©November 2003, Brigham Young University. All rights reserved.
This collection was purchased from Rick Grunder, a manuscripts dealer based in New York, in three installments, in 1991 – 1993.
No restrictions.
Copyright of Windsor County, Vermont Legal Documents Collection is held by the Harold B. Lee Library of Brigham Young University.
Permission to publish material from Windsor County, Vermont Legal Documents Collection must be obtained from the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Board of Curators.
This collection of legal documents from Windsor County, Vermont, between the years of 1785 and 1801, is relevant to the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because it was the area where the Joseph Smith Sr. lived, and where Joseph Smith Jr. was born in 1805. While these documents do not deal directly with the Smith family, they help shed a revealing light on that place and time.
Of particular note in this collection is the correspondence between Alvira Wilson Stout and several of her children. Alvira was born April 21,1834, and died March 20, 1910.
Many of these documents are original legal documents from Windsor County, Vermont. Many others report actions and decisions of the Vermont Supreme Court -- all relate to Windsor County. Cases include counterfeiting, theft, Norwich water rights, land ownership and payment disputes, bill and debt collecting, claims against dead persons’ estates, suits for divorce, suit about who should get a dead person’s household property, with a list of that property; questions of road right-of-ways; an escape from debtors’ prison.
The documents most relevant to the story of young Joseph Smith and his brother Alvin are those in a medical malpractice suit brought by Daniel Buck of Norwich against Cyrus Hamilton, who has given Buck's six-year old daughter multiple quintuple-adult-strength doses of calomel, the same distillate of mercury which would later kill Alvin Smith. It includes pathetic and vivid details about the consequences to the victim of the medication.
The documents are arranged by case, with each folder containing all of the documents relating to that case. Each item in each folder is described in the container list below.
Item 1. No.1. Writ & Service. State document filled out and signed by L. R. Morris, Clerk. 26 August 1790.
Item 2. No. 2. Judgement and Defendants Costs. True copy written by L. R. Morris, Clerk. 31 May 1790.
Item 3. Verdict. The original small slip handed by the jury to the judge, remnants of wax seal remaining. 1791.
Item 4. Verdict. True copy of the verdict (item 3 above) written by L. R. Morris, Clerk.
Item 5. Memorandum, True copy written by L. R. Morris, Clerk. 3 June 1791.
Item 1. Folded paper that held the rest of these items together in a packet. It is secured with a quaint straight pin of the period.
Item 2. Summons signed by Oliver Gallup, Justice of the Peace, 1 May 1790.
Item 3. Subpoena, signed by Oliver Gallup, Justice of the Peace, 31 May 1790.
Item 4. Memorandum, true copy by L. R. Morris, clerk. (This document is torn in half, but both parts seem to be here.) 3 June 1791.
Item 5. Affidavit of Marston Cabot, before Briant Brown, Justice of the Peace. 9 September 1794.
Item 6. No. 1, Writ & Service. True copy by L. R. Morris, clerk. 19 February 1791.
Item 7. No. 2, Judgement. True copy by L. R. Morris, clerk.31 May 1791.
Item 8. No. 3, Evander Morse and Jonathan Rood, deposition. True copy by L. R. Morris, clerk. 19 February 1791.
Item 9. No. 4, John William’s deposition. True copy by L. R. Morris, clerk. 16 April 1791.
Item 10. No. 5, Oliver Witt’s deposition. True copy by L. R. Morris, clerk. 5 September 1789.
Item 11. No. 6, Daniel Stone’s deposition. True copy by L. R. Morris, clerk. 19 September 1789.
Item 12. No. 7, Betsey Morse’s deposition. True copy by L. R. Morris, clerk. 16 February 1792.
Item 13. No. 8, Hezekiah Ward’s deposition. True copy by L. R. Morris, clerk. 25 June 1791.
Item 14. No. 9, John Frink’s deposition. True copy by L. R. Morris, clerk. 14 February 1791.
Item 15. No. 10, Verdict. True copy by L. R. Morris, clerk. n.d.
Item 1. Original note for £7 / 15. Signed by Walter Bugbee. 20 July 1791.
Item 2. No. 1, Cargill v. Bugbee, Writt. True copy by L. R. Morris, clerk. 10 September 1792.
Item 3. No. 2. Cargill v. Bugbee, Judgement and bill of cost. Signed by L. R. Morris, clerk. 25 March 1791.
Item 4. No. 11. Memorandum signed by L. R. Morris, clerk. 30 March 1793.
Item 1. Stephen Jacob, Elijah Paine, & Lewis R. Morris v. Samuel Sawing, Judgement. True copy by L. R. Morris, clerk. 27 March 1792.
Item 2. No. 3, Common Rule. Signed by L. R. Morris, clerk. May term 1787.
Item 3. No. 11, Stephen Jacob, Elijah Paine, & Lewis R. Morris v. Samuel Sawing, “this case contains these papers – ” 3 April 1792.
Item 1. Snow v. Hamilton, judgement (7 page document). September 1793.
Item 2. No. 2, Bill of costs. Signed by L. R. Morris, clerk.
Item 3. No. 20, Jonathan Snow v. Cyrus Hamilton, Memorandum. 27 September 1793.
Item 1. Summons for Thomas Prentice, signed by a justice of the peace. 8 September 1794.
Item 2. No. 1, Lyman v. Dean, with service & letter of notice. True copy by L. R. Morris, clerk. 13 June 1788.
Item 3. No. 2, Lyman v. Dean, common rule. True copy by L. R. Morris, clerk. October term 1788.
Item 4. No. 3, Lyman v. Dean, judgement. True copy by L. R. Morris, clerk. 25 March 1793.
Item 5. No. 4, Bill of cost. Signed by L. R. Morris, clerk. October term 1788.
Item 6. No. 13, Lyman v. Dean, memorandum. 8 March 1793.
Item 1. Note signed by Silvanus Watriss to Israel and John Lamb. 5 October 1793.
Item 2. No. 2, I & J Lamb v. Watriss, Judgement. 24 March 1794.
Item 3. No. 7l, Memorandum. 1 April 1794.
Item 1. Seth Hathaway, Bond to the Treasurer of the state of Vermont. 12 May 1794.
Item 2. Benj Burtch and Josiah Humphrey, Witnesses in behalf of the State of Vermont v. Seth Hathaway. 7 May 1794.
Item 3. No. 15, The State of Vermont v. Seth Hathaway, Bill not found, Isaac Green, foreman. Findings of the Grand Jury. September term, 1794.
Item 4. No. 18, State of Vermont v. Seth Hathaway, Copy of Judgement. 7 May 1794.
Item 1. No. 3, Micha Townsend v. Absolom Holmes. 6 page document outlining the case. September 1798.
Item 2. Deed Signed by Absolom and Printice Holmes. 14 December 1785.
Item 3. Bill of Costs. n.d.
Item 1. A statement of Saml Merey’s demand on the estate of Tim Olcott as exhibited to the commissioners of Adm. 1797.
Item 2. “Articles rec.d by Capt. Samuel Morey after July 18th 1791 – of Tim Olcott.” n.d.
Item 3. Note signed by Timothy Olcott, 4 February 1793.
Item 4. Saml Morey’s a/c [account] with Tim Olcott. July 1791.
Item 5. “Right of land” received from Mamuel Morey by Timothy Olcott. 21 April 1792.
Item 6. Note to Morey signed by Olcott. 24 March 1794.
Item 7. Olcott v. Morey, case referred. n.d.
Item 8. No. 1, the Admin of T. Olcott v. Saml Morey. 10 page document. August 1799.
Item 9. Supreme Court decision. August term 1799.
Item 10. “Amounts allowed...” n.d.
Item 1. Writ. 10 August 1798.
Item 2. Decision of the court written by Benj. Swan, clerk. 1799.
Item 3. Printed form filled out and signed by Benj. Swan, clerk. September 1799.
Item 1. Summons of Ephraim Adams, signed by Benj. Swan, clerk. 26 February 1787.
Item 2. No. 8, Job Joy, ex dem. Pelatials Sargents v. Ephraim Adams. n.d.
Item 3. Summary of the case by Benj. Swan, clerk. March 1799.
Item 4. Printed form filled out and signed by Benj. Swan, clerk. March 1800.
Item 5. Printed form. Summons of Moses Priest, signed by Benj. Swan, clerk. 14 August 1800.
Item 1. Depositions of Jacob Barrows and Jacob Wand. 15 March 1800.
Item 2. Deposition of Asa Dewey. 18 August 1801.
Item 3. Summary of the case by Benj. Swan, clerk. March 1800.
Item 4. Statement of accounts. n.d.
Item 1. No. 18, Josiah Parmele v. Elizabeth Paremele. Printed form filled out and signed by Benj. Swan, clerk. March 1800.
Item 2. Summary of the case by Benj. Swan, clerk. March 1800.
1. Lebiner Curtis v. Eben M. Judd. Statement by Dan Garrand, Atty to E. M. Judd. n.d.
Item 2. Statement of accounts. n.d.
Item 3. “Statement of Act. with Eben M. Judd.” n.d.
Item 4. Summary of the case by Benj. Swan, clerk. 2 April 1795.
Item 5. Printed form filled out and signed by Benj. Swan, clerk. March 1800.
Item 1. Statement of accounts. n.d.
Item 2. The prisoners' original (partly-printed) bond to the jail keeper, signed by them. n.d.
Item 3. Summary of the case by Benj. Swan, clerk. September 1800.
Item 4. Printed form filled out and signed by Benj. Swan, clerk. September 1800.
Item 1. Marston Abbot v. Nathaniel Pool. 1801.
Item 1. Jabez Cottle, gardian of L. Richardson. 10 May1801
Item 1. Petition of the Selectmen of Andover. 6 May 1801.
Item 2. Summary of the case by Benj. Swan, clerk. May 1801.
Item 1. Marriage certificate of William Ashley and Nancy Pomeroy, 5 July 1799.
Item 2. Deposition of Moses Goodrich. 18 April 1799.
Item 3. Deposition of Nancy Ashley. Judith Buck, Petition for bill of divorcement. 1799.
Item 4. Deposition of Edward Bigelow. 1 May 1799.
Item 5. Deposition of Thas. Packman. 1 June 1799.
Item 1. State v. Thos. Robinson. August 1799.
Item 1. Deed of ... Captn. Marsh & Asa Whitcomb. (Document is badly torn) 31 January 1795.
Item 2. Oliver Hutchinson exetrer. Aaron Hutchinson v. John Fish Z. Israel & Samuel Tupper. (6 pages loosely stitched together) 1796.
Item 3. Minutes of a town meeting. 13 January 1789.
Item 4. Aaron Hutchinson v. Joseph Marsh, Abel Marsh & Asa Whitcomb. (20 pages stitched together) 18 July 1799.
Item 5. Summons of Wiliam Sevectser. 2 August 1799.
Item 6. Bill from a witness, Joseph Bowsman Jr. 27 August 1799.
Item 7. Aaron Hutchinson v. Joseph Marsh, Abel Marsh & Asa Whitcomb. 1799.
Item 8. Bill from a witness, Wm. Funtter. 1799.
Item 9. Aaron Hutchinson v. Joseph Marsh & others. Summary of the case by Benj. Swan, clerk. True copy by Benj. Gwen, clerk. (18 pages) 1799.
Item 1. Summary of the case by Benj. Swan, clerk. March 1799.
Item 2. Summons of Elisha Burton. (Justice of the peace’s signature is glued to the paper.) 19 August 1799.
Item 3. Summons of Capt. Asa Hayen, Thomas Hayen, Solomon Hayen & Erastus Chapman. 19 August 1799.
Item 4. Deposition of Polly Timball. 21 August 1799.
Item 5. Summons of Samuel Bell [and four others]. 28 August 1799
Item 6. No 24, Solomon Curtis v. Reuben Partridge. Statement of costs. Copy of record by Benj. Swan, clerk. n.d.
Item 1. Note signed by Gibiner Curtis. 27 December 1797.
Item 2. Summons of Gibiner Curtis and Nathan Coolidge. 1 September 1798.
Item 3. Summary of the case by Benj. Swan, clerk. September 1798.
Item 1. Summons for John Doe of Reading. March 1798.
Item 2. No. 37, Richard Roe v. Ephraim Hubburd. March 1799.
Item 3. No. 20, Samuel Cone v. Edward Cone. March 1999.
Item 4. No. 16, Judith Bush v. Joseph Bush. 18 April 1799.
Item 5. No. 32, Josiah Fletcher v. Stephen Burpee. (This document is several pages glued together, end to end, making a page more than 3 feet long.) 25 July 1799.
Item 6. Summons for William Howard, Andrew Friar and Meredith Cody. 19 August 1799.
Item 7. No. 43, John Morehouse – a true bill. 22 August 1799.
Item 8. No. 44, State v. John Morehouse, a true bill. 22 August 1799.
Item 9. No. 45, State v. John Morehouse, a true bill. 22 August 1799.
Item 1. No. 1, Writ of Service. 23 December 1797.
Item 2. No. 19, Samuel, Samuel & John Cover v. Edwd. R. Campbell. True copy of Record by Benj. Swan, clerk. n.d.
Item 3. Summary of the case. (This is the first four pages of a longer document.) September 1798.
Item 1. No. 7, Jonathan Grant v. [The name here is unreadable, but “Luis” is found elsewhere in the document] Allers. (8 pages.) September 1798.
Item 2. No. 18, Asa Wing v. William Sweets. Summary of the case by Benj. Swan, clerk. September 1798.
Item 3. No. 21, Isaiah Bunk v. Lucus Hubbard. (This was originally more that one sheet of paper clued end to end together, but in now in tattered condition. September 1798.
Item 4. No. 5, Robt. Cockran & David Morse v. Unice Huntington. (This is several papers glued together end to end to make a page more than four feet long.) 1799.
Item 5. No. 22, Lucius Hubbard v. Bunk & Tuxberry, March 1799.
Item 6. Sherwin account. August 1799.
Item 7. Summons for Linas Newell, Thomas Boston, Aaron Spencer. 14 August 1799.
Item 8. Summons for Thomas Banitt, Jotham White & Simon Stevens. 23 August 1799.
Item 9. D. Hutchins account. 24 August 1799.
Item 1. Printed form. Attachment of goods of the estate of John Bemis. 1 November 1798.
Item 2. No. 10, Thomas Edwards v. John Bemis. March 1999.
Item 3. Subpoena – Thomas Edwards v. John Bemis. 16 August 1799.
Item 1. The original paper wrapper and cord with which the Vermont 1799 Supreme Court case documents were tied together. On it is written: “Sup Court. August Term, 1799.”
Item 1. Receipt of sorts, totaling an account. n.d.
Item 2. Receipt of sorts, totaling an account. n.d.
Item 3. Bond, Thadeus Walker to Daniel Gilbert. 2 pages. 3 May 1798.
Item 4. Sheriff’s order to collect $100 from William S. Harris. 2 pages. 24 August 1798.
Item 5. Summons for Joseph Billings and Oliver Gallup. 3 pages and 3 fragments. 1 September 1798.
Item 1. Bond, Bradford Hinney to Joshua Britton. 2 pages. 3 December 1798.
Item 2. Bond, James Smalley to Frances Nichols. 2 pages. 11 December 1798.
Item 3. Judgement against William S. Harris. 2 pages. 11 April 1799.
Item 4. Sheriff’s order to collect ten dollars from Luther Hilliard. 2 pages. 13 August 1799.
Item 5. Case against Stephen Powers. 2 pages. 9 September 1799.
Item 1. Sheriff’s order to collect 100 dollars from Arad Greans. 2 pages. 16 July 1796 & 18 September 1799.
Item 2. Bond, Jonathan Fuller to William Riis, 2 pages. 18 September 1799.
Item 3. “Case file” of sorts for Amasa Spooner, documenting his failure to pay a writ of attachment, his arrest, and summoning him to court, 4 pages. Page 3 is a sheriff’s order to collect $200 from Amos Spooner on behalf of William S. Harris. 18 September 1799
Item 4. Bond, Jonathan Fuller and Paul Pitkin to William Riis. 2 pages. 18 September 1799.
Item 5. Sheriff’s order to collect $327 from Joseph, Oliver, or Daniel Bowman. 2 pages. 19 September 1799.
Item 1. Bond, Luman Hawley to Zacheus Bartlett. 2 pages. 20 September 1799.
Item 2. Bond, Sewall Blood and Luther Hillard to William Riis. Printed with blanks to fill in. 2 pages. 27 September 1799.
Item 3. Sheriff’s order to collect $200 from Jonathan Fuller on behalf of Jacob Riis. 4 pages. 22 October 1799.
Item 4. Sheriff’s order to collect $200 from Jonathan Fuller on behalf of William Riss. 4 page. 22 October 1799.
Item 5. Bond, Harvey Sumner and Peter Ball to William Riss. 2 pages. 27 November 1799.
Item 1. Bond, James, David, and Nathaniel Morse to William Riis. 2 pages. 27 November 1799.
Item 2. Summons to court for James Campbell. 16 December 1799.
Item 3. Bond, Ebenezer Broughton and William Hopson to William Riss, $250. 2 pages. 20 December 1799.
Item 4. Sheriff’s order to collect $300 from David or Nathaniel Morse. 4 pages. 23 December 1799.
Item 5. Sheriff’s order, bond between Ebenezer Dodge and Sewall Blood. Printed, with blanks to fill in. 4 pages. 25 December 1799.
Item 1. Sheriff’s order to collect $150 from Bradford Hinney. 2 pages. 31 December 1799.
Item 2. Date of incident concerned: James Campbell, defendant. December 1799. n.d.
Item 3. Sheriff’s order to collect 100 dollars from Matthew [?]. 3 pages. 6 January 1800.
Item 4. Bond, Timothy Bush and Ebenezer Fetch to William Riss, 14 January 1800, 2 p.,
Item 5. Sheriff’s order. Printed top, blanks to fill in. 2 pages. 21 January 1800.
Item 1. Sheriff’s orders to confiscate property, Ebenezer Broughton and William Hopson. 4 pages. 27 January 1800.
Item 2. Sheriff’s order to collect $30 from William Burbank. 2 pages. 7 February 1800.
Item 3. Bond, Joshua and Anthony Putnam to William Riis for $80. 2 pages. 12 February 1800.
Item 4. Bond, Anthony and Joshua Putnam to William Riis. 2 pages. 12 February 1800.
Item 5. Bond, Elijah Taylor to William Riis. 2 pages. 13 February 1800.
Item 1. Sheriff’s order to collect $20 from Levi Nobles. 2 pages. 15 February 1800.
Item 2. Summons to court for John [C]ollard. 2 pages. 20 February 1800.
Item 3. Sheriff’s order to collect $430 from Leonard Richardson. Also included is original bond Leonard Richardson to Maximus Willet. 4 pages. 24 February 1800 & 26 August 1796.
Item 4. Summons to court for Pardon Puckham. 2 pages. 24 February 1800.
Item 5. Sheriff’s order to collect $800 from Timothy Bush. 4 pages. 27 February 1800.
Item 1. Sheriff’s order to collect $120 from Harvey Sumner and Peter Ball. 3 pages. 28 February 1800.
Item 2. Sheriff’s order to collect $100 from Beverly Titus. Also included is original bond Beverly Titus to Joseph Hatch. 4 pages. 16 July 1798 & 28 February 1800.
Item 3. Sheriff’s order to summon Luman Hawley to court. 2 pages. 1 March 1800.
Item 4. Summons to court for Jesse Hawley and Alexander Pinnock for default on a bond. Also included is original bond. 4 pages. 21 October 1799 & 3 March 1800.
Item 5. Summons to court for Benjamin Emmons. 2 pages. 3 March 1800.
Item 1. Sheriff’s order to collect $100 from John House. 2 pages. 3 March 1800.
Item 2. Sheriff’s order to collect $100 from Thadeus Walker on behalf of William Riis. 2 pages. 3 March 1800.
Item 3. Sheriff’s order to collect $200 from Anthony and Joshua Putnam on behalf of William Riis. 4 pages. 3 March 1800.
Item 4. Sheriff’s order to collect $100 from Anthony and Joshua Putnam. 4 pages. 3 March 1800.
Item 5. Sheriff’s order to collect $500 from John [Inthill?]. 2 pages. 4 March 1800.
Item 1. Ebenezer Dodge versus Luther Hilliard and Sewall Blood. 2 pages. 14 March 1800.
Item 2. Debts and bonds against David Sanderson and Josiah Bellorer. 2 pages. 30 August 1800.
Item 3. Court case, Ebenezer Dodge and Sewall Blood on a question of fault on a bond. 4 pages. September 1800.
Item 4. Charles Marsh writ of power of attorney. 2 pages. 17 September 1800.