Experience
Researching since 1978
Jennings County Genealogist with the Indiana Genealogical Society.
Retired in 2021 after ten years as Jennings County Genealogist with the Jennings County Public Library.
County Coordinator for Jennings County INGenWeb for the last twelve years.
Currently Historian/Genealogist with the Jennings County Historical Society

My first Blog entry – The importance of the Justice of the Peace.

     When Indiana was formed justices of the peace (J.P.’s) were constitutional officers who served five-year terms as part-time magistrates. Each township in Indiana elected a JP, who did not have to be a lawyer.

     Justices’ courts were designed to be easily accessible to every citizen, who could bring a claim without an attorney. JPs had countywide jurisdiction over marriages, petty crimes, civil cases involving real and personal property of small value, profanity, slander, paternity and assault and battery.  In later years they also handled traffic violations.  A justice also could issue “peace bonds,” which were like a temporary restraining order. Township constables worked in tandem with JPs to serve summonses and enforce court orders.  They existed in Indiana from 1817 until a 1970 statewide referendum removed JPs as constitutional officials and led to a 1975 state law that abolished all JP courts.

     The most common place we see records involving a J.P. is on marriage record.  A person would go to the Courthouse at the Clerks office and get a marriage license, then they could have a wedding at their church or by a local minister.  They could also find a Justice of the Peace who could marry them in any township and there were always some around the county seat (Courthouse) so they could take care of it all at once.  You sometimes see where a marriage license was issued but no marriage information is listed – this could be various things.  1. The marriage did not happen or 2. The Justice of the Peace did not file the fact that he had married them with the court.  3.  They took their license with them and married in a different county.

You may also find what caused one branch of the family to not remain close to others. In the Montgomery Township J. P. Court record book for Jennings County, 1877 – 1906, I found the following records.
Newton Ayers for assault & battery on Harriet Ayers pg. 144
Newton Ayers for using profanity on Harriet Ayers pg. 147
Harriet Ayers was my 2nd great grandmother and Newton Ayers was her brother in law. Newton and his family were hardly mentioned in my family records.
Another interesting thing in this type of records that shows up is the fact that in the case of two locals getting in a fight, one could be brought in and fined for assault but the other fellow was also brought into court and fined for “provoking” the fight. The county received most of the fine but the Justice of the Peace retained a small percentage to help with his costs, so the more fines the merrier.
You need to know what township your family lived in because there are not many of these books still around. At the top of most census records the township is listed to give you a place to check.

Here is a list of the Court cases in this book.
Alexander Arbuckle vs. William J Burch & Thomas J. Burch – pg. 160
Francis E. Barnes vs. William H. Lawrence pg. 138
Tunis Carlock & others vs John R. Shepherd pg. 114
W. D. Collings vs. John H. Waggoner pg. 222
Margaret Dixon vs. John J Files, Amos Shepherd, Levin W. Hudson & Silas M. Hudson pg. 2
W. H. Dowdell vs Joseph Ayers pg. 182
Samuel C. Fisler vs P.L. Elles & F. M. Elles pg. 176
John F. Garrett assigned of Fielden Lett vs. Lewis s. Winscott pg. 28
John F. Garrett assigned of Fielden Lett vs. Van B. Marvin, Lewis S. Winscott & Eli Wells pg. 32
Levin W. Hudson vs. Francis E. Barnes pg. 10
Levin W. Hudson vs. Druzy Ann Shepherd pg. 12
Levin W. Hudson vs. Ephraim Granger pg. 40
Alonzo Hudson assignee of Charles A. Lowry vs. John R. Shepherd pg. 154
Henry Hargshimer vs. John M. Cox & William H. Lawrence pg. 172
Levin W. Hudson vs. Wm. J. Burch/Burtch pg. 110
John Hopkins vs. David H. Montgomery & Peter Stewart pg. 216
John Joseph vs. Handy Deputy & Alexander Arbuckle pg. 7
John Joseph vs. Lewis S. Winscott & John Condrey pg. 46
Fielden Lett vs. Joseph P. James & Joseph W. James pg. 224
John M. Leyle vs. Jeremiah & Mary Jane Cleland pg. 64 & pg. 80
George F. Lawrence vs. Handy Deputy pg. 14
Robert Leavitt & Co. vs. Edward Warner & William H. Conner pg. 20
George F. Lawrence vs. William A. Shepherd pg. 34
John M. Lyle vs. Samuel Flood pg. 42
John M. Lyle vs. Myram Sage (Miriam) pg. 50
John M. Lyle vs. Mary Jane Cleland pg. 54
John M. Lyle vs. Morgan Sage pg. 58
John M. Lyle vs. Handy Deputy pg. 88
John M. Lyle vs. George Ury pg. 166
Nelson D. Oviatt vs. James Haas pg. 116
Nelson D. Oviatt vs. James A. Haas pg. 128
Caleb Robbins adm. Of the Estate of Solomon Deputy vs. David Montgomery pg. 90
Caleb Robbins adm. Of the Estate of Thomas Davis vs. David Montgomery pg. 68
Caleb Robbins adm. Of the Estate of Thomas Davis vs. David Montgomery pg. 72
Caleb Robbins vs. David H. Montgomery pg. 74
Caleb Robbins vs. David H. Montgomery & Warren L. Malcomb pg. 126
John Ross vs. William H. Conner pg. 198
John H. Rogers guardian of minor heirs of Solomon Deputy (Frederick & Harry) vs. Zachariah Deputy pg. 212
J. H. Rodgers guardian of minor heirs of Solomon Deputy vs. David H. Montgomery & Allen Hill pg. 226
Hiram Read vs. William A. Shepherd pg. 108
Ben. F. Russell vs. William T. Winscott & Lewis S. Winscott pg. 36
Ben . F. Russell assignee of Joseph Ayers vs. Robbert F. Dicks pg. 24
State of Indiana vs.
Melvin J. Tobias for assault on John C. Wilson pg. 22
John C. Wilson for provoking Melvin Tobias pg. 26
Sardis Summerfield for assault & battery on Catherine Troutman pg. 86
Allen Harrison for assault & battery on William M. Davis pg. 62
George F. Lawrence for assault & barrery on John M. Lyle pg. 92
John M. Lyle for provoking George F. Lawrence pg. 94
George F. Lawrence for provoking John M. Lyle pg. 96
Walter McGannon for assault & battery on David H. Montgomery pg. 100
Walter McGannon for provoking David H. Montgomery pg. 102
Walter McGannon for using profanity on David H. Montgomery pg. 104
Newton Ayers for assault & battery on Harriet Ayers pg. 144
Newton Ayers for using profanity on Harriet Ayers pg. 147
George Ulrey for using profanity on Druza Shepherd pg. 148
Gilbert Momfort assault & battery on James A. Hall pg. 158
Phillip Smith for provoking John Ross pg. 168
John M. Leyle for threats against John Shafer pg. 170
John Shafer for assault & battery on Isaac Shafer pg. 174
Phillip Haine for provoking John Ross pg. 178
Phillip Hargeshimer for provoking James J. Gahn pg. 180
Druza A. Shepherd fear of injury by George T. Urey pg. 186
William Tayor, Mary Taylor Sr., Mary Taylor Jr., Jennie Taylor pg. 190
William H. Conner for threatening with a gun & knife John Ross pg. 195
Jonathan Everhart for assault & battery on John Boling pg. 202
Jonathan Everhart for using provanity on Talitha Elles Pg. 203
Jonathan Everhart for assault & battery on Ella Blakely Pg. 204
Ada Stedman for using profanity on David Kerr pg. 79
Harvy S. McCaslin for trespass on James A. Hall pg. 208
Mack Ray for carrying a concealed weapon pg. 205
Albert Wells for disturbing a religious meeting pg. 217
Heemen Rhale for disturbing a religious meeting pg. 236
Mary C. Lurton for disturbing a religious meeting pg. 234
Heeman R. Rhale for provoking Mary Lurton pg. 240
Francis M. Tobias for assault & battery on Bennett Fewel pg. 244
Bennett Fewel for assault & battey on Francis M. Tobias pg. 245
Edward Bennix for using profanity on Belle Deputy pg. 246
John Tobias vs. Lewis S. Winscott pg. 98
CeCelia Ury vs. William H. Conner pg. 106
Franklin B. Wilkerson assignee of William A. Jones vs. Joseph Ayers pg. 242
George C. Wilson vs. John M. Leyle 112
Josiah Ward vs. Henry Lawrence pg. 118
B. F. Wilkerson vs. Henry Deputy pg. 218
B. F. Wilkerson vs. D. A. Sampson pg.220
Eli Wells vs. Charles F. Lurton & John J. Flinn pg. 249
Eli Wells vs. John T. Wright pg. 259
E. G. Nicklaus vs. John Glasser pg. 262
J. H. Spencer vs. G. S. McCaslin pg. 264
State of Indiana vs.
Benjamin Krenning assault & battery on Webster Wilkinson pg. 267
Webster Wilkerson for fighting Benjamin Krenning pg. 269
Charles F. Lurton Jr. & H. Deputy vs. John & Lizzie Glasser pg. 271
State of Indiana vs.
Oliver Shepherd for assault on J.H. Rogers pg. 271
J. H. Rogers for assault on Oliver Shepherd pg. 273
Everet Coryea pg. 274
C. D. Deputy pg. 277
W.H. Conner for provoking Charles F. Lurton, Sr. pg. 283
Martin Wells for assault on Joseph Dixon pg. 284
Duane H. Nash pg. 286
Walter Pearce for assault on Costas Hall pg. 304
Webster Wilkerson for disturbing the peace on Lucius Wilkerson pg. 310
Newton Childs for disturbing the peace on P.R. Gardner pg. 311
Morton Leeds pg. 312
Russel Eador for provoking Lucius Wilkerson pg. 324
Wm A. Peacock for assault on A.V. Hudson pg. 327
A.V. Hudson for provoking William A. Peacock pg. 328
Bush Deputy for assault on William A. Peacock pg. 329
Noble Keys for assault on Fred Bouerly pg. 334
William H. Morrison for assault on John Foreberger (may be Voreburger) pg. 336
Everet Shepherd for assault on Richard Meek pg. 338
Charles Hoffman for assault on Edward Walker pg. 342
Silas W. Butler for assault on Anna Butler pg. 347
James E. Johnson for assault on John H. Rogers pg. none
Walter Maddox pg. 366
McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. vs. David M. Roseberry pg. 288
David H. Nash vs. David M. Roseberry pg. 291
Fred S. Deputy vs. Charles D. Deputy pg. 292
Dock Deputy vs. Charles D. Deputy pg. 296
Jake Deputy vs. Charles D. Deputy pg. 294
Grant Wilkerson vs. Lucius Wilkerson pg. 298
Thomas Kay vs. Leven Carlock & Frank Carlock pg. 302
Standard Oil Company vs. Levi D. Hamirick pg. 306
Charles M. Miles vs. William A. Graham & Eldridge G. Graham pg. 313
Silas Stribling vs. A. Bunmouth pg. 330
Fred Deputy vs. Frank Carlock pg. 332
First National Bank of North Vernon vs. Charles D. Deputy & John H. Rogers pg. 335
Standard Oil Company vs. Morton Leeds pg. 340
Trustees of Dauntless Lodge No. 194 K of P vs. Dempster R. Wells, T. J.
& John A. Page pg. 278
D. M. Roseberry vs. Walter L. McGannon & Thomas McGannon pg. 281
There are a few of these books in the Genealogy Section of the Jennings County Public Library – Ed Kellar – Genealogy Services Associate