Joseph Robinson’s Affidavit, 7 April 1794
Joseph Robinson’s Affidavit
[Salisbury, N.C., 7 April 1794]
This day settled with John Steele Esqr. and reced. from him Thirty pounds in full satisfaction and payments of all accompts, debts, dues, notes, bonds, bills, or dealings whatsoever, but particularly in full for, and in discharge of a certain paper now in the hands of John Haywood Esqr. purporting to be an obligation upon George Washington late of Virginia, and John Steele, which said obligation as well as all others I do herby release, and therefore acknowledge myself perfectly satisfied.1
In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my hand this 7th day of April, at Salisbury in the year 1794 in presence of Henry Giles.2
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⟨Rob⟩inson Robin⟨son⟩
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D (in Henry Giles’s writing), NcU. An unidentified person wrote the docket that reads, “Joseph Robinson’s Release from an obligation against John Steele & George Washington for £10,000 currency.”
1. Neither Joseph Robinson nor the reason for the financial obligation that North Carolina congressman John Steele and GW apparently owed Robinson have been identified. Either of two men named John Haywood may be the individual mentioned in this affidavit. The first is attorney John Haywood (1762–1826), who was a native of Halifax County, North Carolina. He was elected the state’s solicitor-general in 1790, became the attorney general in 1791, and served on the bench of the superior court, 1793–1800. He later moved to Tennessee, where he continued the practice of law and served on the Tennessee supreme court, 1816–26. The second John Haywood (d. 1827), of Edgecombe County, N.C., served as the state treasurer from 1784 until his death.
2. Henry Giles appears on the 1790 census as a resident of the Salisbury District in Rowan County, N.C. (, 175).