Crawford County, Pennsylvania


Courthouse
Marriage Ledger of Ebenezer R. Hall, J.P.

     A ledger book kept by Ebenezer R. Hall of Spring Township1 is filed in cabinet 6-B-24 at the library of the Crawford County Historical Society, and labelled "Justice of the Peace, Docket 1830's."  The book contains judicial notes from two actions brought before the J.P.,2 and lists costs on summons and executions served in 1833 and 1834.3  On three mouse-eaten sheets near the end of the book appear the following lists, with each entry marked "Married by me" either before or after the date, and signed "E. R. Hall" or "E.R.H."  Dates have been standardized.

     J.P. ledgers and dockets constitute the only civil record of marriages kept in the county prior to the commencement of licensing in 1885.4  Justice Hall's listing is especially valuable as apparently none of the entries was reported in any local newspaper.5
Marriages
Crawford Co. State of Pennsylvania
[parties]

[marriage date]

Paid

Returned

Ira B Locke & Nancy Sergent [no date given] [$]1.50 1.00
David Bowerman & Addeliza Sturtevant 18 Jan. 1837 2.00 1.00
Elias D Cutler & Lois Hall 2 March 1837 2.00 00.00
David Holman & Eliza Cofman 17 May 1837 1.50 00.00
Filly[?] Peabody & Caroline Petit 11 July 1837 2.00 00.00
Farley Forbs & Betsey Church 3 June 1838 1.00 00.00
Joseph Roberson & Nancy Fulwiler 27 Dec. 1838 1.00 [eaten]
George Foster 3d & Louisa Hall 27 Dec. 1838 2.[eaten] [eaten]
[next page]
James Brocker to Harriet N Curtice 23 March 1839 $1.00
Israel Cash to Abigail Ludney [blank] March 1840 $1.00
Ira Gates to Marietta Bowman 26 April 1840 $1.00
Leander Wood to Mary Ann Boulby 23 Aug. 1840 $1.00
Margaret Waldow to John Glasgow 27 Aug. 1840 $1.00
Seth W Robinson to Saloma Gleeson 17 Sept. 1840 2.00
Westley Harris to [eaten­Harr?]iet Brunson 9 Feb. 1841 2.00
[next page]
Gustavus Keith to Caroline Sandford   1.00
Charles Sherman to Elizabeth Bradish 8 April 1841 1.00
Samuel Cregg to Margaret Darling   2.00
Ambrose Gillet to Mary Ann Seely   1.00
Miss [blank] Langdon to Miss [blank] Thayer   1.00
[blank] Allen to Mrs [blank] Sturtevant 7 Dec. 1843 1.00
Sherman Bowman to Martha J Larmer 18 Feb. 1844  
Benjamin Pike to Joanna B Bennett 3 July 1858 $1.[eaten]
[first page)
David Ballard & Hannah Jane Groves 5 June 1854 $1.50
David Williams & Eliza Simmons [blank] July 1854  
Ritnir H Sturtevant & Adaline Kendell 20 Jan. 1855 $2.00
Eli J[?] Vahne [Valme?] & Emily Mary Hull 19 June 1855 $1.00
Edgar Rundell & Frances H Holcomb 26 Aug. 18556 $1.00
Arthur Tenant & [blank] Hendrix 2 Sept. 1855 $1.00
Stephen W Kendell & Celestia King [blank] Nov. 18557 $2.00
T[?]. H. Fleetwood & Mary McDonnel 29 Jan. 1858 $1.00
1  "Appointed by the Governor. Ebenezer R. Hall, to be a Justice of the Peace in the district numbered two, composed of the townships of Beaver, Spring, Conneaut, Sadsbury, and part of Summerhill, in the county of Crawford." (Meadville Courier 21 April 1835, page 3, column 1).  See also ibid. 17 April 1840 (elected J.P.).  Ebenezer died at Springboro 21 Nov. 1894 aged 85 (Crawford Journal 6 Dec. 1894, page 8, column 3).

2  1.) Hawley Dauchy and Horace Dauchy, charged with assault & battery on oath of Jane Ingram, wife of Samuel G Ingrin; "on examination case found to be so triffling prisoners released and adjudged that Hawly Dauchy pay the costs."  2.) Recognizance, Geo. W. Park, charged on oath of Ralph Sergent.

3  There are also several (unsigned) letters advising unmarried young men and women against kissing and other forms of promiscuity.

4  Except for the years 1852-1854 when fifty-five marriages were recorded at Meadville under the Pennsylvania Registration Act of 1852.

5  as indexed on cards at the library of the Crawford County Historical Society.

6  1885 CCo. Hist., 1043 (biography of Edgar Rundel), has the same date.

7  1899 CCo. Hist., 852 (biography of Mrs. Celestia Kendall), says Stephen Kendall of Spring Twp. married 3 Nov. 1850 (sic) Abigal Celestia King of Springboro.