1828 Warren County, Mississippi Court Document – James Gibson Signature

Description

1828 Warren County, Mississippi Court Document – James Gibson Signature
Offered for your consideration is an early manuscript invoice used as evidence in a Mississippi court case, signed on the verso by James Gibson, 1
st
Probate Judge of Warren County. The document appears to be an invoice for items purchased by a now deceased individual that were apparently on account with the merchant at the time of his demise. The deceased individual is James Knowland, while the merchant is listed as Henry F. Schweppe. This is obviously a copy of the original invoice, as it is all in the same hand. The lower portion of the document is headline
“State of Mississippi / Warren County”
and reads
“Personally appeared before the Subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for the County aforesaid, Henry P. Schweppe, Who being duly sworn saith: That the above account as it stands stated is just and true, and that it is due and unpaid, and that no Security or
?
for the same hath been received whatever”
. This portion is signed at the conclusion by
“Henry F. Schweppe”
, and verified with the statement that it was
“Sworn to and Subscribed before me / March 24
th
1828”
above the signature of
“Jos. Templeton JP”
. The verso, which was originally blank, now bears notations which read
“Examined and allowed the 24
th
March 1828”
followed by the signature of
“James Gibson”
in his position as
“Judge of Probate”
, as well as a second statement which reads
“Received Payt of Mr. Jas. Hyland for the within acct”
, followed by the signature of
“H. F. Schweppe”
. An additional notation identifies the contents for filing and storage. An interesting document involving the payment of a debt after the death of the individual.
James Gibson
was born on May 14, 1795 in South Carolina. He relocated to Mississippi prior to early 1814, as he is listed as being married in that state on February 17, 1814. He was reported to have served at the Battle of New Orleans in early 1815, though cursory research has failed to find certain proof. He served as the first Probate Judge of Warren County, Mississippi. Gibson was wounded in a duel with sword canes in the dining room of the Washington Hotel in Vicksburg in early December, 1828. His opponent in the duel was his brother-in-law, Anthony Durden, a nephew of Newitt Vick. James Gibson died of his wound on December 5, 1828.
The presently offered document shows signs of significant period use and subsequent long term storage. Numerous folds, both horizontal and vertical, are present, fully expected on a document of this type. Light toning is noted across the entire surface, imparting to the paper a light tan to beige hue. Numerous areas of darker toning are present, as are several significant stains (however, none of these affect the legibility of the piece). The edges appear to have been trimmed or cut at some time in the past, lightly affecting a few words in the text, with one noticeable paper chip seen at the top right. Measuring approximately 6⅜ x 6⅝ inches, this piece would make a nice addition to any early Mississippi document collection.
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Buy or Bid with Confidence – American Coins & Collectibles President Richie Self has worked 6 years as a paper money grader/authenticator. He has contributed to numerous reference books within the industry, as well as being a co-author of “The Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate Bonds, 2
nd
Edition” with Douglas B. Ball, Ph.D., Henry F. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D. and James R. Desabaye. Mr. Self is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, as well as numerous regional numismatic associations. He is an authorized submitter to NGC, PCGS, and PMG, a diamond founding member of Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers and a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. American Coins and Collectibles can be found at many of the state and local coin shows.
American Coins and Collectibles
Shreveport, LA