Deposition of Peter Mayfield Made Shortly After the Culpepper Rebellion (January 1681)

The following deposition of Peter Mayfield was published in the "North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register," Volume 3, Number 1, for January 1903, page 43.  The published article stated that the deposition document, et al, was found among the papers in the Court House at Edenton, North Carolina.  In 1998, I attempted to obtain a copy of the original document at the North Carolina State Archives in Raleigh.  The staff was unable to locate the original, even though all court records of this antiquity were supposed to have been turned over to the State Archives.  The next time I'm in Edenton, I will search for the deposition among the court records on file at the Chowan County Court House.

Peter's deposition was made in January 1680/1681, shortly after the end of Culpeper's Rebellion (1677-1679).  The deposition was associated with a   lawsuit between a certain Benjamin Davis and a Joshua Lamb, to whom a quantity of rotted, substandard tobacco had been consigned.  At the time that Peter was deposed, fifteen other people also made sworn statements.  Since many of these people were major figures in the history of early Colonial North Carolina, I provide the names and ages of all the deponents as follows:

Transcript of the Deposition

The Deposition of Peter Mayfield aged Twenty Eight yeares or thereabouts saith that he asked Thomas Harrison what Tobacco yt was he had a shore in his house & he told yor depot it was Capt Harrons tobacco & he doubted he had donne himself a great deale of Injury in Lending his Tobacco house. For he did not know how long it might be before Capt Harron would take it away & Thomas Harrison desired your depot to Ask Capt Harron if he would remove it before new Tobacco came. Ye sd Capt Harron told yor depot he would have Paul Latham his Attorney to see if he could gett any thing for it of ye New England Men. For it is so rotton it is not worth two shillings a hhd. Afterwards Mr Holden came with Capt Harron & recd ye aforesaid tobacco wch was Shipt on board ye said Harron. Afterwards yor depot met with Capt Harron & he desired yor Depot to goe about with him & coming ashoare to Capt Craford's Capt Harron told yor depot he would see what a Devil made Mr. Holden send this rotton tobacco ofer Engld for ye King which he had turned on shoare, then he desired his men to go ashoare to complaine to Capt Craford yt he might be secured of his freight for it was soe rotton he doubted they would receive it in Engld. For he did not care to be seene in it for fear of gaining Mr Hardin's Displeasure & he said Capt Craford would not take any notice of them & further yor Depot Saith Not. Sworn in Court.
 

/S/  Peter Mayfield (his mark)