Justice of the Peace, Woode, Wilkinson County, MS to Adams County Clerk - 1829

Affirmation of a peddler's license issued by Clerk Woodson Wren in Adams County. A license was generally valid for travel throughout the entire state. Licensing fees were heavily tiered based on the merchant's mode of transportation. Going "on foot" was the cheapest tier (costing W. Lewis $20). Local officials, like Justice of the Peace John Ashly in Wilkinson County, had the legal authority to stop traveling merchants at any time. Peddlers were required by law to produce their licenses for inspection. If a peddler failed to produce it or traveled past their expiration date, they faced immediate financial forfeitures or seizure of their goods. - Repaired sheet -