Alexander Maddux

Alexander Maddux was deposed in the Aug 9 1692 court of Somerset as abt age 38: "Maryland Somerset County Ss. / The Deposition of Alexander Mattix aged thirty eight years or thereabouts. / Saith That the Deponant being at Snow hill the 26th and 27th. of Aprill last past, at mr John: Dormans Store heard and Saw many Csertions by the said Dorman & mr ffrancis: Jenckins about fifty hhds of tobacco which the said Jenckins had Sold to the Said Dorman and was come there to receive goods forr, But the Said Dorman Useing many dilletorie excuses & putt offs: viz that the Said Jenckins and Dorman must be private by their Selves he having allowed him a better price =
then others for his Said fifty hogsheads of tobacco that at night they could be private & effect their business without distasting the rest of his Customers: but when night came, he Pretended werriness and must have a litle Sleep;that he would call the said Jenckins up before day and would dispatch that affaire first. but the Said Jenckins called the said Dorman up very early proposeing to be dispatched that day: for that he intended to be the next day at the Election of Burgesses wch Dorman Said he would be also at, having business there in hopes to gett tobacco either to purchase or ffreight which he Minded: But other Customers Comeing in & he Seing he purchased their tobacco at a lower rate then he had bought of the said Jenckins kept dealing that day till the Evening at which time the Said Jenckins Called the Said Dorman out of the Store and taxed him very home with (as) unkind and uncivil Usuage & would know of him if he had any designe to decline his bargaine & bid him be plain with him & not Seek to fool him; who replyed with an Oath he would not forgoe his bargaine for that he had taken So much freight, & had So much tobacco to purchase; that he would not Say he could not possible be without it. that he would not leave his bargaine for fourty pounds Sterl. The Deponent being desired by the sd Dorman & Jenckins to take noticee of their Striking hands to gether in Confirmation of their former bargaine for the abovesd Tobaccoes: And desired the sd Jenckins
to be up againe from the Election on fryday morning following: and that he should no longer be delayed but be the first Served: he having accepted of Six hundred Seaventy Six ( and a half pounds of tobacco: by William:Bowing, which he gave the Said Jenckins Credit for and which debt the Deponant Saw the said Jenckins Exonerate & discharge the sd Bowing from: and delivered him up his Bill thereupon before witnesses: The Friday above mentioned the Deponant Came up with the Said Jenckins to the said Store, where the sd Jenckins charged Dorman wth pulling Such a tricke upon him to deceive him in falsifying his word in keeping there Selling of Severall
goods that the said Jenckins had put by Dorman replyed his want of tobacco was Such & his time Short forct him to it; and then promising to begin with the sd Jenckins: when Some that more dealing had done And the next day the Deponant Saw the sd Dorman deliver the sd Jenckins his Invoyce of goods, to call over the goods that he might have his proportionable part.which C was often insisted on as their agreemt; upon which Dorman tooks his keys of his Chests & fitts with a key & allotts one very great Chest for the sd Jenckins; as part of his Cargoe which the sd
Jenckins accepts: The sd Jenckins telling Dorman Now the Sloop was gone down without his C goods which he was to deliver at his Landing: Dorman replyed he would C and C to his Landing: Then they (began) with the Ironware, nails, axes hoes Spades five Shovels ,tongs, &ca. The hoes & axes tyed up in bundles with Stirrup leathers Intimateing he was to take Sadles In Regard his proportionall part was every thing &ca. The bundles being marked with the Said Jenckins his marke & was put by for him in ye Dormans own hands in a great heap in the
Store, So they proceeded to linings, wollens Stuffs Silks, Searges Stuffs hatts & haberdasherie ware &ca. The Said Jenckins refuseing nothing as they went, neither finding fault with the goods, nor the prices of the goods: but after the delivery & Charging downe the sd Jenckins with Sixty five Several articles. The said Dorman begins to be in a passion & Said the said Jenckins picked & Culled his goods: who replyed he would appeal to the Standers by if that could be when nothing was refused nor disliked, but Dorman Said the goods he would keep: Lett him prove a bargain if he could. The Said Jenckins replyed the goods were now his, by Sale and delivery and that if Dorman plaid the knave in denying them lett it be at his peril: it being Satterday night, the sd Jenckins Stayed all night hard by & Coming by Dormans Store as it was in his way next morning Dorman invited him in againe, & did there acknowledge the fault C was his the said Dormans & if the sd Jenckins would Stay till Monday morning, he would C
Certainly proceed Orderly & fairly to Compleat what they had begun; which the sd Jenckins was persuaded to: and went back to his quarters; and the next morning Comes againe: And fearing Dorman would Seek to put another trick upon him; by Seaventy yards of trading cloth which he had notice of that Dorman Sent for that morning which had laid ye Some years in the Country C Did therefore draw up a few lines, which he said was the Substance of their Agreemt. And tendred to Dorman to Subscribe to; if he meant honestly & had no further design to put a trick upon him who refused to sign Unless he would take two hundred paire of Shoes; which the said Jenckins told him he would, rather then any difference Should arise: And that Dorman had So many:but Dorman flew of (a fury) from that Then after they had further discoursed the matter The sd Jenckins taxed the said Dorman before the Deponant & divers others, how unfaire the said Dorman was; and how litle value he put upon his Credit; how that Dorman had proposed; if he would take Such a quantity as he then proposed, of his yarne Stockins: he would then call two or three faithfull friends & declare the bargaine to them: and then they would proceed: and yet would not Stand to his own proposals: And there upon the Said Jenckins desired the Deponant & divers others to take notice of y great abuse that Dorman put upon him and Charged the said Dorman to Secure the aforesd goods for him for yt he would try the matter with him to the Utmost the law would allow rather then be so fooled and by his means become a laughing Stock to the Country. That Dorman had drilled him on & made use of his (name) for a Stalking horse for the putting of his goods to Dormans advantage and kept him there of & in a week from his Earnest Ocasions at Such a juncture of time as he might probably have bettered Dormans pennieworths, if he had not Sold his tobacco to the sd Dorman and given him his Orders for it And on Monday May the 16th 1692 the said Jenckins went againe to Dormans Store (having desired the Deponents company with him and acquainted the said Dorman that since he the Said Dorman had sent him word by Capt William Whittington that the goods were all kept for him the Said Jenkins: that therefore he had not entered his action that there was to much noise about it allready Dorman Owned he had kept all the aforesd goods or all to A Small matter: not the value of five pounds disposed of then upon that the said Jenckins desired ye Said Dorman to Cull over the Said goods by the perticulers as they were Charged him that it might be Seen what was wanting: that if he would be honest at last the sd Jenckins delighted not in trouble
and Should be very loath to go to Law: But Dorman Seing the writt was not which he expected would not then be perswaded to read over or to overhall one article of the Said Jenckins accot. but kept. & detained the Said goods abovementioned tells the said Jenckins he was only to have Such goods as he could Spare him: And So putts him againe to prove his bargaine & further saith not.
Alexander: Maddux --- Which Said Deposition was Sworn to in Open Court to be the truth by the abovesd Deponent
as attests. John: West Clr Cur Comit Somerset." (SoJ-1692/93:12-15)

Alexander Maddux wrote his will Apr 10 1717 and it was proven in Somerset Co., MD on May 14 1717:
- To son Lazarus, my plantation whereon I live 225a estimated land (tract NEW TOWN) and loving wife Mary not to be debarred from the manor plantation during her life.
- To wife Mary my riding horse
- To sons Thomas and Alexander and Nathaniel, 12p each
- To daughters Mary, Elizabeth, Ann 12p each
- personal estate to wife Mary during her life then all of it to son Lazarus.
- wife to be sole executrix
Witnesses: Luke Johnson, Thomas Marshall, Anthony Seady (SoW-EB9:60) (MdW-14:368)

Alexander married Mary Stevens, daughter of (?) Stevens and Mary (?). (Mary Stevens died after 1721 in Somerset Co., MD.)