Guide to the Isaac Williamson (1767-1844), Governor of New Jersey Legal Notebook 1794 MG 189

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Descriptive Summary
Biographical Note
Scope and Content Note
Restrictions
Access Points
Related Material
Administrative Information
Bibliography

Container List

Notebook


Guide to the Isaac Williamson (1767-1844), Governor of New Jersey Legal Notebook
1794
MG 189
The New Jersey Historical Society
52 Park Place
Newark, New Jersey 07102
Contact: NJHS Library
(973) 596-8500 x249
library@jerseyhistory.org
https://www.jerseyhistory.org
© 2006 All rights reserved.
The New Jersey Historical Society, Publisher
Inventory prepared by James Lewis, July 2001, as part of the “Farm to City” project funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Finding aid encoded by Julia Telonidis. February 2006. Production of the EAD 2002 version of this finding aid was made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Finding aid written in English.


Descriptive Summary

Creator: Williamson, Isaac, 1767-1844.
Title: Isaac Williamson (1767-1844), Governor of New Jersey
Legal Notebook
Dates: 1794
Abstract: Consists of a single notebook of law terms kept by a New Jersey lawyer and governor.
Quantity: .03 linear feet
Collection Number: MG 189

Biographical Note

Isaac Halstead Williamson was born in 1767 in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He later studied law with his brother Matthias and became a leading lawyer in New Jersey. He received his attorney’s license in 1791, followed by his counselor’s license five years later; and in 1804, he was called to be a sergeant-at-law. In 1808, he married Anne Crossdale Jouet (1777-1853) and together they had two sons, Benjamin in 1809 and Isaac Halstead in 1811. In 1815, without knowledge that his name was on the ticket, Isaac was elected as the Democratic representative for Essex County. Two years later he was elected Governor of New Jersey and was re-elected every year from 1818-1829. As part of his duties as governor, Williamson served as the judge of the Prerogative Court of New Jersey. Williamson was mayor of Elizabethtown from 1830-1833 and, in 1831 and 1832, he was elected to represent Essex County as a member of the New Jersey Council (now known as the Senate). Despite holding these political offices Williamson continued to practice law. In 1844, he was unanimously elected to be President of the convention that framed the new State constitution. However, he had to relinquish this position due to poor health and by the end of the year he died in Elizabethtown.

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Scope and Content Note

This volume was kept by Isaac Halstead Williamson in 1794, probably during his time as a law student or during his early career. It measures 0.03 linear feet and contains legal definitions for such terms as “Personal Estate” and “Lien” as well as a subject index.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Photocopying of materials is limited and no materials may be photocopied without permission from library staff.

Use Restrictions

Researchers wishing to publish, reproduce, or reprint materials from this collection must obtain permission.

The New Jersey Historical Society complies with the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code), which governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions and protects unpublished materials as well as published materials.

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Access Points

The entries below represent persons, organizations, topics, forms, and occupations documented in this collection.
Subject Names:
Williamson, Isaac, 1767-1844.
Subject Organizations:
New Jersey. Legislature. Senate.
Subject Topics:
Governors–New Jersey.
Judges–New Jersey.
Law students–New Jersey.
Law–Terminology.
Lawyers–New Jersey.
Subject Places:
Elizabeth (N.J.)
Essex County (N.J.)
Document Types:
Notebooks.

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Related Material

Manuscript Group 330, Isaac H. Williamson (1767-1844) and Benjamin Williamson (1809-1892) Papers

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as: Manuscript Group 189, Isaac Williamson (1767-1844), Governor of New Jersey
Legal Notebook, The New Jersey Historical Society.

Acquisition Information

This collection was donated by Charles H. Lum, date unknown.

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Bibliography

The Biographical Encyclopaedia of New Jersey of the Nineteenth Century (Philadelphia, PA: Galaxy Publishing, 1877).

Garraty, John A. and Carnes, Mark C. American National Biography: Vol. 23(New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1999).

Rankin, Russell Barnes The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey Vol. 6: 1930-1931 (Newark, NJ: The Genealogical Society of New Jersey, 1931).

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Container List

Notebook

Box Folder Title Date
1 1 Legal notebook 1794

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