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Rare Original 1838 Justice Court Legal Filing – Essex County, New Jersey
Offered here is an original handwritten Justice of the Peace court document dated February 16, 1838, concerning a promissory note dispute tied to the prominent Condit family of Essex County, NJ.
The case records Stephen S. Day vs. Lucius L. Tomkins before Justice Ira Baldwin, Esq., over an unpaid balance of $88.90 from a $100 promissory note originally issued at the Orange Bank of New Jersey. The note was:
Drawn by Lucius L. Tomkins (Defendant)
Made payable to Hiram E. Condit (1787–1839), of the influential Condit family of Essex County
Endorsed by Condit to Charles E. Willis
Transferred to Stephen S. Day (Plaintiff’s attorney, likely Newark lawyer Stephen Decatur Day, 1801–1888)
This document is especially significant because Hiram E. Condit died in 1839, making this one of his last known financial dealings. The Condit family remains well-documented in genealogical records, with deep ties to Newark, Orange, and Essex County history.
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Details
Date: February 16, 1838
Location: Essex County, New Jersey
Content: Promissory note dispute (balance of $88.90)
Size: Single folio sheet, docketed on reverse
Names mentioned: Hiram E. Condit, Stephen S. Day, Lucius L. Tomkins, Charles E. Willis, Ira Baldwin
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Condition
Folded as issued, some age-related toning and foxing, otherwise clean, complete, and easily legible. A strong example of early 19th-century New Jersey legal history.
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Collector’s Note
This is a first-time offering from a private collection held for over 70 years. Rare to find a Justice Court filing with direct ties to a historically documented New Jersey family just a year before the death of its central figure.
Perfect for collectors of:
Early American legal history
New Jersey / Essex County manuscripts
Condit family genealogy
Banking and financial ephemera
