Joshua Seney Memoranda Book

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: GTM-0080

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Scope and Contents

This collection contains a bound volume of orders related to measures taken by Queen Anne's County, Maryland, courts to protect property (collect debts, etc.) written down by Joshua Seney. At the front there is a table of contents listing offenses with page numbers where the reader can see each related law and justification of judgement. As the volume does not contain named plaintiffs or defendants, it seems to be a guidebook rather than a record of verdicts handed down. The frontispiece was signed by politicians Joshua Seney (1756-1798), Philip Francis Thomas (1810-1890), and William Frick (1790-1855) in 1784, 1833, and 1850, respectively, indicating a transfer of ownership over time.

Of note is an explanation of the condition of replevin bond and the improper holding of an enslaved person (p. 222-223).

Materials on Slavery

This collection contain references to slaveholding.

Dates

Creation: 1794

Creator

Seney, Joshua, 1756-1798 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Most manuscripts collections at the Georgetown University Booth Family Center for Special Collections are open to researchers; however, restrictions may apply to some collections. Collections stored off site require a minimum of three days for retrieval. For use of all manuscripts collections, researchers are advised to contact the Booth Family Center for Special Collections in advance of any visit.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers are solely responsible for determining the copyright status of the materials being used, establishing who the copyright owner is, locating the copyright owner, and obtaining permission for intended use.

Biographical Note

Joshua Seney (1756-1798) of Maryland was a farmer and lawyer who became sheriff of Queen's Anne County (1779-1784) and delegate to the Maryland House of Delegates (1785-1787) and the Continential Congress (1788). He then served as a member of the US House of Representatives (1789-1792) and judge of the Third Judicial District of Maryland (1792-1796). Seney successfully ran for Congress again in 1798 but died before taking office.