Charles Fraser (1782-1860) was a lifelong resident of Charleston, South Carolina and a renowned artist known primarily for his miniatures of fellow Charlestonians. Starting in 1798, before delving full time into his art, Fraser studied law under John Julius Pringle, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney and others, and was admitted to the bar in 1806. This Book of Precedents was apparently written by Fraser as a reference work for his legal studies. Compiled mostly from 1800 -1807, the book contains copies of writs, pleas and judgments and includes cases adjudicated from 1736-1819, almost all of which were heard in Charleston district courts. "Part First" contains writs and decisions. "Part Second" contains pleas, judgments and executions. Full text in progress. Indexed. 242p. In the rebound volume the indexes appear at the end of the manuscript. They were placed in front in this digital collection to facilitate use.
