Guide to the Isaac Halstead Williamson and Benjamin Williamson Lawyers Papers 1772-1904 MG 330

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Descriptive Summary

Biographical Note

Scope and Content Note

Restrictions

Access Points

Related Material

Administrative Information

Bibliography

Container List

Williamson Papers

Guide to the Isaac Halstead Williamson and Benjamin Williamson
Lawyers
Papers
1772-1904

MG 330

© 2006 All rights reserved.

The New Jersey Historical Society, Publisher

Processed by Bob Golon, December 2003, 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. 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.

Biographical Note

Isaac Halstead Williamson and his son Benjamin Williamson were two of the most distinguished men who practiced law in New
Jersey during the 19th century.

Isaac H. Williamson was born in Elizabethtown in 1767. His brother Matthias Williamson was one of the leading lawyers in the
state, and Isaac studied with him, becoming licensed to practice law in 1791. He advanced to counselor in 1796 and to sergeant-at-law
in 1804. It was at this time that Isaac became involved in the state’s political process, and as a Democrat was elected to
represent Essex County in the New Jersey State Assembly in 1815. When Governor Dickerson resigned to accept his election to
the United States Senate, Williamson was elected Governor of New Jersey and was re-elected for 12 consecutive years. After
leaving the office of Governor in 1829, Williamson devoted the remainder of his career to the judiciary, becoming the Chancellor
of the State of New Jersey and a truly great equity judge. Isaac H. Williamson died on July 10, 1844, while he was still involved
in leading the convention to frame a new constitution for New Jersey as that convention’s president.

Benjamin Williamson was born in Elizabethtown in 1809 and attended the College of New Jersey at Princeton. After graduating
in 1827, he studied law and advanced to the bar in 1830, then was made a counselor in 1833. After setting up practice in Elizabeth,
he gained notoriety by becoming counsel for the Central Railroad of New Jersey. He served as prosecutor of the pleas in Essex
County for several years, and was appointed Chancellor of the State of New Jersey by Governor Fort in 1852, the same office
that his father Isaac had occupied. Under his guidance, the Chancery became one of the largest offices in the state.

Benjamin Williamson stepped down as Chancellor in 1859 and set up legal practice in Jersey City, N.J., maintaining that practice
for many years while serving in other capacities. In 1860, he was chosen as a delegate from New Jersey to the Democratic National
Convention, and in 1861 was one of the New Jersey delegates to the Peace Congress held in Washington D.C. in an effort to
avert the war between the states. He returned to Elizabeth late in life and died in 1892.

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Scope and Content Note

This collection consists mostly of legal documents and case records. Also included in this collection are incoming letters,
newspaper clippings, survey maps, and financial receipts. The correspondence consists of letters from Enoch Abel, James W.
Arrowsmith, Ezra Baker, John Colt, Roswell L. Colt, Silas Condit, Charles David, Smith Scudder, Samuel Shotwell, Charles Sitgreaves,
Elias Van Arsdale, Asa Whitehead, Thomas R. Wood and A. B. Woodruff.

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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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New Jersey.

Williamson Papers