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Torbert-Ellegood collection
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Held at: University of Delaware Library Special Collections [Contact Us]181 South College Avenue, Newark, DE 19717-5267
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Delaware Library Special Collections. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
The Torberts of Delaware trace their American lineage back to Hugh Torbert (b. [1645]), an early settler of Kent County. The Torbert section of the Torbert-Ellegood Collection focuses mainly on John Torbert (1775-1842), the eldest child of Peter and Jane (McClyment) Torbert of Kent County. He was born in Dover, Delaware, and later moved north to Wilmington. In 1810, Torbert co-founded the Bank of Wilmington and Brandywine, the second bank established in Wilmington. He served as president of this bank from 1819-1824. In 1812, Governor Joseph Haslet appointed Torbert a Justice of the Peace of New Castle County, a post he held until 1814 (Governor's Register, p. 89, 114). Beginning in 1827, he served as cashier at the Farmers Bank in Wilmington, and he remained in that position until his death in 1842. Torbert was also involved in the milling industry along the Brandywine River. Information gleaned from this collection suggests that he was an agent for the Brandywine Mill Seat Company, and historian Henry Conrad reports that he was an investor in the Rockford Manufacturing Company (Conrad, p. 420). Lastly, evidence from this collection suggests he was also involved with business ventures such as Warner and Torbert, William Almond & Co, and the Philadelphia & Wilmington Steam Boat Company.
Several of John Torbert's thirteen children also figure prominently in this collection, particularly his fourth son, William Warner Torbert (1812-1883). John Torbert's brother, the Reverend William Torbert (1779-1841), and his family also appear in the papers. Little biographical information is available on these family members, but they are included in the genealogical chart below.
- Peter Torbert ([1745]-[1781]) m. Jane McClyment
- John Torbert (1775-1842) m.1 Susan (Elizabeth) Warner, m.2 Mary Ellen Bonsell/Bonsall (bore last four children)
- Joseph Warner Torbert (1804-1851) m. Electa Maria Wickham
- Peter Torbert (b.1806) m. [Abigail? Roxanna?]
- John Torbert, Jr. (1808-1830)
- Esther Y. Torbert (1810-1894) m. Arnold S. Naudain
- William Warner Torbert (1812-1883) m. his cousin, Elizabeth Torbert, daughter of William Torbert
- Mary Jane Torbert ([1813]-1846)
- Henry Torbert (1815-1838)
- Susan Torbert (b. 1817) m. Matthew M. Naudain
- James McClyment Torbert (1818?-1880) m. Mary Elizabeth Peyton
- Catherine Torbert m. John C. Jeffries
- Hannah B. Torbert (b. [1825]) m. Jacob Carpenter
- Charles T. Torbert
- Edward B. Torbert
- John Torbert (1775-1842) m.1 Susan (Elizabeth) Warner, m.2 Mary Ellen Bonsell/Bonsall (bore last four children)
- William Torbert (1779-1841) m. Mary Robinson, m. Martha Rudulph (bore last four or five children)
- Jonathan Robinson Torbert (1803-1853) m. Catherine A. Milby
- William E. Torbert (b. [1811]) m. Adeline Matilda Silver
- Elizabeth Torbert (1817-1885) m. her cousin, William Warner Torbert, son of John Torbert
- Joseph M. Torbert (b. [1820 or 1821]) m. Elizabeth P. Lowe, m. Elenor Robinson Carey
- Martha Ann Torbert (1822-1899) m. Francis Asbury Ellis
- Jane Torbert (1823-1901)
- Francis Asbury Torbert (1826-1834)
- Maria (Martha) Amelia Coke Torbert (1829-1861) m. Henry F. Hurn
- Susanna Torbert (b. [1781]) m. Thomas Keith
Additional genealogical information on the Torbert family is available in the collection folder. Please see a librarian for assistance.
The Ellegood section of this collection focuses on Joshua Atkinson Ellegood (1789-1845), a descendant of Thomas Ellegood (d. 1689), an early colonist of Northampton County, Virginia. The Ellegoods eventually settled near the town of Concord, Delaware, and grew to become a prominent Sussex County family with many generations active in civic life. Joshua A. Ellegood was the second son born to Robert Ellegood, a farmer in Concord, and Mary B. (Atkinson) Ellegood. He married Ann Houston Griffith, daughter of Seth and Nancy Griffith, whose family owned extensive property in Sussex County. Ann's brother, Robert H. Griffith, also appears in this collection.
Joshua A. Ellegood became a successful businessman and landowner, while maintaining a significant presence in public life. Evidence from this collection suggests he served as a constable of Sussex County in the 1810s. In April 1824, Governor Samuel Paynter appointed him to the Board of Commissioners of the Land Office for Sussex County. Three years later, Governor Charles Polk named Ellegood a Justice of the Peace for Sussex County (Governor's Register, p. 208, 250).
Later generations maintained the family's involvement in the community. Joshua A. Ellegood's son, Dr. Robert Griffith Ellegood (1828-1902), was a member of the Delaware State Legislature and served three terms as the State Auditor of Accounts. Robert G. Ellegood's son, Dr. Joshua A. Ellegood (b. 1859), who does not appear in this collection, was a renowned Wilmington otolaryngologist and should not be confused with his grandfather and namesake.
- William Ellegood (1708-1790) m. Mary Colbourn
- John Ellegood (d. 1777)
- William Ellegood (d. 1776)
- Thomas Ellegood (d. 1822)
- Robert Ellegood (b. 1752) m. Mary Brent Atkinson
- William A. Ellegood (1787-1830)
- Joshua A. Ellegood (1789-1845) m. Ann H. Griffith (sister of Robert H. Griffith)
- Robert Griffith Ellegood (1828-1902) m. Elizabeth Cannon
- Catharine G. Ellegood (b. 1829)
- Ann Eliza Ellegood (b. 1831)
- Mary Jane Ellegood (1835-1879)
- William Thomas Ellegood (1837-1867)
- Sarah Ellegood (b. 1841)
- Seth Griffith Ellegood (b. 1843)
- Anna Ellegood (b. 1845)
- Sarah (1792-1833) m. Warren Jefferson
- Thomas (b. 1794) m. Louisa
- Sarah
- Elizabeth
Additional genealogical information on the Ellegood family is available in the collection folder. Please see a librarian for assistance.
The Torbert-Ellegood collection, spanning 1759-1889, with the bulk of the papers dating 1820-1840, consists of 1.3 linear feet of legal papers, land records, accounts, receipts, correspondence, and other documents, many of which relate to the Torbert and Ellegood families of Delaware. It is unclear, however, how these two families relate to each other and how this collection of papers was assembled. John Torbert (1775-1842) and Joshua A. Ellegood (1789-1845), the central figures in each group of family papers, were both active in Delaware business and civic life. John Torbert served as a Justice of the Peace in New Castle County from 1812 to 1814, and Joshua A. Ellegood was appointed Justice of the Peace in Sussex County in 1827. Through their business transactions and public offices, it is possible that both men came in contact with many individuals and families represented in this collection. As detailed below, the collection documents the personal and professional lives of John Torbert and Joshua A. Ellegood, but the overall research value may be in its broad representation of early nineteenth-century economic and legal affairs in Delaware.
The personal papers related to the Torberts include family correspondence (Series II) and two notebooks kept by William W. Torbert containing poetry and engineering notes (Series III). The estate papers, accounts, deeds, receipts, bills, and other papers that relate to John Torbert (Series I) reflect his professional involvement in banking and manufacturing, as well as his position as a Justice of the Peace for New Castle County. John Torbert spent his adult life in Wilmington, Delaware, and his papers mostly pertain to New Castle County activities. Series I also contains business papers of William W. Torbert.
The Ellegood family papers (Series VI) are actually rather similar in content to the Torbert papers. They mainly consist of legal papers, land records, accounts, receipts, letters, and other documents related to Joshua A. Ellegood and his work as a Justice of the Peace, as a Land Commissioner for Sussex County, and as a constable. Joshua's brother, William A. Ellegood, and other family members are also represented in the collection, particularly in family land transactions and other legal documents. Most of the Ellegood family papers relate to activities in Sussex County, where the family resided.
Additional series that have been created relate to the Timmons family of Sussex County, Esther Yarnall, John Lee Bayley, and the merchant firm W. G. Phillips and Brothers. The connections between these series and the Torbert and Ellegood families are often vague. Other series demonstrate a more direct link to the Torberts and Ellegoods, including papers related to the estates of Alexander White and James McClyment, which were administered by Joshua A. Ellegood and John Torbert, respectively.
Because of its varied content, Torbert-Ellegood Collection offers a wide range of sources to a variety of scholars. It will be of foremost interest to genealogists interested in the Torbert and Ellegood families, as well as the Timmons family, Alexander White, and James McClyment. There is extensive documentation regarding their land holdings and financial affairs, while the Torbert correspondence conveys a more personal family history.
The collection also provides a wealth of sources to historians of material culture. The collection is replete with miscellaneous receipts and accounts for cloth, sugar, molasses, wine, snuff, tools, wood, and other supplies and services. These receipts are located throughout Series I, VI, and XI, and particularly in Series XIII. A wastebook, kept by an anonymous merchant, records the sale of fabric and other items to women and African-Americans (F42). Of additional interest to material culture studies are the inventories of goods and chattel that can be found in Series VI and XII. Similar information is available in the estate records in Series IV, VIII and X. The extensive documentation on the administration of these estates may also be useful to historians interested in probate proceedings.
Torbert-Ellegood collection offers many other research possibilities. The papers may be constructive to researchers interested in economic history and personal debt, as both Joshua A. Ellegood and John Torbert were professionally involved in settling financial disputes. Both of their papers contain receipts, accounts, and court documents related to settling outstanding accounts and enforcing legal judgments related to debt. The collection also contains many Delaware land records and property surveys, documents related to dozens of early- nineteenth-century businessmen in New Castle and Sussex Counties, and papers related to banking and the milling industry. Additional documents of note include seven land grants to Robert H. Griffith signed by President Martin Van Buren in 1838 (F25); several political leaflets, party tickets, and published election results for Delaware elections, 1858-1884 (F 51, 53); and broadsides related to the Civil War and the passage of the fifteenth amendment (F51).
Scant information is available on the University of Delaware's accession (circa 1958) of the Torbert-Ellegood collection. Any meaningful order to the original accession was destroyed when the documents in the collection were organized in chronological order, taped to leaves of paper, and bound into volumes. The papers have since been removed from their bindings and grouped into thirteen series. The first eleven series focus on individuals or families, with Series I-V relating to the Torberts, Series VI-VIII pertaining to the Ellegoods, and Series IX-XI having no discernible affiliation with either family. Series XII includes miscellaneous inventories arranged chronologically, and Series XIII comprises miscellaneous documents ordered chronologically.
Some of the items in this collection have been removed to oversize storage. Sheets placed in the folders mark where an item has been removed, and indicate where it is housed.
Box 1: Shelved in SPEC MSS record center cartons
Box 2: Shelved in SPEC MSS manuscript boxes
Removals: Shelved in SPEC MSS oversize boxes (32 inches)
A digital copy of material in this collection is available at the University of Delaware Digital Institutional Repository.
Gift, circa 1958
Processed by Carrie L. Foley, December 2002-March 2003. Encoded by Jaime Margalotti, June 2021.
Subject
- Manufacturing industries--History--18th century
- Manufacturing industries--History--19th century
- Banks and banking--Delaware--History--18th century
- Banks and banking--Delaware--History--19th century
- Justices of the peace
- Constables
Place
- Publisher
- University of Delaware Library Special Collections
- Finding Aid Author
- University of Delaware Library, Special Collections
- Finding Aid Date
- 2021 June 16
- Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
-
Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections Department, University of Delaware Library, https://library.udel.edu/static/purl.php?askspec
Collection Inventory
Mostly the business and legal papers of John Torbert (JT), but also involving his brother, William Torbert (WT). Later papers pertain to John Torbert's son, William Warner Torbert (WWT). The material includes household and business receipts, accounts, and correspondence. There are also financial judgments, promissory notes, and other legal papers, along with a number of miscellaneous items.
Includes household and business receipts, accounts, and promissory notes involving JT and WT; a letter to JT and WT from James Brian; a letter to JT from John Lea; a summons to John Armstrong and other legal documents; and accounts and other papers related to the Brandywine Mill Seat Company.
Includes household and business accounts and receipts involving JT; accounts and other papers related to the Brandywine Mill Seat Company; an account book with notes on the steam boat Superior; and a letter recording transactions between JT and WT.
Includes household and business receipts, accounts, and promissory notes involving JT, WT, and the partnership Warner and Torbert; and business letters to JT from William Young of Philadelphia and others.
Includes business letters to JT from William Young, William Warner, and others; a letter to William Young from James Oliver; receipts, accounts, judgments, and promissory notes involving JT, WT, and Joseph W. Torbert; a record of a lawsuit involving JT and the partnership William Almond & Co.; a receipt from WT regarding a transaction with JT and the Bank of Wilmington and Brandywine; and an invitation for JT to attend a meeting of the Masons.
Includes mostly business letters to JT from William Young; a document outlining the rules and regulations of the Philadelphia & Wilmington Steam Boat Company, listing JT as a shareholder; and household and business receipts and accounts involving JT.
Includes household and business receipts and accounts involving JT; a notebook containing a brief record of WT's accounts at the Farmers Bank at Wilmington, notes by a young woman, possibly Electa Maria W. Torbert, a recipe for paint, and a blank record of attendance for classes taught by E. T., possibly Elizabeth Torbert; and an account book listing household expenses for JT.
Includes household and business receipts and accounts involving JT and WWT; invitations to the funerals of Ann C. Leonard and James Wilson; a letter to JT from William Young; and a book listing JT's accounts with J. Wright.
Includes a document appointing WWT as the legal guardian of Jacob Hannah; a document outlining the partnership of a cotton mill in Brandywine, involving JT; and numerous business letters to WWT from James Goodluce regarding property and other business transactions.
Includes business papers and accounts involving JT and the partnership W. Warner & Warner & Torbert; a document pertaining to the Rockford Mill property; a document regarding shares of the steamboat Superior and the Wilmington & Philadelphia Steamboat Company; and an invitation to the funeral of Mrs. Rachel Young.
Consists of family correspondence between John Torbert (JT), his brother, William Torbert (WT), and their children. Many of the documents are incoming letters to John Torbert's son, William W. Torbert (WWT), from his siblings.
Includes an 1818 letter to JT from Nixon Wilson regarding the death of John's wife, Susan Warner Torbert; a letter to Mrs. Joseph Warner from her brother, Samuel Ewing; also includes letters written by JT, WT, and JT's children, James, Peter, Mary Jane, and Susan Torbert. Topics include family health and activities, and the death of WT's daughter, Frances Asbury Torbert.
No letters for 1838-1840. Contains mostly incoming letters to WWT and other Torbert family correspondence. Topics include family health, news, and the death of WT in 1841. Authors include Peter, James, and Susan Torbert, their cousin Jonathan R. Torbert, and Jonathan's stepmother (and WWT's mother-in-law), Martha Rudulph Torbert.
Includes letters to WWT from his wife, Elizabeth, his brothers, Peter, James, and Edward, his cousin, William E. Torbert, and his mother-in-law, Martha Rudulph Torbert. Topics include family news and activities, the care of Joseph Torbert's wife, Electa Maria, after his death, and the illness and death of Martha Rudulph Torbert.
Includes letters to WWT from his brothers, Peter and James, his sister-in-law, Electa Maria Torbert, and his wife, Elizabeth Torbert.
Contains a letter to JT from WT; two letters to WWT from Elizabeth Torbert; a letter from Susan Torbert to Mary Jane Torbert; and a letter to JT from Esther Torbert Naudain.
Records related to the administration of the estate of James McClyment by John Torbert and Sarah McClyment (later Lowber), including accounts, receipts, and legal documents. Many of the accounts were written before McClyment's death, with additional notes added later by the administrators. James McClyment was most likely the brother of John Torbert's wife, Jane (McClyment) Torbert. Also includes papers related to the estates of Sarah Lowber and Clementina McClyment.
Papers related to Esther Yarnall, who did business with the mercantile partnership Warner and Torbert.
Includes accounts and bills to Esther Yarnall from John Warner, Warner and Torbert, and others; an agreement between Esther Yarnall and her neighbor, Francis Daniel; and a note/receipt from Esther Yarnall to William George; and a document related to the estate of Esther Yarnall's parents, Phillip and Mary Yarnall.
Legal papers, land records, accounts, receipts, letters, and other documents related to Joshua A. Ellegood (JAE), his family, his business dealings, and his work as a Justice of the Peace and Land Commissioner for Sussex County, Delaware.
Includes accounts, receipts, promissory notes, and legal documents involving JAE; a letter to JAE from Levin Fisher; an account from John Houston to Sarah Ellegood; a letter/deed to JAE from his brother, Thomas; and testimony of JAE in a legal dispute between Mary B. Ellegood and Thomas Ellegood.
Includes accounts, receipts, promissory notes, and legal documents involving JAE; a letter appointing JAE administrator of Thomas Ellegood's estate and other papers related to this estate; commissions appointing JAE as a Justice of the Peace and as a member of the Board of Commissioners of the Land Office for Sussex County, signed by Governors Paynter and Polk; a document dissolving John H. Ellegood's mercantile partnership with John Elliot; a conveyance bond from William A. Ellegood to JAE; a letter to JAE from David [Juett]; a patent to JAE for the land "Agreement"; a deed from William A. and Sally Ellegood to JAE; and a land agreement between JAE and Mary B. Ellegood.
Includes accounts, receipts, promissory notes, articles of agreement, and other legal documents involving the Ellegood family or signed by JAE as Justice of the Peace; propositions by Caleb Ross concerning mill property; and an indenture agreement involving JAE and his brother-in-law, Robert H. Griffith.
Includes accounts, receipts, promissory notes, articles of agreement, and other legal documents involving JAE and his family, or signed by JAE as Justice of the Peace; letters to JAE regarding Jonathan Dougherty; seven land grants to Robert H. Griffith for land in Palmyra, Missouri, signed by President Martin Van Buren in 1838; and an indenture agreement signed by JAE.
Includes accounts, receipts, an indenture, articles of agreement, and other legal documents involving JAE and his family, or signed by JAE as Justice of the Peace; letters to JAE from Jonathan Dougherty; school district tax records for 1839; a deed from William O'Redden to JAE; and a wastebook labeled "List of Balances from 183-".
Includes a tuition receipt to JAE from Jonathan Long; a letter to JAE from Nathaniel [Honey]; a letter to [L. W.] Dulaney from Robert G. Ellegood; a letter from Robert G. Ellegood to his uncle; papers related to the estate of JAE; a notice posted by Ann H. Ellegood regarding the property Sugar Hill; a letter to Mr. Benson from Ann H. Ellegood regarding carriage repairs; a letter to Dr. Robert H. Griffith from his nephew; several letters and bills to Dr. Robert G. Ellegood; a letter from Charles A. Allegood regarding a genealogical inquiry; and two property inventories undertaken because of suits involving Robert G. Ellegood.
Includes accounts, receipts, an indenture, and other legal documents involving JAE and his family; an undated copy of a 1776 deed between William Ellegood and his son, John Ellegood; a description of the division of Seth Griffith's land among his four children (including Robert H. Griffith and Ann H. G. Ellegood); a petition to governor regarding JAE's appointment as a Justice of the Peace; a survey of the land, "Isabel's Choice"; and an assessment list for school district number 58, Sussex County.
Receipts for the transferal of money attained through executions of legal judgments. As constable, Ellegood was apparently responsible for these transferals.
Records related to the administration of the estate of Alexander White (often spelled Whyte) by Joseph A. Ellegood, including numerous accounts, receipts, judgments, and other legal documents. Many of the accounts were written before White's death, with additional notes added later by Ellegood. Also included are accounts to and from White and Doherty, the company Alexander White shared with Edward Doherty. There is additional material related to Alexander White and White and Doherty in Series XIII.
Deeds, surveys, articles of agreement, and other land records of the Timmons family of Sussex County, Delaware. Family members include John Timmons and his sons William A. Timmons and Eli C. Timmons. Also includes a judgment regarding a trespassing suit between Eli Timmons and William Pusey/Puzey; a list of John Timmons' sons; a record from the Docket of Caveats; and other miscellaneous papers. Other parties named in the records include Jesse Green and William Pusey/Puzey
Orders placed with W. G. Phillips and Bros., wood merchants in Newport, Delaware. Customers include George M. Steinman and Company, Garrett & Son, and many others.
Inventories and appraisals, mainly undertaken in the course of lawsuits or debt settlements. Many from Sussex County. Includes the estates of Thomas A. Jones, George Spier, Thomas C. White, William J. Tindal, and many others.
Receipts, accounts, legal documents, and many other items that could not be incorporated into the above series.
Includes a wastebook kept by an unknown merchant recording sales of cloth, candles, tea, tobacco, and other goods. Customers include African-Americans and women.
Includes a notice to Jane Griffith regarding her stock in the Bank of Delaware; a court record of the suit between Daniel and Peter Lowber involving a debt; a bond between Benjamin and Samuel West and Peter and William Lowber; a promissory note between Moses M. Jones and Lowber & Bostick; a bond of conveyance between Asahel Phelps and Alexander White (often spelled Whyte in this collection); an alienation bond between Isaac Davis and Lowden Layton; the cover page to a notebook kept by Thomas Ashburnham containing a hymn, a multiplication table, sketches of ships, and other notations; a deed from Stringer Laws to Lowden Layton; a copy of John Williss' survey for the land, "Venture"; and accounts and receipts for shoes, nails, rope, sugar and other goods and services involving Frederick Travers, Robert Boyer, Rheuben James, William Hoskins, William Matthews, Jane Griffith, and many others.
Includes accounts and receipts for shoes, carpentry work, and other services, involving William Hoskins, William Thompson, John Warner, William Matthews, William Warner, Abraham Mitchell, and others; a letter from Elizabeth and Jesse Evans to their aunt, Jane Griffith of Wilmington, Delaware; a promissory note to Hugh Moore from White and Doherty; a bond between Elias Shockley and Joseph Oliver; a bond from William Morgan to William Speer; a deed from Seth Griffith to Asa Boyer; an inventory of the estate of Jane Griffith; and a lengthy indenture agreement between Cornelius Battell and Ezekiel Hunn (representing the estates of Thomas and Oliver Nock) and Daniel and Samuel Mifflin.
Includes miscellaneous bills and accounts for food, alcohol, sugar, horseshoes, wood, and sharpening tools, and other services; a survey of a piece of land called "Chance" for Thomas Jones; promissory notes, accounts, and receipts involving Roland Mehaffry [Rowland Mahaffy], James Canby, Charles Tatem, Andrew McCall, Joshua and Thomas Gilpin, and others; a survey of William Morgan's land; a subpoena for Charles Thomson regarding a land dispute in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania; notes related to tax records for New Castle County, Delaware; a letter from Mr. [Planton] to Captain Camel aboard the steamship Eagle; an expense account of a lawsuit between James Canby, Charles Tatem, and Joshua and Thomas Gilpin; a land survey for Jesse Green; and a small notebook with a few names listed.
Includes articles of agreement between Joseph Watson and Septimas Houra; receipts and promissory notes involving Levi Bunker, William Anderson, White and Doherty, Rowland Mahaffy, and others; a survey of land by John Spiur; the will and estate inventory of William Shankland; a record resolving the dispute between Ephraim Pusey and Jesse Green over the plot of land called "Pusey's Advantage"; a refunding bond between Mary Shankland and John H. Burton; miscellaneous receipts; product orders sent to Alexander White; a letter to Rolin (Rowland/Roland) Mehaffy from D. Crosby regarding a delivery of coal; summonses to several people indebted to White and Doherty; and the will of Caleb Sipple.
Includes numerous bills and receipts for a variety of goods and services including cloth, tea, sugar, molasses, snuff; a letter to Alexander White from Peter Robinson; a document naming Ann Burton the administrator of the estate of William Shankland; bills and executions pertaining to White and Doherty; a power of attorney letter between Richard and John Doherty; a conveyance bond between Jesse Green and Joseph Elliot; an invoice to Mr. L. Talley from William Sheepshank & Company; John McClayton's account of the estate of John Patten; and an abstract of Richard Harrison's will.
Includes instructions for drawing a deed between Jesse Green and John Truitt; a conveyance bond between William Morgan and William Spiur; land surveys done for Peter Hubbert and Josiah Mitchell; a letter from William Morgan to Jesse Green regarding land; Revolutionary War pension certificates from Sussex County; miscellaneous receipts; a bill of sale for a schooner; two land agreements between Joshua Chamberlain and Caleb Swayne; an inventory of Phillip Vinson's goods and other papers related to the administration of his estate; "Pools of the Elections for 1826"; and other miscellaneous legal documents.
Includes an extensive account to Joseph Chamberlain from Samuel Thomson; a lease agreement between John Lindsey and David Wilson; papers regarding Reuben James' pension; estate inventories of Robert Boyer and Susan [Chismer]; and several indenture agreements.
No papers for 1840. Includes the estate inventories of Hosea Boyer and Robert Hall; promissory notes; several indenture agreements; a bill to Ann Talley from James Bringhurst; a land agreement involving Nancy Boyer, James and Marshall Elliot, and Betsy and Joseph Vinson; a land survey done for Joseph Vinson; and several grand inquests and other legal documents involving crimes committed in Sussex County, including assault (involving women and African-Americans), unlawful sale of liquor, road obstruction, and counterfeiting.
Includes a lengthy legal complaint against several Philadelphia merchants filed in the Sussex County Court of Chancery; political leaflets and party tickets for Delaware elections, 1858-1870; a Civil War era announcement of a public meeting in support of the Union; a letter addressed to "Brother" from Jinnie Hazzard; an affadavit of Joanna Porter testifying that her husband attempted to kill her; a report card of Sallie Underwood from Taylor & Jackson's Academy; a letter by James Smith regarding false reports on his involvement in a ension claim; broadside announcements for a sheriff's sale and for a celebration of the passage of the fifteenth amendment; published election returns for 1874 and 1884; and John Gallagher's Peninsula Agricultural and Pomological Association stock certificate.
Includes a draft of a document related to the estate of Robert Boyer and the sale of his slave, Robert, to settle debts; notes on military orders; miscellaneous receipts, accounts, and bills; a course of a deed involving the Vinson, Boyer, and Taylor families; a list labeled "Sundries for my Grandson Going to Canton;" a bill to Nancy Boyer for legal expenses; an estate inventory for Phillip Vinson; and recipes for leather cement, varnish, and beer.
Includes a form of "presentment of witnesses" in the case against Jeremiah F Kinney for the torching of the Pennsylvania Hall in Philadelphia; party tickets for Delaware elections; an agreement between the Steam Boat Company and William Murdock; some empty legal forms; and a power of attorney form between Nancy Newcomb and John Vinson