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1763 CT Legal Manuscript Abatement Plea Simsbury New Hartford Isaac Baldwin Clerk Signed
Approximately 7” by 12” 4 pages 2 with writing
#368
1763 Connecticut Colony Legal Court Document Manuscript
Jurisdiction Dispute / Trespass Case: Simsbury & New Hartford, CT
Signed by County Clerk Isaac Baldwin & Deputy Sheriff Abijah Collins
Overview
Up for sale is an original 18th-century Colonial Connecticut legal manuscript document dated April 12, 1763. This handwritten legal filing pertains to a dispute over property jurisdiction and alleged trespass involving land boundaries between the towns of Simsbury and New Hartford in Hartford/Litchfield County.
The document features multiple official attestations and clerk notes written and signed by Isaac Baldwin (1716–1805), a notable Yale graduate (Class of 1735) who served as the first Clerk of the Litchfield County Court from 1751 to 1793.
Document Details & Transcription Excerpts
Date: April 12, 1763 (with a lower archival/file notation referencing "yr 1735")
Locations Referenced: Simsbury, New Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut
Key Signatures & Names:
Abijah Collins (Sheriff Deputy attestation at head: "The within writ was Read in the Hearing of the within Named Deft. per me abijah Collins Sheriff Deputy")
Isaac Baldwin, Clerk (Attestations at top and bottom: "A true Copy of the Pleas of the Parties as on file / Test: Isaac Baldwin Clerk")
Wolcott & Seymour (Attorneys for Plaintiff)
Summary of Content:
The defendant pleads in abatement, arguing that the alleged trespass was not done in the township of New Hartford, but rather on land belonging to the Proprietors of Simsbury in Hartford County.
Because the defendant claims rights as a proprietor under Simsbury, he argues the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case.
Paper & Ink: Authentic 18th-century laid rag paper with crisp, legible iron gall ink manuscript.
Wear: Shows expected historical fold lines, light age toning, minor edge wear/fraying, and light spots consistent with an authentic colonial court record.
