Saturday, October 25, 2008

William Harris of Ipswich, Massachusetts

Dated 1742. In this document, William Harris of Ipswich, Massachusetts gives away a plot of land to his sons. Dated March 18, 1742. The document is signed by William Harris.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

John Milan Barto


John Milan Barto, U.S. Merchant Mariners Document

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Newtown, Rockingham County, New Hampshire 1838

Partly printed land document, Newtown, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, January 29, 1838.
A quitclaim deed. The text reads, in part: "I, Sargent Heath of Newtown in the County of Rockingham and State of New Hampshire ... for and in consideration of the sum of one hundred and twenty dollars ... well and truly paid by Walter Bailey of West Newbury in the County of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts .... do hereby acknowledge, have given, granted, bargained, and sold ... unto the said Walter Bailey ... [a] certain piece of land situated in Newtown, State and County aforesaid and bounded as follows viz. beginning at a stake and stones on land of Capt. Joub Peaslee's, thence on said Peaslee's and North about thirty three and a half degrees East fifty nine rods and thirteen links to a stake and stone, thence on land of Samuel Carr South forty seven degrees east sixteen rods and fifteen links to a stake and stone, thence on land of the said Sargent Heath South thirty three and a half degrees West fifty seven rods to a stake and stone, thence on land of Benjamin Chase's heirs North fifty four degres West sixteen and a half rods to the bound first mentioned, containing six acres of land by measure...."

The document is signed at the conclusion by Sargent Heath and Ruth Heath [his wife], by Thomas Carter and Benjamin F. Carter as witnesses, and by John Hart as justice of the peace. The reverse bears a handwritten clerical docket signed by Francis D. Randall as recorder. The lower right corner bears two paper seals

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Judith Winsor Smith

A great Correspondence Archive (1844-1853) of Judith Winsor Smith is up for sale on Ebay.

Judith Winsor Smith (1821-1921) - An American abolitionist and woman's suffragist, born in Marshfield, MA. During her long lifetime, Smith was involved in many social and politicial causes. She was a member of the Standing Committee of Theodore Parker's 28th Congregational Society; a founder and first president of the Home club of East Boston (women's club) and an officer in state and national women's suffrage associations. Daughter Zilpha Drew Smith (1852-1926) became a prominent Boston social worker.

Handwritten archive of (32) personal letters from Smith, the majority while she living in Pembroke, Massachusetts, 1850-53 and sent to her husband, Silvanus Smith, a shipbuilder in East Boston, but a few earlier 1844-45. Plus (4) from other correspondents, including Silvanue. See below. (36) letters total.

Although the letters are mainly domestic in nature, Judith W. Smith commented in 1920 when she voted for the first time, "For 70 years I have been in the fight for woman suffrage...", and the candid letter content contain possible seeds of her discontent. Silvanus apparently bought their farm in Pembroke without her consent and left her isolated there with small children - overflowing cistern, scarlet fever, crops and livestock - while he went to work in East Boston as a shipbuilder. She comments frequently that she wishes she was in East Boston and regrets a few times that she can't join him to hear Theodore Parker. She also asks him to bring her one of Horace Mann's speeches.

Brief excerpts:

June 9, 1850 - "Martin Ford Jr. has a child two years old sick with the small pox. Dr. C attends him and he is going well. I don't know as I ought to wait till Dr. Wilde come had I? I mean about inoculating the children. Did yours take and is there much of it in South Boston?; My will is good to do a great deal more than I do but I suppose I ought to be content with all I can do. I feel impatient with myself often."

May 22, 1852 - "I like Capt. Manter's plan of bringing his wife here. I think it is much better than to buy the farm without even asking her how she should like it - as I once knew a certain man to do."

June 13, 1852 - "Seth and his two apprentices begun on the barn Friday. Thomas is coming tomorrow. They eat dinner here so your Judy feels as though she was helping you a little. I have felt better the last week than I have before since Zilpha was born - have taken an egg every day and am in hopes to get strong again some time. My last upper tooth broke off on day...and I pulled out the remaining false one - so I look worse than ever.

November 7, 1852 - "I thank you kindly for your very kind letter...Not that I doubt your good feeling at all - I know you have them - but we women are such queer creatures that we need sympathising words and when you say or write any, it does me lots of good."

December 5, 1852 - "I think as you do about Parker and wish I could hear him preach often. I think it would help me but how differently people think of the same thing. Dr. Wilde called here on his way to and from H for Kate. I asked him if he had read Parkers sermon on D W [Daniel Webster]. Part of it he said - and I questioned him about it till he said he thought the sermon unjust and hipocritical...that his (Parkers) malignity was equal to Horace Mann's.

Other content - quaker meeting; preparations for Washington's Birthday parade; wagon trip; more.

Other letters: (2) 1851,1853, Silvanus Smith, with some ship content; (1) 1850 from Zilphah (no surname); (1) H. Collamore.

Letters primarily quarto, two filled pages, a few longer. Legible ink. Six with covers, two postally sent. Overall VG+ condition.

This is a fantastic find if you are related to Judith Winsor Smith.

Friday, October 03, 2008

Taunton 1776

To The Sheriff or Constables of The Town of Taunton Whereas Job Chase of Middleborough in The County of Plymouth Yeoman has this Day made Complaint on His Majesty's Behalf to me The Subscriber One of His Majesty Justice of The Peace for The County of Bristol against Benjamin Chace of Taunton Yeoman and Silva Chase His Wife for that The sd Benjamin Chase and Silva at Taunton aforesaid on the 5th Day of November last past Did Feloniously Take Steal & Kill a White Horned Sheep Marked with ahalf crop in one Ear and an a Half Penny in The other Ear being The Property of Job Chase & in His Possession & of The Value of 13 Shillings & 4 Pence Contrary to The Law and Peace. These are therefore to Require You forthwith to make Diligent Search within your Precinct for The Body of The said Benjamin Chase and Silva Chase and Them Apprehending you are to convene before me The Subscriber or other of His Majestys Justices that they may be proceeded with as the Law Directs also Summon Cooper & John Perkins of Middleborough and Anne Burden The Wife of Justice Burden of sd Taunton and Job Chase The Complainant that they appear at The same Time and Place to give evidence of what they know. Richard Godfrey Signs and states Taunton Jan 26th 1776 I then apprehended The Bodies of The Within Named Benjimin Chase and Silva his wife and convened them before Benjamin Williams Esq and Summoned the Evidences and Time and Place 1776 On Verso it States Warrant Job Chase against Benji Chase & Wife.