Special Collections Department
Torbert - Ellegood
Collection
1759 - 1889
(bulk dates 1820 - 1840)
Manuscript Collection Number: 461
Accessioned: Gift circa 1958
Extent: 1.3 linear ft. and oversize
Content: Letters, receipts, accounts,
promissory notes, deeds, land patents, land surveys, bonds, indentures, other
legal papers, estate records, wills, lists of goods and chattel, wastebooks,
notebooks, poetry, and engineering notes.
Access: The collection is open for research.
Processed: December 2002 -
March 2003 by Carrie L. Foley
Special Collections, University of Delaware Library
Newark, Delaware 19717-5267
(302) 831-2229
Table of Contents
Biographical Note
Torbert Family
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.
Torbert Genealogy
Names in bold represent key figures in this collection, though many other family members do appear in the papers.
1. Peter Torbert ([1745]-[1781]) m. Jane McClyment
1. John Torbert
(1775-1842) m.1 Susan (Elizabeth) Warner, m.2 Mary Ellen Bonsell/Bonsall
(bore last
four children)
1. Joseph Warner
Torbert (1804-1851) m. Electa Maria Wickham
2. Peter Torbert (b.1806) m. [Abigail? Roxanna?]
3. John Torbert, Jr. (1808-1830)
4. Esther Y. Torbert (1810-1894) m. Arnold S. Naudain
5. William Warner Torbert (1812-1883) m. his cousin, Elizabeth Torbert,
daughter of William Torbert
6. Mary Jane Torbert ([1813]-1846)
7. Henry Torbert (1815-1838)
8. Susan Torbert (b. 1817) m. Matthew M. Naudain
9. James McClyment Torbert (1818?-1880) m. Mary Elizabeth Peyton
10. Catherine Torbert m. John C. Jeffries
11. Hannah B. Torbert (b. [1825]) m. Jacob Carpenter
12. Charles T. Torbert
13. Edward B. Torbert
2. William
Torbert (1779-1841) m. Mary Robinson, m. Martha Rudulph (bore last four
or five children)
1.
Jonathan Robinson Torbert (1803-1853) m. Catherine A. Milby
2.
William E. Torbert (b. [1811]) m. Adeline Matilda Silver
3. Elizabeth Torbert (1817-1885) m. her cousin, William Warner Torbert,
son of John Torbert
4. Joseph M. Torbert (b. [1820 or 1821]) m. Elizabeth P. Lowe, m. Elenor
Robinson Carey
5. Martha Ann Torbert (1822-1899) m. Francis Asbury Ellis
6. Jane Torbert (1823-1901)
7. Francis Asbury Torbert (1826-1834)
8. Maria (Martha) Amelia Coke Torbert (1829-1861) m. Henry F. Hurn
3. 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.
Ellegood Family
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.
Ellegood Genealogy
Names in bold represent key figures in the collection, though other family members do appear in the papers.
1. William Ellegood (1708-1790) m. Mary Colbourn
1. John Ellegood (d. 1777)
2. William Ellegood (d. 1776)
3. Thomas Ellegood (d. 1822)
4. Robert Ellegood (b. 1752) m. Mary
Brent Atkinson
1. William A. Ellegood (1787-1830)
2. Joshua A. Ellegood (1789-1845) m. Ann H. Griffith (sister of Robert
H. Griffith)
1. Robert Griffith Ellegood (1828-1902) m. Elizabeth Cannon
2. Catharine G. Ellegood (b. 1829)
3. Ann Eliza Ellegood (b. 1831)
4. Mary Jane Ellegood (1835-1879)
5. William Thomas Ellegood (1837-1867)
6. Sarah Ellegood (b. 1841)
7. Seth Griffith Ellegood (b. 1843)
8. Anna Ellegood (b. 1845)
3. Sarah (1792-1833) m. Warren Jefferson
4. Thomas (b. 1794) m. Louisa
5. Sarah
6. Elizabeth
Additional genealogical information on the Ellegood family is available
in the collection folder.
Please see a librarian for assistance.
Scope and Content Note
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.
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.
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).
Series List
I. Torbert Papers, 1798 – 1851 II. Torbert Family Correspondence, 1805 – 1853 III. William W. Torbert Papers, 1825, 1835 IV. James McClyment Papers and Estate Settlement, 1800 – 1827 V. Esther Yarnall Papers, 1771 – 1808 VI. Ellegood Papers, 1759 – 1889 VII. Joshua A. Ellegood Constable Receipts, 1813 – 1819 VIII. Alexander White/Whyte Estate Settlement, 1821 – 1839 IX. Timmons Family Papers and Land Records, 1795 – 1831 X. John Lee Bayley Estate Settlement, 1794 – 1800 XI. W. G. Phillips and Brothers, 1858 XII. Miscellaneous Inventories of Goods and Chattels, 1837 –1838, 1881 – 1889 XIII. Miscellaneous Chronological Documents, 1795 – 1888
Contents List
Box -- Folder -- Contents
Series I. Torbert Papers, 1798 - 1851, n.d.
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.
1 F1 1798 - 1816
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.
F2 1817 - 1818
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.
F3 1819 - 1824 Jun
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.
F4 1824 Sep - 1827
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.
F5 1828 - 1833
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.
F6 1834
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.
F7 1835 - 1838
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.
F8 1839 - 1851
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.
F9 Undated
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.
Series II. Torbert Family Correspondence, 1805 - 1853, n.d.
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.
F10 1805 - 1837
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.
F11 1841 - 1848
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.
F12 1849 - 1851
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.
F13 1852 - 1853
Includes letters to WWT from his brothers, Peter and James, his sister-in-law,
Electa Maria Torbert, and his wife, Elizabeth Torbert.
F14 Undated
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.
Series III. William W. Torbert Papers, 1825, 1835
F15 Verse book, 1825
F16 A volume of tables, drawings, and engineering notes, 1835
Series IV. James McClyment Estate Settlement, 1800 - 1827, n.d.
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.
F17 1800 - 1805
F18 1806 - 1811
F19 1812 - 1827, undated
Series V. Esther Yarnall Papers, 1771 - 1808
Papers related to Esther Yarnall, who did business with the mercantile
partnership Warner and Torbert.
F20 1771 - 1808
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.
Series VI. Ellegood Papers, 1759 - 1889, n.d.
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.
F21 1759 - 1817
Includes early deeds involving the property of the Ellegood and Griffith
families; the will of William Ellegood (1708-1790); and many accounts,
receipts, promissory notes, and legal documents involving JAE and his
brother, William A. Ellegood.
F22 1818 - 1821
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.
F23 1822 - 1827
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.
F24 1828 - 1834
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.
F25 1835 - 1838
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.
F26 1839 - 1842
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-".
F27 1843 - 1889
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.
F28 Undated
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.
Series VII. Joshua A. Ellegood Constable Receipts, 1813 - 1819
Receipts for the transferal of money attained through executions of legal
judgments. As constable, Ellegood was apparently responsible for these
transferals.
F29 1813 - 1816 May
F30 1816 Sep - 1819
Series VIII. Alexander White/Whyte Estate Settlement, 1821 - 1839, n.d.
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.
F31 1821 - 1822
F32 1823 Jan - May
F33 1823 Jul - Dec
No papers for June.
F34 1824 - 1825
F35 1826 - 1830 Jun
F36 1830 Jul - 1839, undated
Series IX. Timmons Family Papers and Land Records, 1795 - 1831, n.d.
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
F37 1795 - 1805
F38 1806 - 1831, undated
Series X. John Lee Bayley Estate Settlement, 1794 - 1800
Receipts, promissory notes, bonds, accounts, and executions related to
the administration of the estate of John Lee Bayley by Jeremiah Lee Bayley
and Frederick Travers.
F39 1794 - 1800
Series XI. W. G. Phillips and Brothers, 1858, n.d.
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.
F40 1858, undated
Series XII. Miscellaneous Inventories of Goods and Chattels, 1837 - 1838,
1881 - 1889, n.d.
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.
F41 1837 - 1838, 1881 - 1889, undated
Series XIII. Miscellaneous Chronological Documents, 1795 - 1888, n.d.
Receipts, accounts, legal documents, and many other items that could not be
incorporated into the above series.
F42 Wastebook, 1795 - 1809
Includes a wastebook kept by an unknown merchant recording sales of cloth,
candles, tea, tobacco, and other goods. Customers include African-Americans
and women.
F43 1795 - 1807
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.
F44 1808 - 1814
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.
F45 1815 - 1818
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.
F46 1819 - 1821
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.
F47 1822 - 1824
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.
2 F48 1825 - 1835
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.
F49 1836 - 1839
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.
F50 1841 - 1849
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.
F51 1855 - 1888
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.
F52 Undated
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.
F53 Undated
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
Note: 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.
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Last modified: 01/19/11
