American Law - 19th Century
Volumes I-III of Kent's Commentaries, First Edition Kent, James [1763-1847]. Commentaries on American Law. New York: O. Halsted, 1826-1828. Volumes I-III of a four-volume set. Octavo (8-3/4" x 5-1/2"). Contemporary calf, blind fillets to boards, lettering pieces and blind fillets to spines. Light rubbing and scuffing to boards, moderate rubbing..... More
Volume V of an Extremely Rare American Blackstone Edition Blackstone, Sir William [1723-1780]. Tucker, St. George [1752-1827]. Blackstone's Commentaries: With Notes of Reference to the Constitution and Laws, of the Federal Government of the United States, and of the Commonwealth of Virginia. In Five Volumes, with an Appendix to Each..... More
Colorfully Illustrated Broadside Concerning a Notable 19th-Century Libel Case in Salem, Massachusetts [Broadside]. [Temperence]. [Cheever, George Barrell (1807-1890)]. Deacon Giles's Distillery. New York: National Temperance Society and Publication House, [c. 1865-1867]. 2 pp. 14" x 10-1/4" broadsheet, 2 pp. text in three columns, 6-1/4" x 8-3/4" woodcut below headline. Moderate..... More
Buffalo, New York, in 1398 [Buffalo, New York]. Charter of the City of Buffalo: With the Several Amendments: To Which are Added the Laws and Ordinances of the City of Buffalo. Revised, Jan. 1839. Published by Order of the Common Council. Buffalo: Press of Thomas & Co., 1839. 93, 112..... More
Perhaps the Most Authoritative Reports from the Reign of George III Willes, Sir John [1685-1761]. Durnford, Charles, Editor. Reports of Adjudged Cases in the Court of Common Pleas. During the Time Lord Chief Justice Willes Presided in that Court; Together with Some Few Cases of the Same Period Determined in..... More
Story Eulogizes An Exemplary Lawyer-Statesman Story, Joseph [1779-1845]. Sketch of the Life of Samuel Dexter, LL.D. By the Hon. Joseph Story, LL.D. Judge of the Supreme Court of the United States, And Presiding Judge of the Circ. Court of the U.S. for the First Circuit, As Delivered to the Grand..... More
[Trial]. Kennon, Beverly, Defendant. Message from the President of the United States, Transmitting a Report of the Secretary of the Navy, Accompanied with the Proceedings of a Court Martial Lately Held at Norfolk, For the Trial of Lieut. Beverly Kennon, (Rendered in Obedience to a Resolution of the House of..... More
1856 Little, Brown Circular of Recent Publications [Legal Publishing]. Little, Brown and Company. Law Books, Recently Published by Little, Brown and Company, Law and Foreign Bookseller. Boston: [Little, Brown and Company], May 1, 1856. 8 pp. Octavo (9-1/2" x 6"). Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Light rubbing and minor tears to extremities..... More
Wheeler, A[lexander] S[trong] [1820-1907]. Reminiscences of an Old Lawyer: An Address by Our Fellow-Member, Mr. A.S. Wheeler, Delivered Before the Commercial Club of Boston, December, 18, 1897. Printed by Request of the Club. Boston: Rockwell and Churchill Press, 1898. 20 pp. Octavo (9-1/4" x 6"). Sewn pamphlet in stiff wrappers..... More
Collected Pieces of a Distinguished Nineteenth-Century New York City Lawyer Blunt, Joseph [1792-1860]. Speeches, Reviews, Reports, &c. New York: James Van Norden, 1843. [iv], 274 pp. Octavo (8-3/4" x 5-3/4"). Original cloth, gilt title to spine. Light rubbing to boards, heavier rubbing to extremities with some wear to spine ends..... More
Parsons, Theophilus [1797-1882]. Memoir of Theophilus Parsons, Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts; With Notices of Some of His Contemporaries. By His Son, Theophilus Parsons. Boston: Ticknor & Fields, 1859. viii, 476, [11] pp. Portrait frontispiece with tissue overlay. Octavo (7-1/2" x 5"). Nineteenth-century three-quarter morocco over..... More
Inventory of the Estate of a Prominent Frederick County, Maryland, Landowner and Judge [Manuscript]. [Beall, William Murdock (1742-1823)]. [Inventory and Appraisal of the Estate of Judge William Beall]. Frederick County, MD, 1823-1825. 66 pp. Main text preceded by 2 pp. index. Folio (13-1/2" x 8-1/4"). Thick pressed-paper side-sewn ledger, untrimmed..... More
A Landmark Case in the History of the First Amendment [Trial]. Hamilton, Alexander [1757-1804] (et Al.). Crosswell, Harry (1778-1858), Defendant. The Speeches at Full Length of Mr Van Ness, Mr. Caines, the Attorney-General, Mr. Harrison, And General Hamilton, In the Great Cause of the People, Against Harry Croswell, On an..... More
Reconstruction-Era Account Book of a Richmond, Virginia Law Firm [Manuscript]. Cosby, William W. Turner, Charles W. [Account Book of Cosby & Turner]. Richmond, Virginia, 1871-1875. [xxiv], 458 pp. Folio (13-1/2" x 8-1/2") Reversed calf, black-stamped frames to boards, raised bands and lettering pieces to spine, "Ledger" gilt-stamped to upper piece..... More
Cases Selected "For the Information of Officers of the Militia" [Trials]. Loring, Joseph, Jr., [1767-1838], Defendant. Binney, Amos [1778-1833], Defendant. Howe, Thomas, Defendant. The Militia Reporter; Containing The Trials of Capt. Jos. Loring, Jun. on the Charges of Maj. Davis, Capt. Amos Binney on the Charges of Maj. Osgood, Capt..... More
Nearly 15,000 Gathered to Witness the Execution [Murder]. [Piracy]. [Tully, Samuel]. The Life of Samuel Tully, Who Was Executed at South Boston, Dec. 10, 1812, For Piracy. Written by Himself. Boston: Published by Watson & Bangs, 1812. 36 pp. Octavo (9-1/4" x 5-3/4). Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers, untrimmed edges..... More
Confessions of Four Pirates Who Were Tried Before Joseph Story [Murder]. [Piracy]. [Williams, John (and Others), Defendants]. Lives and Confessions of John Williams, Francis Frederick, John P. Rog, And Peter Peterson, Who Were Tried at the United States Circuit Court in Boston for Murder & Piracy; Sentenced to be Executed..... More
African-Americans as Citizens and Voters Hancock, John [1824-1893]. The Great Question for the People! Essays on the Elective Franchise: Or, Who Has the Right to Vote?. Philadelphia: Merrihew & Son, Printers, 1866. 40, [4] pp. Text followed by 4 pp. of advertisements. Octavo (8-3/4" x 5-3/4"). Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed..... More
Only American Edition of Branch's Collection of Legal Maxims Branch, Thomas [fl. 1738-1753]. Hening, William Waller [1768-1828], Editor. Principia Legis et Aequitatis: Being an Alphabetical Collection of Maxims, Principles or Rules, Definitions, and Memorable Sayings in Law and Equity. First American, From the Fourth London Edition. With Additions and Corrections..... More
Burke, Finley. A Treatise on the Law of Public Schools. New York: A.S. Barnes & Co., 1880. 5, [vii]-viii, [9]-154 pp. Octavo (7" x 5"). Original cloth, black-stamped decoration to front board, gilt title, black-stamped fillets and library location number to spine. Light rubbing to extremities, spine ends bumped, front..... More
1801 Philadelphia Edition of the Conductor Generalis Parker, James [1714-1770]. The Conductor Generalis: Or, The Office, Duty and Authority of Justices of the Peace, High-Sheriffs, Under-Sheriffs, Coroners, Constables, Gaolers, Jury-Men, And Overseers of the Poor: As Also, The Office of Clerks of Assize, And of the Peace, &c. Compiled Chiefly..... More
First American Edition of Booth's Treatise on Real Actions Booth, George [1635-1719]. Anthon, John, Editor [1784-1863]. The Nature and Practice of Real Actions, in Their Writs and Process, Both Original and Judicial. First American Edition: In Which the Ancient Writs and Records are Correctly Translated from the Latin, with the..... More
Field Campaigns for Court Reform Field, David Dudley [1805-1894]. What Shall be Done with the Practice of the Courts? Shall it be Wholly Reformed. New York: John S. Voorhies, 1847. 38 pp. Octavo (8-1/2" x 5-1/4"). Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet bound into recent plain boards, endleaves added. Moderate toning, light foxing..... More
The Last Edition of The Federalist Published in Hamilton's Lifetime [Hamilton, Alexander (1755 or 1757-1804)]. [Madison, James (1751-1836)]. [Jay, John Jay (1745-1829)]. The Federalist, On the New Constitution. By Publius. Written in 1788. To Which is Added, Pacificus, On the Proclamation of Neutrality. Written in 1793. Likewise, The Federal Constitution..... More
"The Jurists As Well as the Historians of this Commonwealth Stand in Need of a Complete Edition of the Statutes of Pennsylvania" [Manuscript]. Cadwalader, John [1805-1879]. [Autograph Letter, Signed, Philadelphia, February 13, 1838]. Single leaf folded to form 9-3/4" x 8" bifolium, franked and docketed on verso of second page..... More