Description:

Revolutionary War

Member of Continental Congress Signs Philadelphia Legal Document

 

JONATHAN BAYARD SMITH, Autograph Document Signed, September 6, 1785, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. 1 p., 8.25" x 10". Expected folds; some loss at edges not affecting text; intact embossed seal. Ex: Charles I. Forbes.

 

Complete Transcript

            In the Common Pleas Philadelphia County

                                                                        September Term 1784

Wilson / Susannah Medford

                       v                       dsc

              Samuel Shoben

And now the Defendant by his Attorney comes and confesses Judgment to the plaintiff for Two hundred and Twenty eight pounds debt besides Costs &c.

 

Judgmt Novr 20th 1784.

Wilson / Susannah Medford

                        v                      dsc

              Samuel Shoben

Septemr Term 1785

Fi: Fa:

 

 

 

 

[Seal

I Jonathan Bayard Smith Esquire Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County do hereby certify that the above are true Transcripts from the Records of the Said Court.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal of the said Court this sixth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty five.

                                                                        JB Smith

 

Historical Background

Susannah Medford was a widow in Philadelphia, and by her attorney James Wilson, she sued Samuel Shoben in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas to recover a debt. Shoben confessed that he owed the debt in November 1784, but a year later, Shoben had still not paid the debt, and Medford obtained a writ of fieri facias for the sheriff to seize Shoben’s property to satisfy the debt. Prothonotary Jonathan Bayard Smith made this copy of the court record in September 1785, likely as part of Medford’s ongoing efforts to obtain payment.

 

Jonathan Bayard Smith (1742-1812) was born in Philadelphia and graduated from the College of New Jersey (Princeton) in 1760. He joined his father in the mercantile business and was an early advocate of independence. From 1775 to 1777, he served as secretary for the Philadelphia Committee of Safety. He represented Pennsylvania in the Continental Congress from April 1777 to November 1778 and signed the Articles of Confederation. He also served as prothonotary of the court of common pleas and after 1778, one of its justices.  In 1779, he was one of the founders of one of the schools that merged into the University of Pennsylvania in 1795, and he served as a trustee of both the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University.

 

James Wilson (1742-1798) was born in Scotland and immigrated to Philadelphia in 1776, where he became a teacher at the College of Philadelphia. He later established a law practice at Reading, Pennsylvania. He served as president of the Illinois-Wabash Company, a land speculation venture. In 1778, he moved his family to Philadelphia. Wilson represented Pennsylvania in the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1777, and signed the Declaration of Independence. He served in the Confederation Congress from 1782 to 1783 and from 1785 to 1787. Later elected to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, he was a member of the Committee of Detail that drafted the United States Constitution, which he later signed and helped convince Pennsylvania to ratify. Wilson served as one of the first associate justices of the United States Supreme Court from 1789 until his death in 1798. He also served as a founder of the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

 

 

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!
Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. ***PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SHIPMENT TO BE SENT TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN THE ONE YOU HAVE ON FILE WITH INVALUABLE, YOU WILL NEED TO INFORM US OF THIS AS SOON AS PAYMENT IS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR WINNINGS*** Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000