Notes on cases in Great Barrington, 1783

Athead of first page "Great Barrington Oct. term 1783". Notes on various cases, including cases of trespass, assault and battery, debt, and attempt to prevent the service of a warrant.

[ Bond of Edward Williams and John Black], 1764

Williams was accused of assault and battery against John Black. Bond signed by Joseph Hartz, (justice of the peace for Bucks County, Pennsylvania); dated 30 October 1764.

Notes on cases in Boston and Springfield, 1790-1793

Notes by unknown author on cases of land rights, debt, and theft.

Notes on cases in Plymouth, Barnstable and Duke Counties, 1785

Includes notes on cases of property law, and assault and battery.

Notes on cases in Taunton, 1783

Includes notes on cases involving seizure of property, assault, riots, etc.

Notes on cases in Falmouth, 1786

Includes notes on various cases heard during the July term 1786.

Records of cases before the Mayor's Court of Albany, 1786-1796

Contains a summary of cases before the court beginning with the litigants and the damages sought, the legal action, names of counsel, actions taken, and the final disposition of the case. Most actions taken relate to debt, assault and battery, and slander and libel. At the back of the manuscript are "an account of law books by me purchased in the year 1784 & 1785" [p. 120], and"a list miscellanious books bought in the year 1784 & 1785" [p. 132].

Testimony, 1733

Young's testimony regarding an altercation he witnessed between Israel Chittenden, Benjamin House, John Hyland, and John Lindsey in or near the town of Scituate in September 1732. Heard before justice of the peace John Cushing in September 1732, and before John Winslow in Plymouth County Court of Assize, April 28, 1733. Signed by both.

Notes on cases in Barnstable County, 1791

Pamphlet containing notes on various cases, including a case "for not delivering goods put on board the defendant's vessel" and another "for concealing a pregnancy."

Papers of George Godfrey, 1739-1792

The bulk of this collection consists of brief records of civil actions heard by George Godfrey as a justice of the peace for Bristol County, Massachusetts. With only a few interruptions, these records run from February 1754 through the early 1780s. The other documents include several small volumes and loose pages of household accounts, as well as a handful of pages of court records and marriages heard by George Godfrey and his father, John Godfrey.

Register of the Inferior Court, 1759-1763

Contains the Inferior Court's register of debtor's cases heard for the Mayor's Court for the following counties: Orange County, Suffolk County, Westchester County, Ulster County, Duchess County, and Queens County, in New York state. The register, kept by William Wickham, cites parties to the action, sentencing, court costs, and has a name index at the end.

Letter to John Worthington: 13 August 1791

Letter to Worhtington, a Springfield, Massachusetts lawyer, regarding tax on a meeting house near Pittsfield, Massachusetts and public support for ministers.

Lawyer's commonplace book, 1774-1783

Contains entries on a variety of topics arranged alphabetically and compiled by several individuals. Includes an index at the end.

Commonplace book of Nathaniel Freeman, 1786-1787

Nathaniel Freeman made entries in this commonplace book between 1786 and 1787, while he was an undergraduate at Harvard College. The book includes the notes Freeman took during three of Hollis Professor Samuel Williams' "Course of Experimental Lectures," and cover Williams' lectures on "The Nature & Properties of Matter," "Attraction & Repulsion," and "The Nature, Kind, & Affections [?] of Motion." These notes also include one diagram. The book also includes forensic compositions on the subjects of capital punishment, the probability of "the immortality of the soul," and "whether there be any disinterested benevolence." It also includes a poem Freeman composed for his uncle, Edmund Freeman; an anecdote about Philojocus and Gripus; an essay called "Character"; a draft of a letter to the Harvard Corporation requesting that, in light of the public debt, the Commencement ceremonies be held privately to lower expenses and exhibit the merits of economy; and an "epistle" to his father, requesting money. This epistle begins: "Most honored sire, / Thy son, poor Nat, in humble strains, / Impell'd by want, thy generous bounty claims."

Oratio salutatoria et oratio valedictoria, ca. 1763

Undated and unattributed handwritten Latin salutatory and valedictory orations composed for the Harvard College Commencement. A modern note with the materials suggests Nathaniel Sparhawk (Harvard AB 1765) as the author, but the author was more likely Joseph Hooper (Harvard AB 1763), who delivered the orations for the 1763 Harvard Commencement. While the documents are undated, textual clues include mention of the command of George III in recent war against France and Spain, suggesting the speech was written soon after the Treaty of Paris which was signed in February 1763 to end the Seven Years' War. The speech also celebrates Harvard Tutor William Kneeland, who resigned from his position in July 1763, and mentions the illness of Professor Edward Wigglesworth (who died before the 1765 Commencement). The text also mentions Professor John Winthrop and Massachusetts Governor Francis Bernard.