When was it published?

February 15, 1770 in The Virginia Gazette

Foreign News February 15, 1770

The Virginia Gazette

Q: What entities or persons were involved?

Dr. Musgrave, Under Sheriff, Sheriff

Q: What keywords are associated?

Devonshire Instructions, Dr Musgrave, Freeholders Refusal, Sheriff Authentication, County Meeting

Richmond, Williamsburg, Richmond County, Virginia

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What is this article about?

A letter from a Devon gentleman reports rejection of Dr. Musgrave's instructions by most Devonshire freeholders at a meeting; under-sheriff and sheriff refused to officially enroll and authenticate them due to majority opposition.

Clipping

OCR Quality

95% Excellent

Full Text

A letter From a Gentleman of Devon says: The Devonshire instructions, read at the meeting, and which were penned by Dr. Musgrave, were disagreed to by almost every freeholder who gave his attendance, by the refusal of their signatures; notwithstanding which Dr. Musgrave applied to the under sheriff that those instructions might be engroled, and signed by the sheriff to authenticate them. He replied that he would not engrol them, and that he hoped the sheriff would act a wiser part than by setting his name to give that as the act of the county which he knew nine parts out of ten were averse to. A few days after I met the sheriff, who expressed his approbation of his under sheriff's behaviour.

What sub-type of article is it?

Political

What keywords are associated?

Devonshire Instructions Dr Musgrave Freeholders Refusal Sheriff Authentication County Meeting

What entities or persons were involved?

Dr. Musgrave Under Sheriff Sheriff

Where did it happen?

Devonshire

Foreign News Details

Primary Location

Devonshire

Key Persons

Dr. Musgrave Under Sheriff Sheriff

Outcome

instructions disagreed to by almost every freeholder; under sheriff refused to engrol them; sheriff expressed approbation of under sheriff's behaviour

Event Details

The Devonshire instructions, penned by Dr. Musgrave and read at the meeting, were disagreed to by almost every freeholder present through refusal of signatures. Dr. Musgrave applied to the under sheriff to engrol and have them signed by the sheriff, but the under sheriff refused, hoping the sheriff would not authenticate them as the county's act given widespread aversion. The sheriff later approved the under sheriff's behaviour.