Trial of Mr William Parkinson, Pastor of the First Baptist Church...
A High-Profile 19th-Century "Me Too" Moment: OCLC Locates 1 Copy in a Law Library [Trial]. Parkinson, William [1774-1848], Defendant. Sampson, William [1764-1836], Reporter. Trial of Mr. William Parkinson, Pastor of the First Baptist Church in the City of New-York, On an Indictment for Assault and Battery upon Mrs. Eliza Wintringham. New York: Printed by Largin & Thompson, No. 5 Burling Slip, 1811. 84 pp. Octavo (8" x 5"; 20.3 x 12.7 cm). Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet, title page preceded by later blank leaves, the first inscribed "Trial of Revd. Parkinson," two later leaves at rear of text. Moderate toning, light foxing to a few leaves, light soiling and early owner signature (of Thomas H. Wright) to title page, a minor tear to its fore-edge. A very good copy of a rare title. $500. * Only edition. A fascinating account of a 19th-century ecclesiastical scandal involving William Parkinson, a former Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives. Parkinson was accused of "assault and battery" against Eliza Wintringham, a member of his congregation-a charge that served as a contemporary euphemism for sexual misconduct. The trial was a sensation, fueled by allegations that Wintringham was one of several women with whom the pastor was "romantically involved" (Cohen). Despite the testimony, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty, allowing Parkinson to remain in his pulpit for another three decades. Recorded by William Sampson, the noted Irish legal reformer and pioneer of American court reporting. This is a rare title. OCLC locates 9 copies, 1 in a law library (Harvard). Cohen, Bibliography of Early American Law 13849.
Price: $500.00
Book number 85905