1800 Stephen Longfellow Signed Court Writ – Father of Henry Wadsworth

Original Commonwealth of Massachusetts Court of Common Pleas writ issued in Cumberland County [District of Maine] on September 25, 1800, bearing the signature of Stephen Longfellow [1776–1849], distinguished Portland attorney, future U.S. Congressman, and father of celebrated American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The action was brought by William Woodman, a Portland hatter, against Samuel M. Quincy, also a hatter, seeking recovery arising from an agreement to furnish two suits of clothing—a "freedom suit" and a "common suit." The complaint alleges that only one suit had been delivered and that the second, valued at $42, remained unpaid. The reverse records the sheriff's return, fees, and the final notation "Judgment for forty-two Dollars," signed by Stephen Longfellow.

Executed just seven years before the birth of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, this manuscript documents the earliest phase of Stephen Longfellow's distinguished legal career and offers an appealing combination of literary association, early American commerce, and Federal-period legal history.

Date: September 25, 1800 [Sheriff's Return: October 3, 1800]
Location: Cumberland County, District of Maine [then part of Massachusetts]
Document Type: Court of Common Pleas writ of attachment with sheriff's return and judgment
Condition: Very good, with original folds, light age toning, period docketing, and clear manuscript throughout. An excellent early Maine legal document with direct Longfellow family association and strong historical appeal.

Document Summary

Court: Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Court of Common Pleas

County: Cumberland [District of Maine]

Date Issued: September 25, 1800

Sheriff's Return: October 3, 1800

Plaintiff:

• William Woodman of Portland, Hatter

Defendant:

• Samuel M. Quincy [described as a hatter residing in York County]

Claim:
The lawsuit concerns an unpaid obligation arising from clothing. The declaration states that Quincy promised to provide:

• one freedom suit
• one common suit

Only one suit had reportedly been furnished, while the "freedom suit" remained unpaid, valued at $42, for which judgment was ultimately entered.

The writ commands the sheriff to attach Quincy's property sufficient to satisfy damages of $60, pending trial.

Reverse

The reverse contains:

• Sheriff's return
• Service fees
• Travel expenses
• Judgment notation:

"Judgment for forty-two Dollars"

followed by the signature of Stephen Longfellow.

Historical Importance

This document illustrates commercial litigation in early Federal-era Maine while it remained part of Massachusetts.

It is particularly desirable because it is associated with Stephen Longfellow [1776–1849], who later became:

• a prominent Portland attorney
• member of the Massachusetts General Court
• delegate to the Hartford Convention
• U.S. Congressman from Maine [1823–1825]
• father of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The case also provides an interesting glimpse into the clothing trade around 1800. The distinction between a "freedom suit" and a "common suit" reflects period clothing terminology, with "freedom suit" referring to clothing furnished under a contractual obligation, often to apprentices or indentured servants upon completion of service.