Legal documents
Found in 30 Collections and/or Records:
Articles of agreement, Bushrod Washington, Henry S. Turner, John Hooe, Jr., 1824 August 4
Autograph document signed in the hand of Bushrod Washington, for the sale of land in Prince William County called Yorkshire Farm.
Clifton tract, 1760 May 20
Notice of the sale of the Clifton Land [River Farm] to [George] Washington
Contract, to John Posey, 1770 April 23
Agreement for lease of 7 acres of land by John Posey to George Washington.
Copy of the last will and testament of Bushrod Washington, 1830 February 12
A copy of Bushrod Washington's will in the Fairfax County Court. Includes instructions for the division of the Mount Vernon property, library, and enslaved population, with instructions that land should be given to West Ford.
Copy of the last will and testament of Hannah Bushrod Washington, approximately 1801
A manuscript copy of the last will and testament of Hannah Bushrod Washington, in which she specifies that her body be left out until it putrefies so that she is not buried alive. In her will, Hannah specifies that West Ford, the son of an enslaved woman named Venus, should be inoculated from smallpox, apprenticed to a tradesman, and freed at the age of twenty-one.
Copy of the will of John Bushrod made for John Augustine Washington, 1760 December 30
Court documents, Joseph Stevens trial, 1757 July 14
Documents detail trial charges of Joseph Stevens. Signed by Zachary Lewis A court document giving outcome of the trial is also included, Feb. 1758. Trial held in Caroline County, Virginia.
Court record, acknowledgment of receipt of last will and testament of John Augustine Washington, 1787 July 31
At court held for Westmoreland County the 31st day of July 1787, the Will and Codicil made 1785 November 19 by John Augustine Washington and under the oath of executors Bushrod Washington and Corbin Washington along with William Augustine Washington was entered into and acknowledged bond with conditions as the law direct. Certificate is granted them for obtaining a probate. Signed by James Bland, C.W.C and William Butler, D.C. and noted as 'A true Copy.' Autograph document signed, 1 page.
Decree, The court of Chancery in the Suit of Clifton against Carroll, 1759 April 11
Court decrees that Sale of William Clifton's lands to Thomas Colville and George Johnston to be put aside, and lands are to be sold at public auction to pay off his just debts to Charles Carroll and other defendants. Washington G.W. bought this land at auction, and it became his River farm.
Deed, Giles Brent, 1654 September 6
Clerical copy of a deed for 1000 acres of land along the south bank of the Potomac River, Westmoreland County (the area became Fairfax County in 1742), Virginia, granted to Giles Brent, Junior. George Washington purchased the tract of land in 1760 and at that time may have acquired and annotated this copy of the 1654 deed. On the verso of the document George Washington's inscription reads, "1 copy, Richard Bennett, esq., grant to Giles Brent for 1000 acs. of Ld. 6th September 1654."
Deposition in the suit of Thomas Marshall against Samson Darrell, 1748 March 29
Deposition of George Fayette Washington, 1820 May 2
D.S. 1 page. Deposition of George Fayette Washington before WIlliam Waters, justice of the peace in Washington, D.C. -- deposer is the only surviving son of George A. Washington, late a Lieutenant in Virginia continental line -- claim for U.S. bounty lands -- his brother Charles A. and sister Anna Maria Thornton are dead, and sister's sons Charles A. ad Churchill J. Thornton to receive half. Document signed, docketed "Memo. May 2d to ex. and Rept. tomorrow," watermark.
Document, Complainant Robert Treat Paine on behalf of the State of Massachusetts vs. Margaret Draper, 1780 July 2
Document, "Memorandum of the Division of Slaves of the Late Lawrence Washington Esq.", 1754 December 10
This document divides Lawrence Lewis' slaves between Col. George Lee and the brothers of Lawrence Washington. It is signed by GW, George Lee, Ann Lee, and Aug. Washington. Witnessed by William Fairfax, George William Fairfax, Robert Merrie, John Dalton, Thomas Plummer, John Tuberville, John Carlyle, Sarah Carlyle, and Bryan Fairfax.
Document, Summary of Pleas, George Washington and Bryan Fairfax vs. William Savage and Thomson Mason, 1774 May 17
Indenture, Deed of Lease from Penelope French and Benjamin Dulany to John Robertson for part of Mount Vernon tract, 1784 January 1
Indenture, Henry Trenn to Lawrence Washington, witnessed by George Washington, probably 1750 March 1
Henry Trenn binds himself to pay £50 unless he "make or cause to be made unto the above sd. Lawrence Washington ... a Lease for the Term of nine hundred ninety & nine Years of all the Land which is at this present overflowed by the sd. Washington Mill Dam included within the sd. Trenn Bounds on Dogue Runn ..."
Last will and testament, John Augustine Washington, 1784 June 22
Legal document, Power of Attorney to George Augustine Washington, 1789 March 18
George Washington grants his nephew, George Augustine Washington, power of attorney during the former's absence from Mount Vernon. George Washington was preparing to take office as first President of the United States, and George Augustine Washington acted as manager of Mount Vernon during George Washington's first term. Witnessed by Tobias Lear and John Fairfax.
Letter, Bushrod Washington to Charles Lewis, 1823 May 16
Autograph letter, signed. "Bush. Washington" writes to Charles Lewis Esq, regarding a possible arbitration or suit. Letter mentions Mr.Thomas Swann, Mr. Robert I. Taylor, and Mr. Walter Jones. Handwritten note at the bottom.
Patent, to Jonathan Dickerson, 1791 July 30
This printed document is a patent for a method of controlling tides, signed by George Washington as President, Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State, and Edmund Randolph as Attorney General.
Petition of Ebenezer Dayton to the Executive Council of Pennsylvania, certified by William Floyd, 1782 March 27
Petition from Ebenezer Dayton to the Executive Council of Pennsylvania. Dayton confesses how he did "flee from there [New York] as a refugee, leaving his lands in the power of the enemy", and petitions to acquire a "whaleboat". William Floyd, Dayton's neighbor, certifies Dayton's claims. Floyd is a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Autograph , signed, 2 pages.
Platt, 643 acres of land belonging to John Augustine Washington, 1753 April 18
This collection of historic manuscripts dates from 1607-1933, with the bulk of materials dating from 1738-1868. The correspondence, journals and diaries, legal and financial records, estate documents, and printed ephemera in the collection primarily relate to the Washington and Custis families, the Revolutionary War, and society life in antebellum Washington D.C. and Virginia.
Portions of this collection have been digitized, as noted in the item-level descriptions.
Power of attorney, Lawrence Lewis for retrieval of two escaped slaves, 1831 June 10
The son of George Washington's sister, Lawrence Lewis authorizes Thomas Griggs to bring back a slave named Shadrach and his brother Arlington who ran away separately from Lewis' farm near Battletown.
Quit claim deed by John Carney to George Washington, 1765 February 26
Quit claim deed written on handmade laid paper in the hand of George Washington. The quit claim is by John Carney to George Washington for 200 acres of land at Cliftons, formerly Piscataway Neck, which later became part of the Mount Vernon River Farm. Signed by John Carney (his mark), Lund Washington, Walter Magowan, Eno Williams (his mark), and Thos. Bishop.
Summons, Commonwealth of Virginia to the Washington family, 1816 February 10
A.D.S. 1 page. Summons to the Washington Family pertaining to a lawsuit.
Will, George Augustine Washington, 1795
Will, John Augustine Washington, 1784 June 22
A.D.S. 4 pages. Including codicil, Nov. 19, 1785. Will of John Augustine Washington of Bushfield, younger brother of George Washington.
Wills of John Bushrod with notes by Bushrod Washington, 1719 January 26
Three copies of the will of John Bushrod of Westmoreland County with notes by Bushrod Washington for the case Washington vs. Fauntleroy.