View source for Complaint, Lewis v. Chew, February 1748

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Complaint, ''Lewis v. Chew,'' February 1748}}
A complaint of Fielding Lewis against a debt of &pound;80 owed him by Thomas Chew, signed by [[George Wythe]] as attorney for the plaintiff, and dated February, 1748. Wythe asks for damages of forty shillings.

Colonel [[wikipedia:Fielding Lewis|Fielding Lewis]] (1725-1781) married [[wikipedia:George Washington|George Washington's]] sister, [[wikipedia:Betty Washington Lewis|Betty Washington]], in 1750.

[[File:ComplaintLewisVChewFebruary1748.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Complaint in the case of ''Lewis v. Chew,'' February 1748. Image from [http://www.biblio.com/book/attorney-plaintiff-22-year-old-future/d/837969181 Biblio.com].]]

==Document Text, February 1748==

===Page 1===

<blockquote>
Orange County so with Fielding Lewis complains of Thomas Chew otherwise called J Thomas Chew of Orange County in Custody and so forth of a Plea of Debt that he render to him eighty Pounds two Shillings and four Pence which he owes to and unjustly detains from him for that whereas the said Thomas on the twenty fifth Day of November in the Year of our Lord one Thousand seven hundred and forty seven at the County aforesaid, by his certain writing obligatory (which sealed with the Seal of the said Thomas and bearing Date the Same Day and Year, the said Fielding brings into the Court of our Lord the present thing) did acknowledge himself to be held and firmly bound unto the said Fielding, his certain Attorney, Executors, Administrators or Assigns, when he should be thereunto required to which Payment well and truly be made the said Thomas did bind himself his Heir [text obscured] Thomas altho often Fielding the aforesaid hath hitherto
</blockquote>

===Page 2===
<blockquote>
altogether refused and still doth refuse to pay the same to him so the Damage of the said Fielding forty Shillings and therefore he hath brought this Suit, and so forth. 

::::::::Wythe for the Pl. 
::::::::::for the Def. 

</blockquote>

[[Category: Cases]]
[[Category: Court Documents]]
[[Category: Letters and Papers]]
[[Category: Wythe's Signature]]