Summary: In 1663, an indentured servant, Anne Orthwood, was
impregnated with twins in a tavern in Northampton County,
Virginia. Orthwood died soon after giving birth; one of the
twins, Jasper, survived. Orthwood's illegitimate pregnancy
sparked four related cases that came before the Northampton
magistrates -- who coincidentally held court in the same tavern
-- between 1664 and 1686. These interrelated cases and the
decisions rendered in them are notable for the ways in which
...show more the Virginia colonists modified English common law
traditions and began to create their own, as well as what they
reveal about cultural and economic values in an Eastern shore
community. Through these cases, the very reasons legal systems
are created are revealed, namely, the maintenance of social
order, the protection of property interests, the protection of
personal reputation, and personal liberty. Through Jasper
Orthwood's life, the treatment of the poor in small communities
is set in sharp relief. ...show lessEdition/Co