Documenting the American South Logo
Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Affidavit of Peter Brockwell concerning rebellion in Albemarle County
Brockwell, Peter
February 16, 1680
Volume 01, Pages 299-300

-------------------- page 299 --------------------
[B. P. R. O. Colonial Papers.]

The Affidavit of Peter Brockwell aged 28 years or thereabouts Saith That in 8br 1677 he came into Albemarle in Carolina where ye deponent knew Mr Thomas Miller owned as President and Commandr in Cheif of ye County undr ye Govr for ye Lds Proprietrs of the sd Province and was so obeyed by all in generall there & till the arrivall of Capt. Zachariah Gillam in December that yeare upon whose Arrivall a great disturbance or Rebellion (as ye deponent humbly conceives) broke out wherein ye Deponent was forcibly concerned and taken out of his bed to go with a party of men in arms to seize ye publique records of ye County in the first place and then ye next day after that the said party of men seized the sd President and other of the Lords Proptrs deputyes prisoners and so kept them under a strong guard for about 14 or 15 dayes at one Wm. Crafords house against which house the said Gillam rid his shipp with Jack ancient flagg and penon flying and did also furnish the said party of men with new guns and scimiters from his shipp in the sd action And when ye aforesd President and the other Deputyes were carried round by water to George Durant's house (which was ye place appointed for ye generall meeting) in Company of severall boats of armed men ye sd Gillam's ship fired of 3 guns as they passed by and when they came to ye sd Durant's house, the very next day the rabble there met, sent for a box belonging to ye sd President which (as they said was hid in a tobacco hogshead wherein was aboundance of writings which the Deponent saw and then forthwith upon it by beat of drum and a shout of one and all they accused the sd Miller of treason & other crimes, although till this tyme ye Deponent heard no mention made of treason agst ye sd Miller and thereupon they clapt ye sd Miller in irons: then proceeded and out of the rabble chose ye Parliamt their drum̄er making one of them & then out of this Parliamt they seperated 5 of ye members namely John Jenkins Wm Craford Patricke White James Blunt and Valentine Bird (since deceased) to joyne with one Mr Richard Foster to make a Court before whom they brought two of ye Lds Proprs Deputyes who were accused by them for severall crimes wch the Deponent doth not now remember and then appointed a grand Jury out of ye sd Rabble and brought ye sd Mr Miller also before them for treason and other matters wch imputation of treason ye sd Miller had been long before cleared and acquitted from by Sr Wm. Berkly and Councill in Virginia as ye Deponent heard severall persons in those parts after affirme and further this Deponent saith that the said Capt. Gillam was severall days amongst the sd Rabble at Durants house

-------------------- page 300 --------------------
and the Deponent heard severall of the soldiers say that ther was a great deal of drink coming to ym upon ye said Gillams account and further the Deponent saith that he heard of ye Governrs Proclamation wch was sent in from Virginia upon wch ye sd rabble broke up and sent ye said Miller prisoner in Irons as hee was to ye uppr end of Pasquotanck River at one old Wm. Jennings his house under a strong guard to whom none was admitted to speake except publiquely and a little while after ye Deponent saw ye sd Mr Miller enclosed in a Logghouse about 10 or 11 foot square purposely built for him wherein he was kept from all accesse of friends or humane converse debarred from pen inck and paper and ye other Lds Deptys that would not joyn in ye sd action com̄itted also prisonrs apart from one another & some of ym sent far from their homes And further the Deponent saith that one John Culpeper was ther cheif Scribe Councellor & Collector and George Durant their Attorney Generall and one of yr Agents and one Mr John Willoughby anothr of yr Agents, many things besides that were in those tymes done & acted by ye forementioned Partyes and yr Confederates ye Deponent by reason he was then sickly cannot positively remember therefore at present farther saith not

PETER BROCKWELL
Jurat 16o die Februarii
Ano Dni 1679 coram
W GREGORY