1690 -- THOMAS EAST WAGER: Horse racing was a popular sport in Colonial Virginia, where there were several race tracks. Betting on races was frequent. Bettors would even take their disputes to court. Although some courts that considered gaming unlawful would refuse to hear such disputes, other courts would resolve disputes if the bets involved money, were written out, did not damage other people’s property, and were not destructive of public morality. They would make bets also on games of tenpins and various trivial matters. Once, about 1690, Richard LIGON bet Thomas EAST £5 sterling that before the end of June of the same year he could not determine how many cubic quarter-inches were in a “solid one thousand feet square.” If they could not agree on the answer then they would refer the matter to Col. William BYRD I and John PLEASANTS, a prominent Quaker, whose decision would be final. On 25 June, East correctly reported that the answer to the problem was 110,592,000,000,000. When Richard refused to honor the wager, Thomas took him to court. The written wager witnessed by Joseph TANNER, Henry JORDAN, Samuel OULSON, and Edward MOSBY was entered to the Henrico County court records. Both William BYRD and John PLEASANTS sent the court written depositions that Thomas’ answer was correct, but Richard did not appear to defend himself. The court ordered a judgement against Ligon and directed the county sheriff to attach a sufficient portion of his estate to satisfy it. An attorney for Richard, John EVERITT, then came to the court to argue that the wager also required Thomas determine how many cubic feet were in the “solid.” Yet the court judged that Thomas had won the wager and ordered Richard to pay the £5 and pay court costs.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 04:34:27 +0000
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