Amanuensis Monday~Inquisition over the Death of Dempsey Honeycutt, 1853.

Amanuensis Monday is a genealogy blogging theme. It was started by John Newmark who writes the TransylvanianDutch blog.


His definition of Amanuensis is:
Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Today’s subject is an Inquisition over the Death of Dempsey Honeycutt, 1853.¹


State of North Carolina
Union County
I, W. H. Simpson, coroner pro tem of said Count bounded to Summon a jury of Good and Lawful men freeholders of said County to hold a Inquisition over the dead body of Dempsey Honeycutt in said County Viz No 1 Enoch Williams 2 B D Austin 3 Jno Simpson 4 Carswell Helms 5 Leggit Jenkins 6 W M Austin 7 Joab Griffin 8 Jourdan James 9 Lewis Griffin 10 John D Williams 11 Mofs Helms 12 Erwin Williams who after being duly sworn according to law we find upon our own Examination of the Dead body of Dempsey Honeycutt and the Testimony of Elisha James & A. G. Price that the aforesaid Dempsey Honeycutt came to his death by a Lick struck on the left side of said Honeycutt head just above the ear with a common siz’d hand Spoke which Lick or blow was Struck by one John E. Presley on said County of Union.
Given under our hand and seals this the 18^th day of April 1853.
Sworn to & Subscribed to before me 
                                                              E. Williams{seal}
                                                              B. D. Austin {seal}
                                                              John Simpson {seal}
                                                              Caswell Helms {seal}
Test                                                        J. D. Williams {seal}
W. H. Simpson Coroner pro tem            Moses Helms {seal}
                                                               Jourdan S. James {seal}
                                                               Leggit Jenkins {seal}
                                                               W M Austin {seal}
                                                               Joab Griffin {seal}
                                                               Lewis Griffin {seal}
                                                               Erwin Williams{seal}
 

State of North Carolina} Be it Remembered the <sic>
Union County} on the 18^th April Instant
Personally come before me, W. H. Simpson Coroner pro tem for the county of Union Andrew G. Price & Elisha James & John S. Stegall and Severally acknowledged themselves Indebted to the State of North Carolina in the Sum of two hundred dollars each to be levied on the Goods & Chattels, Lands & Tenements to be void on conditions that they appear before the Judge of our next Superior Court to be held at the Court house in Monroe on the 6^th Monday after the 4^th Monday in March 1853 to give evidence in behalf of the State against John E. Presley and not depart the court without Leave this 18^th April 1853.
Acknowledged before me                    W. H. Simpson Coroner pro tem
 
 

State of North Carolina) Be it Remembered that on the
Union County} the 7^th May 1853 personally
Came Dr. Tho. C. Caldwell before me W. H. Simpson coroner pro tem, for the said County and acknowledged himself indebted to the Sate of North Carolina in the Sum of One Hundred dollars to be levied on his Goods & Chattels, Lands & Tenements to be void on conditions that they appear before the Judge of our Superior Court at the Court house in Monroe on the 6^th Monday after the 4^th Monday in March 1853 to give evidence in behalf of the State against John E. Presley and not depart the court without Leave
Acknowledged before me                     W. H. Simpson Coroner pro tem
 

Young Dempsey Honeycutt, son of  William Riley Honeycutt and Mary Love, was just a mere 21 years of age when he was struck down by John E. Presley on 18 April 1853. He left surviving him, his mother, 5 sisters and one brother. His father, William Riley, had died just a few years earlier.
_______________________
[1] North Carolina Archives, C. R. 097.928.1; Union County Miscellaneous Records, Dempsey Honeycutt Coroner's Inquest, 1853.