M. A. Alexander Civil and Criminal Docket Books and associated papers

Squire Marcus Aurelius Alexander was born on January 20, 1850 and died on April 4, 1906. He was a farmer and served as magistrate or Justice of the Peace for Paw Creek Township in Northwest Mecklenburg County, NC (sometimes referred to as Sandifer which was at one time the post office community name for Paw Creek). He also was a school teacher and served on the Board of Education for Mecklenburg County. M. A. Alexander married Frances Cornelia Williamson on January 10, 1878 in Paw Creek. She was born on October 21, 1860 and died on September 20, 1905. Marcus and Frances had nine children: Bessie May, James Franklin, Mary Catherine, Robert Miles, Olivia Blanche, Herbert Claude “Alec”, Edna Eula, Lillian Myrtle, Martha Ila, Annie Ruby and John Ormand. Marcus and Frances were both from the Hopewell community in Northern Mecklenburg County.

The most powerful County officials in the 1800s and early 1900s were the Justices of the Peace. They were recommended by the local delegation to the State legislature and appointed by the governor, not elected by the people. Justices of the Peace constituted a court that set the tax rate, decided where roads were to be built, made provisions for education and poor relief, settled boundary disputes, and rendered judgments in law suits. ["A History of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County" by Dan L. Morrill, p. 40, http://landmarkscommission.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/History-of-Charlotte-and-Mecklenburg-County.pdf.]