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Stålkofta (1646 -Swedish)
Staulcop (1656-Dutch)
Stalcop, Stallcop (1664- Eng)
Stallcup (1838-Am)
Stalcup (1890-Am)
Larry Spencer Stallcup
 

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FAMILY HISTORY
North Carolina Section

 

FAMILY
BACKGROUND
NEW SWEDEN SCATTER

  

This story below, A Good Thrashing, is a good illustration of a character trait of most Stalcops. Very slow to lose one's temper with irritating people or situations but at some point enough becomes more than enough and drastic action follows.

This Story is included in with the North Carolina Phase history stories even though it happened about 40 years after the family Exodus from Delaware. Very few Stalcops remained in Delaware. It is evidence that at least one family stayed or later returned.
 

A GOOD THRASHING

From an 1819 Wilmington, DE newspaper legal news section. A relative gets permission to start
big trouble.
Transcribed as accurately as possible, with spelling, punctuation and capitalization as in the original.  
Larry S. Stallcup, Nov 2007


ADVERTISEMENT

New-Castle county,

           Personally appeared before me, Amos Sanders, justice of the peace for said county, Henry Stalcop, of said county, (residing on a farm of Samuel & W. Meeteer, immediately adjoining the Factory and works of Thomas Massey) who on his solemn oath voluntarily deposeth and says, That early in the summer of 1818, this deponent called on George Russel, justice of peace, (living in Newark, in the county aforesaid) for advice respecting a supposed injury this deponent received from Thomas Massey; and that after a statement of the supposed grievance made by this deponent to the aforesaid justice Russel, he the said justice Russel replied and told this desponent, that the best Law he the said justice Russel could give him, the deponent, was to give the aforesaid Thomas Massey a damn’d good thrashing ; that in consequence of said advice, this deponent committed a violent assault and battery on the aforesaid Thomas Massey, and within an hour after committing the outrage, he this deponent went to the office of the said justice Russel, and told him the said justice Russel how he had beat and struck the aforesaid Thomas Massey, upon which the said justice Russel laughed and appeared much pleased and told this deponent, “It was the best day’s work he had ever done,” and that nothing could be made of it but an assault and battery, and to insist on the justice that the said Massey should apply to, to decide it; and that if it went to court and the fine was oppressive, that he would get the Governor to remit it, and that there was enough that would help him, (this deponent) and throw in money to pay all court charges.

This deponent further testifies that he should not have dared to have committed such an outrage had he not been encouraged and advised by the said justice Russel; and that the said justice has spoken in the hearing of this desponent and others very disrespectfully of the said Thomas Massey whilst in his office, on his official duties – and further this deponent saith not.

(Signed) HENRY STALCOP.

Sworn and subscribed, Dec.19, 1818, before me.
(Signed) AMOS SANDERS


NEWS OF THE “GOOD THRASHING” TRAVELED FAST

STATEMENT BY DR. THOMAS HANDY
I do certify that I was sent for by the within named Thomas Massey immediately after the outrage was committed on him, and found him much cut and bruized about the head, face, ears and breast, his cheek badly cut, bleeding at the ear and mouth, bled him, dressed his wounds, and considered him very severely and inhumanly mangled.

  (Signed)       THOMAS W. HANDY



 

 

EMPLOYER AND ANOTHER JOIN IN ‘OFFICIALLY’ ON THE DISCUSSION

           I certify, that I accidentally stopped at the house of Thomas Massey, on my return from Wilmington and found Doctor Handy there, and was informed of the outrage: in a few minutes after, on my return home, I met the within named Henry Stalcop at the office of justice Russel in Newark, and told him to follow me home, which he did immediately; and on questioning him, he told me precisely in substance what he has deposed and sworn to in the annexed affidavit.

(Signed) SAMUEL MEETEER.

Samuel Meeteer was the farm owner and employer of Henry Stalcop. He was also the next-door neighbor of Thomas Massey. Newark is the westernmost town in Delaware and now the location of the University of Delaware.
_____________________________________

I also certify, that after hearing of the outrage committed on Thos. Massey, I called on Justice Russel of Newark and after some conversation with him on the subject of Stalcop’s breach of the peace, etc and that Stalcop would be severely dealt with, the said Justice Russel replied “for the matter of that, he (the said Justice Russel) knew enough [people?] that would throw in a five dollar note to help Stalcop out” or words to the same signification.

(Signed) HENRY WHITTELEY

The relationship of Henry Whitteley to Justice Russel, Henry Stalcop or Thomas Massey is unknown.



COMMENTS

These four affidavits were published as a group in the Wilmington newspaper but not as official legal notices by the New Castle County Court. They appeared as a paid ‘ADVERTISEMENT’. It would be interesting to know who had the idea to publish them in the newspaper.

One cannot help but get the impression that Thomas Massey was not held in high regard by his neighbors and that those giving the affidavits were secretly delighted about the “Damn’d Good Thrashing” administered to him by Henry Stalcop. At least five well-respected people including two Justices of the Peace, the Doctor and the owner of a large business were solidly behind Henry Stalcop.

Publishing the affidavits may have been a way to direct the case should Henry Stalcop ever be taken to court. Interesting to note that Justice Russel took Henry Stalcop to a second Justice of the Peace, Amos Sanders, who wrote out and supplied the wording of the main affidavit for Henry Stalcop to sign. So far no record of Henry Stalcop being brought before the Court in New Castle County for Assault and Battery on Thomas Massey has been found.


                                    
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