Legal Papers of John Adams, volume 1

Fitch’s Assignment of Errors<a xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" href="#LJA01d115n1" class="note" id="LJA01d115n1a">1</a>: Middlesex Superior Court, Cambridge, October–November 1769 Fitch, Samuel Fitch’s Assignment of Errors: Middlesex Superior Court, Cambridge, October–November 1769 Fitch, Samuel
Fitch's Assignment of Errors1
Middlesex Superior Court, Cambridge, October–November 1769

In the Case of Ann Jocelin against John Harrington heard and Adjudged at the Court of General Sessions of the Peace held at Concord within and for the County of Middlesex on the Second Tuesday of September in the Year of our Lord 1769. The Errors Assigned by the said John on the Certiorari are as follows vizt.

1. It doth not Appear by the Record of the Judgment or Sentence of said Court of General Sessions of the peace, or by any part of the Record in said Case That the said John Harrington was ever accused by the said Ann Jocelin of being the Father of the Bastard Child born of her Body in June 1768 before the said Child was born nor 'till more than Twelve Months after:

2. It doth not Appear by the Record of said Judgment or Sentence nor by any other Record of any proceedings in said Case That the 333said Ann Continued Constant in her Accusation of the said John to be the Father of the said Bastard Child, or That She was ever Examined upon Oath while She was pregnant with said Bastard Child, touching the same, nor that she was put upon the Discovery of the Truth relative thereto, in the Time of her Travail, all which by Law ought to have Appeared;2

3. It doth Appear by the Record of the said Judgment and Sentence of said Court in said Case, That The said Judgment was founded upon the Oath of the said Ann in said Court, That the said John was the Father of said Bastard Child, and upon that only;

4. The said Ann was not put upon the Discovery of the Truth relative to said Bastard Child during the Time of her Travel nor did she Charge the said John with being the Father of said Child during said Time, nor till long after.

Wherefore the said John prays That the said Order Sentence Judgment and proceedings of said Court of General Sessions of the peace, may be quashed and That he be allowed his Charges occasioned thereby and Costs.

Saml. Fitch for the said John Harrington
1.

SF 147872, presumably in Fitch's hand. The paragraphs are numbered in the margin. The date has been supplied from the fact that the notification to Ann Josselin issued on 2 Nov. 1769. Min. Bk. 88, SCJ Middlesex, Oct. 1769, N – 10. Compare No. 27, Doc. VII.

2.

The statutory requirements. See No. 28, text at note 1.

Adams’ Minutes of the Testimony<a xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" href="#LJA01d116n1" class="note" id="LJA01d116n1a">1</a>: Middlesex Superior Court, Charlestown, April 1771 JA

1771-04

Adams’ Minutes of the Testimony: Middlesex Superior Court, Charlestown, April 1771 Adams, John
Adams' Minutes of the Testimony1
Middlesex Superior Court, Charlestown, April 1771
Ann Josselyne vs. John Harrington. Bastardy.

Putnam.

C.J. If there is other Evidence of Circumstances that tend to render it probable, will not that answer the End of that Prerequisite, of Examination in the Time of Travail?2

Jerusha Newton. In feby. she sent for the Man and Jno. Harrington came. She was very suddenly taken in Travel, and very bad. Midwife not there till an Hour after the Child was born. That very day before her Delivery she said Jno. Harrington was the father. She was then very comfortable and well. No Question was put, in the Time of her Travail. She said she wonderd how any Man could serve any Woman as Jno. Harrington did.

334

Mary Morse. Did not examine her. There was Something Said after the Birth, of the Childs looking like Jno. Harrington.

Adonijah Newton. I went and found him at a Burying. All I had to do was to ask him to come, I did not know she was with Child. Some time after she wanted to see him again. Then I mistrusted she was with Child. He wonderd what she wanted to see him for. She told me, before the Child was born, that she was like to have a Child by Harrington.

Thos. Josselyne. Harrington Said, I f——d her once, but I minded my pulbacks. I sware I did not get it.

Rebecca Drummond. 2 Months ago. He denyed it, &c. That all the Money they had of him was for work.

Joshua Newton. I think he said she should not have no more Money than she had got. 3 or 4 Pistareens, and 10 dollars.

Gershom Newton. Knew of his coming to see her often and staying all Night. I carried a Letter from her to 3 the Monadnocks.4 He admired she should send to him for Money for he had left her some. He gave me a Note for £20 which I gave him up again, because he said his father would cut him off.

Never knew him there but two Nights.

Solomon Wheeler. Jno. Harrington was there once, and laid on the Bed alone. He afterwards called me a fool for telling of it. He said it would make a Talk.

1.

In JA's hand. Adams Papers, Microfilms, Reel No. 185. The date is only tentatively assigned. See text at note 6 above.

2.

Evidently a question by Chief Justice Benjamin Lynde, put at the beginning of Putnam's argument, as recorded by JA. See text at note 6 above. The Minute Book and files do not indicate for whom Putnam appeared, but if the witnesses that follow are his, he must have been for Ann.

3.

MS torn.

4.

“The Monadnocks” was a term commonly used for Mount Monadnock, or Grand Monadnock, near present Jeffrey, N.H. See 3 JA, Diary and Autobiography 268–269.