1851 Stampless. Interesting letter. See details below

Item Specifics

Country

United States

Catalog Number

1827

Stamp Type

General Issue

Condition

Cover (Postal History)

Stamp Format

Single

Year of Issue

1980

Item Description

1851 stampless folded letter with red "ATHENS/PA." ("a" high) cds, red "PAID" handstamp, and large red "V" rate handstamp, addressed to the Hon. Wm. Jessup, at Montrose, Susquehanna County, Pa.

Letter contents dated at Athens, Pa., March 26, 1851, from Horace Williston (signed "H. Williston").

The writer of this letter, HORACE WILLISTON, was a prominent lawyer in Athens, Pa., and served as President Judge of the Tioga County Courts from 1849 until Dec. 1851. His son, Lorenzo P. Williston, (1815-1887), studied law under his father; Served in the Pa. State House of Reps, 1856-1860; In 1861 he was appointed by President Lincoln to the Dakota Territorial Supreme Court, and in 1864, Lincoln appointed him to serve as one of the first Associate Judges on the Montana Territorial Supreme Court.

The letter is written to WILLIAM JESSUP, (1797-1868); Born in Southampton, Long Island, NY. Graduated from Yale College in 1815; Moved to Montrose, Pa. in 1818, where he studied law and was admitted to the bar. In 1838, he became the Presiding Judge of the Eleventh Judicial District of Pennsylvania, in which capacity he rode circuit from 1838 to 1851, holding court in various cities & towns in the District (he was holding court at Tunkhannock at the time this letter was written). A staunch Abolitionist, he was chosen a DELEGATE TO THE 1860 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION AT CHICAGO, AND WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE PLATFORM COMMITTEE WHICH DRAFTED THE PARTY'S PLATFORM, APPROVED BY THE CONVENTION AND THEIR NOMINEE, ABRAHAM LINCOLN. At the beginning of the Civil War, he was sent by the Commonwealth of Pa. as the State's emissary to work with the President on his call for 75,000 men. His son, Henry Harris Jessup, (1832-1910), was a noted missionary, and founder of the American University of Beirut.

In this letter, Judge Williston writes Judge Jessup concerning some problems arising about having trials in the special court because of the absence of an attorney who is involved in most of the cases.

Includes:

"on going to tioga county, the bar informed me that they would not be able to try their special court causes at the next term, as mr. White, who is concerned in most or all of them, would be down the river & probably many of the persons concerned. That the special court for that county would necessarily be deferred.

Truly Yours,
H. Williston"
I have hundreds of stampless to upload. If you find them as fascinating as I do, be sure to come back often as I will upload as fast as I can. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Seller Information

Seller

BarryT (9813)

Registered Since

01/17/2008

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Item Location

Ontario, Canada

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Worldwide

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Returns Accepted

Yes

Returns Policy

Will accept returns within 10 days. Buyer must pay for shipping.