Commission of oyer and terminer issued by Francis Fauquier in the case of Arthur, 1758 August 30

Commission of Virginia Lieutenant-governor Francis Fauquier appointing justices from Prince George County to sit as a court in the trial of Arthur, an enslaved man belonging to John Edwards, for the commission of a felony. The men named in the commission include Nathaniel Harrison William Eppes Richard Bland Francis Eppes Theophilis [Field] Anthony Peniston Samuel Gordon and William Poythress.

Printed document with manuscript insertions.

Rockefeller Library copy has multiple areas of loss along the folds affecting the text.

Remains of wax seal illustrated with a crown is attached to the document by a silk ribbon.

Virginia, ff.

Francis Fa[quier] Esq; His Majesty's
Lieutenant-Governor, and Commander in Chief of the said Colony and Dominion.

To Nathaniel Harrison William Eppes Richard Bland [Francis] Eppes Theophilis [Field] Anthony Peniston Samuel Gordon [?] William Poythress Richard B[?] Junior and George [?] of Prince George Gentlemen Greeting

KNOW YE, That whereas I have constituted and appointed you Justices of Oyer and Terminer for the Trial of Arthur a Negro man slave belonging to John Edwards of the said County of Prince George For Felony I do therefore by Virtue of the Powers and Authoritis to me granted by His Majesty, as Commander in Chief of this Dominion, authorize and appoint, that the Commission being read as usual, any one of you the said Nathaniel Harrison William Eppes Richard Bland Francis Eppes Theophilus Field Anthony Peniston Samuel Gordon or Alexander Bolling having first taken the Oaths appointed by Act of Parliament to be taken, instead of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, the Oath appointed to be taken by an Act of Parliament made in the first Year of the Regign of his late Majesty King GEORGE the First, intituled "An Act for the further Security of his Majesty's Person and Government, and the Succession of the Crown in the Heirs of the late Princess SOPHIA, being Protestants, and for extinguishing the Hopes of the pretended Prince of Wales, and his open and secret Abettors;" as also the Test, together with the Oath for duly executing the Office of a Justice of Oyer and Terminer, which the said Benjamin [?] and Peter Poythress or any two in the Commission above named are hereby required and impowered to give and administer to you ; you administer to the above justices, and every of them, in the Commission above named, the above mentioned Oaths and Test, together with the Oath for duly executing the Office of a Justice of Oyer and Terminer, of the Performance of which you are to make due Return to the Secretary's Office. Given under my Hand, and the Seal of the Colony, at Williamsburg, the thirtieth Day of August One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty eight in the Thirty second Year of the Reign of our Sover[e]ign Lord King GEORGE the Second.

Fran: Fauquier