John Curtis...Native American ?
For those of you that are researching the Curtis the following may be of interest to you. Also visit web site www.wicocomico-indian-nation.com
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October Anno Domino 1713 Appointed by William
Gent and One of her Majesty’s Justices of this court
to be called by this Barr for Examining a Mullato Indian
named George and all the evidence relating to the matter
where as he___accused according to the Act of Assemble
in case made and recorded.
George and Indian
Mullato Criminal
__moved to WilliamsburgPage One
George an Indian Mullato having been booked and in Sheriff custody bywarrant from Wm. Jones one of the Justice of the Peace for this County upon suspicion of murdering Allen Dorrett and this day the said Indian Mullato being produced to the Court by the Sheriff and Wm. Daro. Attorney for our Sovereign Lady, the Queen, came into Court and produced his examination for Wm. on this 26th day of September, 1713 who hath___the said George confessed that he did strike the said Allen Dorrett and the said George being examined in Court the George did confess that he struck the said Allen Dorrett with a stake, also on twelve men under hand and seal taken before the Justice of the Peace for this County was in Court with an affidavit of GEO CURTIS and JAMES VEAZEY____ ____said____on that upon the brow of the body of Allen Dorrett, they find that his death by a mortal wound on his skull above his forehead and his right eye and George an Indian Mullato an Inhabitant at Wicocomico Indian Town gave the said wound by stake____ ____ the 24th day
of September for (_________) and that the (should ?) do_____in _____then twenty four hours after the said stake was____and the said GEORGE CURTIS and JAMES VEAZEY being called to come before the Court and being sworn in Court to testify this truth of_____ _____on behalfe of our Sovereign Lady the Queen agt the said Indian George at this Barr, they were interrogated and afforded____ ____first the said CURTIS to wether he knew the Indian Mullato____ ____you at the Barr and he confessed____,secondly who these____ ____Dorrett and how long he had known him and he answered he had known him about nine years, thirdly what he knew concerning the said Indian Mullato of killing or murdering the said Allen who answered that he was at an Indians house in Wicocomico Indian Town called John on the 4th of September___ ___(piece missing) the said Allen Dorrett ( blank space)______
Page Two
(piece missing) the said Indian Mullato (piece missing ) Indian Mullato and ___the said Allen and they____(piece missing) and the other and the Indian Mullato to threw the said Allen ( piece missing) and the ( Ippon ?) went toward the___said Indian Mulatto went into the peach orchard and the said Allen threw a board at him and breaking a stick would have had the said ( Ippon ?) This ___but he refused it and went into the said house /home of Indian Jno, and James Veazey said he heard a scream and looked back and saw the said Allen down and the said Indian Mullato with a stake in his hand standing by him___and that he saw the wound on the body of the said Dorrett and he answered he saw a dent above the right eye about an inch long. The____occasional his death___ ___ ___ ___ ___the said Allen Dorrett and he answered____ ( Ippon ?)And James Veazey took him up and carried into the said house of Indian John and ___ ___as the ( Ippon ?) ___by___of the
said___(piece missing) ___ ___and the said James Veazey also interrogated as a witness and if he knew the said Indian Mulatto and he answered yes___ ___ (piece missing)Allen Dorrett and how long he had known him and he answered he had known him about seven years and what he knew concerning the said Indian Mullato to murdering the said Dorrett and answered that was at Indian Johns house at Wicocomico Indian Town in County on the 4th of Sept now___
(piece missing) Indian Mullato to and Allen Dorrett were in company and differ’d and said Indian Mulatto and the said Dorrett and they fought and the Indian Mullatto to throw at said Dorrett ( piece missing) ___ ___ ___and affor_went from him and the said Dorrett throw a (piece missing) and Geo Curtis and the ( Ippon ?) went into Indian Johns house and ( piece missing) the ( Ippon ?) heard a ( scream ?)and looked back and saw said Forrett down and Indian Mullato to standing by him with stake in his hand. Asked if they saw any blood on the body of said Allen Dorrett and the (Ippon ?)Answered he saw a (piece missing) above his right eye about an inch long. The___ ___occasional (?) death __ __ the (Ippon ?)was a __ __and when and where___the said Allen Dorrett he answered GEORGE CURTIS (the Ioppn ?)__took him up and carried said Allen Dorrett into the house of Indian John where his body__by__of this clock__and __upon this Court having heard and__this__are of opinion that he the said George the Indian Mulatto to afore__cannot be tried but must be removed from hence__at this__Court for the fact__ __hand accused and that the said Mullato to George__ __by the Sheriff ( piece missing) to this County Court and __ __so moved to the publick ( piece missing)__as soon as __ __ __to the__ __at Williamsburg according to Act of Assembly in high___ ___and provided and ordered that said GEORGE CURTIS AND JAMES VEAZEY enter into recognizance to make their appearance on the fourth day of the next Gen.Court to give their evidence on behalfe of our Sovereign Lady the Queen.(piece missing)the said J__(piece missing)the Geo ???????????.
Much of the document was missing and illegible words, but sufficient for the reader to understand the subject matter of the correspondence. The problem is that we will never know the outcome of the trial in Williamsburg...the court house burned in the 1800s , destroying all the records.
To sum up the contents of the document...George an Indian Mullato struck and killed Allen Dorrett with a stake which apparently started from some argument which was not mentioned in the document. The document gives a limited description fo the fight, such as throwing objects and going into the peach orchard etc. It’s apparent that George Curtis and James Veazey are the prime witnesses to the murder, however the most important part of the document is the identification of George Curtis in the company of James Veazey, a known Great Man of the Wicocomico. I believe that Curtis is Indian and may have been on the council.