TABLE OF CONTENTS
Descriptive Summary
Biographical Note
Scope and Content Note
Restrictions
Access Points
Administrative Information
Bibliography
Container List
Pennington Papers
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Guide to the William Pennington (1796-1862), Lawyer, Governor of New Jersey, U.S. Congressman
Papers
1795-1915
(Bulk dates: 1820-1865)
MG 331
The New Jersey Historical Society
52 Park Place
Newark, New Jersey 07102
Contact: NJHS Library
(973) 596-8500 x249
© 2006 All rights reserved.
The New Jersey Historical Society, Publisher
Processed by Kim Charlton, March 2000.
Finding aid encoded by Julia Telonidis. June 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.
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Descriptive Summary
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Creator: |
Pennington, William, 1796-1862. |
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Title: |
William Pennington (1796-1862), Lawyer, Governor of New Jersey, U.S. Congressman
Papers |
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Dates: |
1795-1915 |
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Abstract: |
Pennington was a lawyer from Newark who served as governor of New Jersey, 1837-1843, and as a Whig and Republican representative to the 36th U.S. Congress, 1859-1861. Many of his letters and legal papers relate to his duties as a trustee for the New Jersey Protection and Lombard Bank. Included is correspondence of Alfred P. Condit, John Cox, Israel Crane, Andrew Gray, John C. Hamilton, Phebe Pennington, James Robertson, and John Wilson. |
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Quantity: |
.33 linear feet |
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Collection Number: |
MG 331 |
Biographical Note
The Pennington Family of New Jersey is descended from Ephraim Pennington, one of the first settlers of Newark, New Jersey, whose father, also Ephraim Pennington, immigrated to New Haven, Connecticut around 1643.
William Pennington, the son of Phoebe Wheeler (d.1804) and William S. Pennington (1757-1826), was born in Newark, New Jersey on May 4, 1796. He graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), studied law with Theodore Frelinghuysen, and was licensed as an attorney in 1817, as a counselor in 1820, and as a sergeant-at-law in 1834. From 1817-1826, he was a clerk in the district and circuit courts of New Jersey, where his father was a judge. In politics he was a Whig/Republican and was elected as a member of the 1828 New Jersey State Assembly and as the governor and chancellor of New Jersey from 1837-1843. During his time as governor, he was involved in a New Jersey congressional election scandal referred to as the Broad Seal War, where the Whig commissions he signed were overturned by Congress and given to Democrats.
When Pennington left office, he returned to his law practice and the hope that he would be appointed a chancellor or ambassador. He turned down President Millard Fillmore’s nominations as territorial governor of Minnesota and as a claims judge under the treaty that ended the Mexican War, and did not return to public office until his election as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1858. He served as a representative until 1861 and was the speaker of the House in 1859. After he left office, he returned to his law practice in Newark, New Jersey.
William Pennington married Caroline Burnet (1797-1872), the daughter of Joanna Alling and Dr. William Burnet, Jr. (1754-1799), on May 23, 1820. The couple had four children together: William S. Pennington, Henrietta Pennington, Mary Pennington, and Edward R. Pennington. William Pennington died in Newark on February 16, 1862.
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Scope and Content Note
The papers largely consist of the correspondence, court documents, contracts, and financial documents of William Pennington (1796-1862), dating from 1795-1915, with bulk dates of 1820-1865. The documents have been arranged by the above record types.
Most of the correspondence in the collection is written to William Pennington (1796-1862), with a lesser number of letters to Caroline Burnet Pennington, William Pennington (1869-1922), and Albert P. Condit. Correspondents of William Pennington (1796-1862) include Alexander M. Cumming, Israel Crane, Robert Campbell, John Cox, Joseph C. Hornblower, James Robertson, and Anthony Rutgers, and the letters mostly pertain to legal matters and court cases. There is one letter from the firm Anderson & Raymond dealing with a well-known inheritance case that Pennington argued, Gifford v. Thorn. The collection also contains a series of letters written to Albert P. Condit, a Newark lawyer, from William Pennington (1796-1862) during his time in Washington, D.C. as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. In these letters Pennington discusses the politics of the times, referring to the presidential nominations of 1860 and then to President Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet appointments. Pennington also informs Condit that he will not run for reelection, saying, “the House of Representatives is a place for a younger man.”
Pennington’s legal career is also documented in the court records contained in these papers. There are briefs, arguments, notes, opinions, pleas, notices, depositions, warrants, summons, subpoenas, and powers of attorney for various cases Pennington was involved in, one of which was a case against the New Jersey Protection and Lombard Bank, of which Pennington was a trustee. This series also contains the charges in a case brought by Samuel Pennington (1765-1835) and Stephen Gould against Robert Hays regarding a breach of contract to sell and deliver the Newark newspaper, The Sentinel of Freedom. William Pennington’s father, William S. Pennington (1757-1826) was the attorney for this case.
Lastly, the papers contain contracts and financial documents of William Pennington (1796-1862) and his business acquaintances, friends, and family. These items include land deeds for Newark and Pequannock, New Jersey; bonds; a petition for a peddler’s license; an inheritance agreement; receipts; promissory notes; checks; accounts; and court bills. There is also a small collection of signatures, including the autograph of William F. Cody (“Buffalo Bill”), and an 1863 muster roll for Company K of the 21st Regiment of South Carolina Volunteers of the Confederate Army.
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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
This collection contains many fragile documents, please handle with care.
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
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The entries below represent persons, organizations, topics, forms, and occupations documented in this collection. |
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Subject Names: |
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Albert P. Condit, Pennington, William, 1796-1862. |
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Condit, Albert P. |
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Subject Organizations: |
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AT & T |
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Bergen County Sewer Authority (Bergen County, N.J.) |
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Good Government League (Hackensack, NJ) |
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Subject Topics: |
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Congressmen–New Jersey–Hackensack. |
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Governors–New Jersey–Hackensack. |
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Lawyers–New Jersey. |
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Subject Places: |
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Newark (N.J.) |
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Document Types: |
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Bonds. |
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Contracts. |
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Legal documents. |
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Letters (Correspondence) |
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Muster rolls. |
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as: Manuscript Group 331, William Pennington
Papers, The New Jersey Historical Society.
Acquisition Information
The source of this collection is unknown. It was possibly the gift of William Pennington (1869-1922), a member of The New Jersey Historical Society.
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Bibliography
American National Biography.
Dictionary of American Biography.
Pennington Family File, The New Jersey Historical Society.
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Container List
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Pennington Papers
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| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 1 |
1 |
Correspondence:
To Albert P. Condit from William Pennington (1796-1862) (13 letters) |
1860-1861 |
| 1 |
2 |
To Caroline Burnet Pennington from:
Pennington, Phebe; Pennington, William (1796-1862); Robins, Eliza H.;
To William Pennington (1869-1922) from: Adams, W.I. Lincoln; Henrick, James Frederic (2 letters) |
1814-1915 |
| 1 |
3 |
To William Pennington (1796-1862) from:
– Anderson, R.J. 1854
– Anderson, William J. 1827
– Anderson & Raymond 1835
– Campbell, Robert 1835
– Cox, John 1841
– Crane, Israel 1822
– Cumming, Alexander M. 1854
– Disborough, W. 1838
– Edwards & (McC?) 1837
– Griffin & Wheaton 1836
– Griswold, Samuel H. (2 letters) 1827, 1829
– Hamilton, John C. 1822
– Masters, M( ), & Co. 1837
– Robertson, James 1824
– Rutgers, Anthony 1834
– A. Valentine & Sons 1832
– Van den Heusel, J.C. 1823
– Ward, J.W. 1844
– ( ), A. 1838 |
1822-1854 |
| 1 |
4 |
Miscellaneous Correspondence: To Ancell, Jeremiah from G. Gray (2 copies) 1830
– To Bryce, William from J.E. Crane 1825
– To Duxbury, Caleb from Andrew Gray 1830
– To Green, C.S. from William Pennington (1796-1862) 1853
– To Gummere, Samuel R. from Richard Howell 1843
– To Hornblower, Joseph C. from Benjamin W. Rogers 1832
– To Ludlow, John R. from William Pennington (1796-1862) (copy) 1825
– To McLaren, D. from Cornel G. Lake 1820
– To Mallory, Garrick from F.C.F. Randolph (copy) 1825
– To Priest, Edward C. from John Wilson (7 letters) 1828-1829
– To Pur(?), Rev. (M?) from William Pennington (1796-1862) 1857
– To Riggs, Caleb S. from William Kent 1826
– To Riker, J.C. from T. Little 1852
– To Rogers, Benjamin W. from Gould Phinney 1822
– To Ru(ggles?), S.B. from William Pennington (1796-1862) 1858
– To Tomlinson, W.A. from Sturges Bradley 1825
– To ( ) from William Pennington (1796-1862) 1859 |
1820-1859 |
| 1 |
5 |
Court Documents:
Briefs, Arguments, Notes, Opinions, Pleas, Notices, and Affadavits:
– Collins, John vs. the estate of Robert Taylor and others: Opinion 1842
– Cummings, A.M. vs. Joseph L. Josephs, et al.:Notes on trial
1832
– Dod, Stephen & Robert Baldwin vs. Jacob Alyea: Pleas and notices 1831
– Eden, Rachel vs. John Rathbones: Exceptions to report n.d.
– Hull, Amos G. vs. Christian Stockman: Brief n.d.
– Lawrence, Samuel A. vs. Henry Morris: Notes on appeals trial 1823 |
1831-1842 |
| 1 |
6 |
Court Documents: New Barbadoes Toll Bridge Co. vs. John A. Berry and Abraham J. Berry: Notice 1827
– New York Lombard Association vs. New Jersey Manufacturing and Banking Company: Notice and Bill 1828
– Peek, Aaron v. Thomas Buick and Ann Roome, administrators of B. Roome: Notes on trial ca. 1828
– Pennington, Samuel (1765-1835) vs. John Wallis: Libel case – Draft of argument, William S. Pennington (1757-1826), attorney n.d.
– Pennington, Samuel (1765-1835) and Stephen Gould vs. Robert Hays – Breach of contract regarding the Sentinel of Freedom: Charges, William S. Pennington (1757-1826), attorney 1803
– Pierson, Jabez, Joseph Pierson, and others vs. Nathan Squire and others: Affadavit 1823
– Rogers, B.W. vs. Gould Phinney: Notes n.d.
– Spinning, Benjamin vs. William H. Gomersall: Notice of trial date 1860
– Starbuck, Charles and Nathaniel vs. Abraham and Isaac Tice: Brief n.d. |
1803-1860 |
| 1 |
7 |
Depositions, Warrants, Summons, Subpoenas, Power of Attorneys, and Clerk’s certificates:
– Birch, Tho.: Power of Attorney, to Aaron S. Pennington 1828
– Condit, Joel W.: Deposition in case concerning the officer elections for The Proprietors of the Bridges over the Rivers Passaic an Hackensack 1833
– Fish, Randal: Warrant, wanted in NY 1837
– Meloney, Nathaniel: Power of attorney to Amzi Dodd 1826
– Pennington, Jabez P., Samuel H. Pennington, et al.: Subpoena in case against Calvin Ferrman, Samuel Smith, et al. 1841
– Poillon, Peter: Warrant 1842
– Richardson, J.W.: Power of Attorney to Charles S. Ferris n.d.
– Smith, Josiah S., John H. Smith, Sarah Eckerson, Moses Van Nostrand, Jacob Van Nostrand, and Henry Van Nostrand: Summons to appear in the Bergen County Orphan’s Court 1870
– Vandevender, Dean: Warrant, wanted in NY 1840
– Young, William C. and Henry P. Cropsey: Power of Attorney 1825
– Juror summons 1828
– Clerk’s certificates (3) 1829, 1834, 1837 |
1825-1840 |
| 1 |
8 |
Papers regarding the New Jersey Protection and Lombard Bank |
1824-1828 |
| 1 |
9 |
Land Deeds:
– Cory, Jonathan and Frances to James Turnbull 1833
– Crane, Samuel M. & Jane Maria and Daniel B. Crane to George Carter and Amos K. Carter 1831
– Goble, Luther to Zephaniah Drake 1833
– Keene, James to David Smith 1836
– Poinier, John & Elizabeth to Peter Hill 1807
– Reeve, William, executor of Isaac Reeve, to William Reeve, Jr. 1797
– Sayrs, Caleb and Uzal Sayrs, executors of Jonathan Sayrs to David Nichols, Jedidiah Johnson Nichols, and Isaac Nichols 1815 |
1797-1836 |
| 1 |
10 |
Bonds:
– Russell, Caleb bound to Richard Prosser 1827
– Wheeler, Caleb bound to John R. Crane 1823
– Woodruff, Archibald, David D. Crane, and Josiah Johnson bound to Newark Mutual Fire Insurance Company 1833 |
1827-1833 |
| 1 |
11 |
Other Contracts:
– Agreement between Moses Ogden and Elizabeth Jamison regarding Lucy (Jamison) Robertson 1795
– Petition for a Peddler’s license: Michael Quinn 1838 |
1795-1838 |
| 1 |
12 |
Financial Documents:
Receipts, Promissory Notes, Checks, Accounts |
1798-1834 |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 2 |
13 |
Receipts, Promissory Notes, Checks, Accounts |
1835-1886, n.d. |
| 2 |
14 |
Court Bills and Accounts |
1823-1835 |
| 2 |
15 |
Muster Roll of Company K of the 21st Regiment of South Carolina Volunteers, Confederate Army |
1863 Apr. 30 – June 30 |
| 2 |
16 |
Signatures and Empty envelopes |
n.d. |
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