Documents Signed (2).
This attorney from west central Illinois rode the judicial circuit with Abraham Lincoln; in 1858, when William "Duff" Armstrong (son of Lincoln's New Salem friend Jack Armstrong) was charged with murder, Lincoln represented him -- and Shaw served as co-prosecuting attorney; Armstrong was acquitted and it became one of the better known cases of Lincoln's law career. Item #48601
The first of these two Documents Signed is Shaw's law license: 1p, 8" X 12¼", n.p., 4 April 1851. Very good. Mild age toning and a few discreet archival mends on verso; mounting traces on verso along top edge (minor show-through). Top half of this text is an ADS in the hand of SAMUEL H. TREAT (1811-87), Illinois attorney and long-time Lincoln friend who joined the Illinois Supreme Court in 1841 and served as its chief justice from 1848 to 1855. Boilerplate text noting that "J.H. Shaw of Cass County Illinois has this day produced to us, Justices of the Supreme Court of the State of Illinois from the County Judge of said Cass County a certificate of good moral character and we are satisfied of his qualifications to practice law in this State -- Now therefore we do hereby license said J.H. Shaw to practice as an attorney and counsellor at law and Solicitor in Chancery in all the courts of law or equity or of record within the State of Illinois...." Signed boldly by Treat, and below him also signed by LYMAN TRUMBULL (1813-96), associate justice (1848-53) and on again/off again Lincoln friend who went on to serve Illinois in the U.S. Senate (1855-73). Lower half of this document consists of a docket certifying the license dated 19 May 1851 in the hand of and signed by court clerk W.B. Warren. The second Document Signed is also 1p, 7 3/4" X 10", Chicago, IL, 24 April 1855. Very good. Faint age toning and minor folds; top 1½" with show-through from mounting traces on verso. William H. Bradly, clerk of the Circuit Court for the Northern District of Illinois, neatly pens and signs this certification that "J Henry Shaw was duly admitted and qualified as an Attorney and Counsellor of Said Circuit Court of the United States for the Northern District of Illinois...." At lower left is faint circular blind-embossed "Seal of the Circuit Court Northern District of Illinois." An intriguing, unusual and scarce pair of documents licensing one of Lincoln's colleagues to practice law -- one of them largely in the hand of a long-time Lincoln friend (Treat) and also signed by another (Trumbull).
Price: $495.00