William M. Pingry Simon Stevens Collection, 1760-1791 MSA 225 (cont’d in MS Size C) Introduction This collection contains documents from the early history of Vermont, 1760- 1791, especially from the struggle between New York and the early Vermont republic. Simon Stevens (1736-1817), a New York official, Springfield town clerk, and militia captain, saved these papers. They later became the property of Judge William M. Pingry of Springfield. In 1972 the VHS received a bequest from the estate of Mary Bigelow Dunlap, great granddaughter of William Pingry, which included the Stevens collection. The whereabouts of the collection, however, was unknown. In 1976 W. Leland Lawrence, of Lawrence and Wheeler, Inc., of Springfield, Vermont, found the papers and turned them over to the Vermont Historical Society. The collection consists of one archival box and one oversized folder, (.25 linear feet). It was previously in the VHS manuscript collection classified as MS 974.30 C91. Biographical Notes Simon Stevens was born in Canterbury, Connecticut on December 5,1736, and was a soldier in the French and Indian Wars. He was involved in the construction of the Crown Point Military Road and settled in Springfield, Vermont in 1762. In 1766 the governor of New York commissioned him captain of the Eighth Company of Foot. He was the first constable in Springfield and held numerous town offices, including that of town clerk and selectman. In 1794 he was elected to the General Assembly of the State of Vermont. He died on February 18, 1817. Scope and Content This collection, generally known as the “Pingry Papers” but also sometimes known as the “Stevens Papers,” dates from the period 1760-1791. For the most part, these papers related to the history of Cumberland County, now southeastern Vermont, when it was under the authority of New York or in dispute between New York and the early republic of Vermont. Many of the papers deal with the efforts of New York to maintain authority there and the displeasure of some of the participants with the efforts to form a state of Vermont in 1777. Many of the papers refer to military matters, as they affect Stevens personally or to the raising and paying of soldiers. A few of the documents date from the period of the French and Indian War. Organization The collection has been organized chronologically, into twelve folders, nine of them by their specific dates, one by their extended dates, one having no date given, and the last a miscellaneous collection of documents. There is also an oversized folder. Vermont Historical Society • Montpelier 05609-0901 Pingry/Stevens Collection 2 Most of the papers in this collection are numbered, in pencil or ink. The numbers refer to “A list of papers loaned to the Springfield Historical Society by Gov. Pingree, Admin. of the estate of Judge Pingry” (Folder 0). The numbering notations on the papers were made before their arrival at the Vermont Historical Society. Some items on this list are no longer in this collection. Missing are items 10, 18, 27, 56, 64, and perhaps parts of 9. An inventory sorted by original number is provided after the first inventory. Some of these documents have been published as is noted in the third list below. This listing may not be complete. Inventory (by present folder location) Folder Date Orig. No. Description MSA 225:01 1/26/61 3 A list of Captain Stevens’ Company in camp. MSA 225:01 3/13/64 54 Warning for a town meeting of Springfield. MSA 225:01 7/13/64 46 Warning of a town meeting in Springfield, July 13, 1764, to see if town will accept and repair the Crown Point road. MSA 225:01 7/5/65 41 Deed signed by Thomas Chandler. MSA 225:02 2/27/66 1 Commission of Simon Stevens as Captain, given by Sir Henry Moore. MSA 225:02 2/27/66 51 Appointment of Nathan Earll, Joel Stone, Abiel Chamberlin, Simon Stevens, and Medad Wright, as constables for Chester, Windsor, Newbury, Springfield, and Westminster. MSA 225:02 10/15/68 36 Order signed by Simon Spencer to pay money. MSA 225:02 10/17/68 15 Request for payment for ferrying services and shot rendered by John Nott. MSA 225:02 12/11/69 2 Indenture between Thomas Chandler and Ebenezer Holton. MSA 225:03 1/8/70 53 Part of a deed signed by Thomas Chandler, recorded January 18, 1770. MSA 225:03 8/1/75 32 A call for enlistment by Hilkiah Grout and the enlistment of five men under Captain Stevens. MSA 225:03 8/5/75 47 Order from Col. Simon Stevens for soldiers to meet at his house for further instructions. MSA 225:03 8/10/75 38 Notice sent to Col. Simon Stevens, giving a list of men enlisted from Hartford. MSA 225:04 8/14/75 7 A list of officers for Cumberland County, dated Springfield, August 14, 1775. MSA 225:04 5/21/76 5 List of town officials chosen for Springfield. MSA 225:04 6/12/76 37 Call from Simon Stevens, clerk, to voters of Springfield to elect county delegates to go to New York. MSA 225:04 8/10/76 39 Letter of free passage granted to Simon Stevens, as a representative of Cumberland Vermont Historical Society • Montpelier 05609-0901 Pingry/Stevens Collection 3 County to the New York Convention. MSA 225:05 8/14/76 60 Order from Captain Abner Bisbee to Sgt. Simon Spencer to call out men (listed by name) to meet in Springfield. MSA 225:05 3/13/77 48 Order for the capture of Daniel Gill for disloyalty to the country, issued in Springfield. MSA 225:05 4/2/77 23 Extract from New York Convention orders to apprehend those dangerous to the State. MSA 225:05 5/5/77 Not Extract from New York Convention numbered authorizing the calling out of the militia to apprehend all traitors or those “disaffected”. MSA 225:05 5/13/77 12 Paper signed by Jonathan Hunt, Clerk, dated Hinsdale May 13, 1777, certifying two people as members of the County Committee. MSA 225:05 5/13/77 43 Notification of a town meeting at Putney electing two committeemen to the county convention at Westminster. MSA 225:06 5/19/77 45 Notice from the Council of Safety for the State of New York to the sheriffs to call for elections. MSA 225:06 5/20/77 62 Notification from Simon Stevens, clerk, of the appointment of two members of the County Committee. MSA 225:06 5/23/77 59 Subpoena issued to five men to testify on matters relating to the charges against Daniel Gill, accused of being “enimical to the American States”. MSA 225:06 5/28/77 61 Brattleboro document giving notice that Obadiah Mills and Capt. John Sergants were appointed members of the County Committee. MSA 225:06 6/2/77 13 Windsor town meeting voting in the negative “to proceed to act according to the orders from the State of New York.” MSA 225:06 6/2/77 14 Instructions from the town of Townsend to ignore all orders from any county committee claiming authority under the State of New York. MSA 225:06 6/2/77 22 Certification of the election of James McCormick of Kent as representative to Westminster. MSA 225:07 6/3/77 24 Windsor representative protests against any claims by New York of having jurisdiction over the town. MSA 225:07 6/5/77 20 A petition signed by Abigail Evans concerning her being held for “some criminal act or action against the states of America”. Vermont Historical Society • Montpelier 05609-0901 Pingry/Stevens Collection 4 MSA 225:07 6/19/77 30 Election of delegates from Hinsdale to meet with others to protest to the Continental Congress concerning “the new and unlawful State of Vermont. MSA 225:07 6/23/77 11 Certification of the election of two members from Weathersfield to meet in Brattleboro. MSA 225:07 6/23/77 42 Putney choice of delegates to a meeting in Brattleboro. MSA 225:07 6/26/77 28 A paper giving a list of delegates and the meetings of the Committee for the County of Cumberland, in Westminster and Brattleboro. MSA 225:08 7/10/77 49 Springfield town meeting to elect various officers. MSA 225:08 8/16/77 31 Election of various officers at a town meeting in Hartford. MSA 225:08 9/2/77 19 Adjournments and a split vote in Westminster over whether to inform New York of the pretended rulings of Vermont. MSA 225:08 9/2/77 26 Two adjournments of a meeting, and members in attendance. MSA 225:08 3/4/78 33 Letter from Brattleboro to Simon Stephens asking for a pro-New York committee to be formed, “upon the subject of the enclosed letter” (not included). MSA 225:08 3/15/78 58 Record of a convention from the towns of Hinsdale, Brattleboro, Guilford, Newfane, Putney, and Rockingham, directed to the town of Fulham, asking for support in the opposition to the “disorderly attempt to separate the New Hampshire grants from the thirteen United States”. MSA 225:09 5/9/78 21 An order signed by Joel Marsh, Col., asking for the meeting in Rutland of troops from various towns. MSA 225:09 4/27/79 34 Account of a meeting in Springfield to elect a moderator and committeeman. MSA 225:09 6/18/79 35 Westminster certification of members of the Committee of Safety for the County of Cumberland.