1799 New York Mayor’s Court Bail Bond — James Morris, Sheriff — Early American Legal Document

Description

A remarkable surviving example of late-18th-century New York legal ephemera, this 1799 bail bond was issued under James Morris, Sheriff of the City and County of New York, and names Seth Choate and John Winch as bound to appear before the Mayor’s Court. These printed forms—with their dramatic gothic “Know all Men” heading—capture the gritty mechanics of early American justice during the first generation of the Republic. Documents from New York’s courts in the 18th century are somewhat scarce in private hands, and this one bears clear manuscript completions, docketing on the verso, and original embossed paper seals still attached.

James Morris (1764–1827), a veteran of the Revolutionary War and later New York’s sheriff, came from a politically prominent family—his father was Lewis Morris, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Bonds issued under Sheriff Morris occasionally surface, but few remain as complete as this example, which includes signatures, dates, financial obligations, and detailed instructions to appear before Judge Daniel Phany.

For collectors of early American legal history, New York judicial ephemera, or manuscript Americana, this is a substantive and display-worthy piece.