 1855 Isaac Parker pleaded guilty to a charge of libel, and was fined $5.
William Ballard was sent to prison for three years on a charge of altering bank bills.
James B. Phillips served a judgment of $2,500 against Robert Cannon, for slander.
John Wilson was sent to prison for seven years for committing murder.
In 1855 W. H. Dickerson was sent to the penitentiary for one year on a charge of larceny, and
James Wagster, for disturbing public worship, was fined $10 and costs.

In 1857 William P. Puckett was fined $25 for malicious stabbing, and Joel Criscoe was sent to the penitentiary for five years for larceny.

In 1858 James Ripley, on a charge of murder, was sent to the penitentiary for twenty-one years.
Frank Bagley, for arson, was given a sentence of six years.
Jesse Phillips, for incest, was sentenced to five years imprisonment.

In 1859 Bob, a slave, upon conviction of manslaughter, received the following sentence: "That he receive 100 lashes upon the bare back, then be imprisoned for ten days, and then receive another 100 lashes upon the bare back, to be well laid on by the sheriff of Bedford County."

There were no sessions of the court held during the late 'civil war.

In 1864 Alexander Brown, for larceny, was sent to the penitentiary for one year.
John Morton for larceny was sent up for three years.

In 1865 Samuel Evans, Charles Ellison, Riley Kizer and Harriet Phillips, all colored, were convicted of larceny, and the first was sent to the penitentiary for one year; the second for three years; the third for one year, and the last one was let off with one month's confinement in the county jail.

In 1866 James Cheatham and Bush Varmory, were each sent to the penitentiary for fifteen years upon a charge of larceny and house-breaking.
During that year James Brewer, Pinkney McDonald, Van McFarland, John Bomer, Jesse Barksdale and Mary Ann Stenston, all confined in the county jail on various charges, made their escape.

In 1867 James Eakin, colored, was sent to the county jail for thirty days on a charge of larceny.
George Morgan was sent to the penitentiary for one year.

In 1868 George Wood, Alexander Aldridge, Ann Jackson and Alexander Elkin, were given terms of imprisonment on charges of larceny.

In 1869 Ann Jackson was again imprisoned on a charge of larceny.
Arch Cook was sent to the penitentiary for twelve years for larceny.
Abe Featherstone for two years and six months;
Alfred Davis for ten years.
John Moore, ten years.
Sarah Cannon, three years, and, for stealing a horse.
John Brown was sent for ten years.

In 1870, on charges of larceny, William King was sent to the penitentiary for ten years.
James Simmons three years, and Caroline Houston three months in jail.

In 1871 William Hamilton was convicted of murder and imprisoned for eleven years.
Elizabeth Kiser, for larceny, was sentenced to imprisonment in State prison for one year, but her sentence was commuted to ten days in jail on account of her encientic condition;
Edward Hilton, on a charge of involuntary manslaughter, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment.
James Jones was given four years in the penitentiary charges of larceny.
James Gregor, two years.
Hal Germiny, three years.
Charles Dyer, four years.
Fal. Hamer, one year.
Green Smith, two years.
Ida Kains one year.

In 1872 James S. Robinson, Lewis Cannon and Henry Gambell were sentenced, respectively, to terms of seven, three and four years' imprisonment on charges of larceny.

In 1873 John Daniel was sent to prison three years for larceny.
Richard Wells, for murder, was sent for five years.
Mitch Pearson was convicted of murder in The first degree and sentenced to he hung February 13, 1874. Pearson took an appeal to the Supreme Court, where the verdict of the lower court was reversed. He was again tried and convicted of murder in the second degree and sentenced to ten years imprisonment at hard labor.

In 1874 John Fogelman, Henry Tillman, Jerry Meadows and David Nealey were convicted of larceny and all sent to the penitentiary for one year each.

In 1875 William Campbell and Marion Shaffner were sent to the penitentiary for three and one years, respectively, for larceny.
Dr. Shannon, for horse-stealing, was sent to the penitentiary for twelve years.

In 1876 Joseph Williams was sent to prison for two years, on charges of larceny.
William Barksdale was sent to jail six months on charges of larceny.
Thomas Rippy, for murder, was given ten years.
William Holder, for house-breaking, was given ten years.
Abraham McMahan and wife recovered $120 damages from Thomas McEwen for slander.

In 1877 John Bourke, for house-breaking.
L. Jones, John T. Dean, John Holt, Henry Cannon, Emmet Thompson. Willis Dallis and Harrison Brown were imprisoned for larceny.
John Jones was sentenced to be hung October 4, 1877, for murder. Jones appealed his cause to the Supreme Court and the decision was reversed, and upon standing trial a second time was sentenced to imprisonment for life.

In 1878 Robert Dixon, Philip Shuman, John Miller and Bill Morton were sent to the penitentiary for one year each.
Lafayette Revis, for house-breaking, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, and for arson Revis was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, the second sentence to go into effect upon expiration of the first.

In 1879 Willis Frazier, for murder, was imprisoned for twelve years; and James Eakin, Henry Brown, James Waston and Jerry Ball, for larceny were sent to prison for one year each.

In 1880 John Gaston, James Woodard and Lewis Thomas were given terms of imprisonment for larceny.

In 1881 Mary Brown, Lula Thomas and Bob Chambers were given one year imprisonment in the penitentiary on charges of larceny.

In 1882 Frank Atkinson, for horse-stealing, was sent to prison for three years.
James Stewart, murder, five years.
Ambrose Tillman, one year; Louis Kiser, two and a half years; Anderson Sims, one year; Henry Beedy, three years; Henry Lovelace, four years; William Allison, one year; Harrison Williams, one year; Bob Webb, one year, and Lewis Castleman two years on charges of larceny.

In 1883 Charles Elkins, for murder, was sent to the penitentiary for twenty years.
Jim Gamble, arson, two years.
James Warren, murder, three years.
Nan Roberson, arson, two years.
Wylie Chambers, Henry Amos, James Flack, R. C. Wyland, Tom Stamps and Tom Ganaway for larceny were each given one year imprisonment in the penitentiary.

In 1884 Eliza Pepper, for murder, was sent to prison for life.
George Cross, John Cooper and Nelson Johns were given six and three years each, respectively, for horse-stealing.
Henry Mosley and George Stewart, for larceny, was sent up for one year each.

In 1885 Carrie Cleveland, for murder, was sent to the penitentiary for three years.
William McGrew and Henry Carwell, for larceny, were each given one year.

In 1886 Willis Rankin and Henry Lamb were sent to the penitentiary for one year each on charges of larceny.
Henry Lamb was sentenced to three years' imprisonment on a charge of horse-stealing, his second sentence to commence upon expiration of the first.

 AHGP Tennessee

Source: History of Tennessee, Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1886.