Pennsylvania State Archives Collection

Images of lists of attorneys granted permission to practice in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. In order to practice at this level, attorneys were required to have a sponsor. Information given includes names of attorney and sponsor, and date of admission. From 1903 on, either the county of residence or the place of admission of the attorney are also noted. At the end of the first volume (1742-1902) is a "List of attorneys of the Supreme Court of the Province of Pennsylvania admitted at various times previous to the Revolution," which is noted as having been copied from "Sheriff's Deed Book B," and which shows the names of the attorneys, and their dates of admission. For related records, see link below. Disclaimer: Not all records in this collection are digitized. Please visit the PA State Archives to see the rest of the collection.

The documents within this series were extracted from their original series files in 1925 due to their unique historical value. They contain valuable autographs of national or state figures, including such notables as William Penn, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Henry Knox, James Madison, Henry Clay, Dr. Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Jared Ingersoll, General Peter Muhlenberg, William Bingham, Gouvernoeur Morris, James Wilson, General Anthony Wayne, and Gilbert Stuart. Some of the documents contained in this series fill major gaps in the original series and include a land grant of 1683, inventory sheets of real estate for attained citizens, papers relating to various court cases, depositions of Benjamin Franklin and Henry Clay, rules of court, petitions, affidavits, and recognizances. Disclaimer: The Pennsylvania State Archives provides digital access to a wide variety of historical documents, some of which may be considered offensive by current standards. The Archives does not endorse views expressed in these historical collections, but presents these collections to aid in scholarly research.

Images of reports of inquisitions conducted by a County Coroner and a twelve man panel who had viewed a body attesting to the cause of death. These inquests determined the need for criminal prosecutions, and were used as the basis for conviction at the grand jury inquest if needed. Information provided includes name of decedent; date and cause of death; date of inquest; and county in which it took place. Causes of death listed include criminal acts (assault, murder); medical problems (poison, drinking water, apoplexy, flu, burns, fits, palsey, opium overdoses, and suffocation); and accidents (drowning, being hit by falling trees and logs, sleepwalking out a window, falling from buildings, horses, ladders, and chairs, or into wells, and being run over by wagons or horses, or both). Other causes listed are suicide, natural causes, and "upon the visitation of God." Places where inquests were conducted include Berks, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Delaware, Northampton, and Northumberland Counties, and Philadelphia. Other documents sometimes included with the inquisitions are Sheriff's Inquests and Grand Jury Inquests for Oyer and Terminer in Bucks County, death verifications, and witness depositions. Disclaimer: The Pennsylvania State Archives provides digital access to a wide variety of historical documents, some of which may be considered offensive by current standards. The Archives does not endorse views expressed in these historical collections, but presents these collections to aid in scholarly research.

Images of twelve volumes of indices containing the following information for each judgment: case title, court term when judgment was rendered, page number, and sometimes additional information on the settlement.

A recognizance is an obligation of record, which a party enters into before some court of record or magistrate, with a condition to perform some particular act. Failing to do so, the party (recognizor) is obliged to pay a specific sum to the court or to the other party involved in the case. The object of a recognizance is generally to secure the presence of a defendant to perform or suffer the judgment of the court. Images of recognizance papers filed include writs of error, writs returned to the court, writs for appearance, writs sur certiorari, writs for peace and good behavior, and writs for bail. Information provided includes name of plaintiff, name and residence of defendant, amount of recognizance, and duties required. Other documents are also found, such as distringas to nisi prius, exceptions to bail, orders of the court, and bonds. Of interest may be the final folder, which documents a United States Circuit Court (Third District) case, as well as one from within the Commonwealth involving a conspiracy charge.

The petitions were originally made to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, requesting that he issue a writ of habeas corpus which would then allow the petitioner to appear before the court to inquire into the legality of his confinement. Information provided by the petitions and their accompanying writs includes names of petitioner (detainee), reason for detention (including robbery, desertion, going AWOL, and not re-enlisting after being paid to do so), filing date, and action taken by the court. Other documents filed include manumissions, paper books, memoranda, processes, enlistment papers, and witness lists. Individuals named may include those in charge of jails and workhouses, military commanders of the Revolution, and a Vice Council of France. Most of the cases represented relate either to military affairs or slave holdings. Of special interest are documents from the state of Rhode Island. A related series (RG-033-A-119) Writs of Habeas Corpus for Black Slaves and Indentured Servants, 1784-1787. Many of the writs provide such information as name of slave, place of residence, name of master, type of crime, and sometimes particulars concerning the slave's familial relationships, occupation, and purchase. Disclaimer: Not all records in this collection are digitized. Please visit the PA State Archives to see the rest of the collection. The Pennsylvania State Archives provides digital access to a wide variety of historical documents, some of which may be considered offensive by current standards. The Archives does not endorse views expressed in these historical collections, but presents these collections to aid in scholarly research.