GB 0096 MS 622 - Shedden family

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0096 MS 622

Title

Shedden family

Date(s)

  • 1794-1823 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

16 items

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Litigation to prove that William Patrick Ralston Shedden (b 1794) was the legitimate son and heir of William Ralston Shedden (1747-1798) commenced in 1801, went twice to the Scottish courts and the House of Lords, and judgement was finally given against the petitioner in Nov 1860.

Archival history

GB 0096 MS 622 1794-1823 Collection (fonds) 16 items Shedden , family
Litigation to prove that William Patrick Ralston Shedden (b 1794) was the legitimate son and heir of William Ralston Shedden (1747-1798) commenced in 1801, went twice to the Scottish courts and the House of Lords, and judgement was finally given against the petitioner in Nov 1860.

Given by Mrs D. Goldsmith in 1964 and added to the Goldsmith's Library of Economic Literature.

Letters and papers relating to Robert Shedden & Sons, merchants of London, 1794-1823, produced by E.M. Archibald in the case of Sheddon v Patrick, concerning the legitimacy of William Patrick Ralston Shedden. The papers comprise:
Letters, written by Robert Shedden and Sons, London, to William Shedden, New York, introducing merchants travelling to North America needing credit and assistance. The merchants were agents of Boyce Benfield & Co. (12 Mar 1793 and 15 Mar 1794); J.J. Breene (4 Aug 1795); Guerlain & Co (25 Jan and 25 Jun 1794; John MacKenzie (5 Aug 1798); Mr. Piercy (18 Jun 1795); Nathaniel Robbins (12 Mar 1795); Robert Shedden Junior (5 Jun 1798) and Bruce Wilson (2 Jan 1794). The letters introducing the agents of Boyce Benfield & Co. mention trading activities in the Mediterranean. These letters are fastened together and numbered, and also include a receipt for £1659 paid by William Shedden to Elizabeth Paltry Mallet on 22 Aug 1794.
Other documents comprise an authorised copy, made 21 Mar 1797, of an indenture of bargain and sale of 2 Mar 1796, by which David Wilson, a farmer of Harlem, New York, and Margaret his wife, sold to Mary Ker, wife of George Ker, for a consideration of £1800, a dwelling house and land in the seventh ward of Harlem, New York; a letter written from Robert Shedden in New York to James Farquhar, enclosing a printed bond of 26 Jun 1799; a letter written on 31 Dec 1823 by Robert Shedden (of 35 Gower St, London) to William Patrick Ralston Shedden 'at Dr Patrick's, 4th Street, Edinburgh'; and a synopsis of the Shedden papers in the hand of Mrs D. Goldsmith.
All the above, with the exception of the last item, feature annotations in the hand of E.M. Archibald which note that they were produced as exhibits and referred to in the deposition of William Patrick Ralston Shedden.

As given in the Scope and Content.

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.
English

Collection level description.

Details of the legal case may be found in English Reports 164 (1921).

Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project. Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. Oct 2001 Administration of justice Archibald , E M , fl 1794-1823 , lawyer Family Farquhar , James , fl 1799 Ker , Mary , fl 1796 , of Harlem, New York Kinship Legal procedure Mallet , Elizabeth Paltry , fl 1794 Robert Shedden and Sons , merchants of London Shedden , family Shedden , Robert , fl 1793-1823 , merchant Shedden , William Patrick Ralston , b 1794 , alleged son of William Ralston Shedden Shedden , William Ralston , 1747-1798 , merchant Wilson , David , fl 1796 , farmer of Harlem, New York

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Given by Mrs D. Goldsmith in 1964 and added to the Goldsmith's Library of Economic Literature.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Letters and papers relating to Robert Shedden & Sons, merchants of London, 1794-1823, produced by E.M. Archibald in the case of Sheddon v Patrick, concerning the legitimacy of William Patrick Ralston Shedden. The papers comprise:
Letters, written by Robert Shedden and Sons, London, to William Shedden, New York, introducing merchants travelling to North America needing credit and assistance. The merchants were agents of Boyce Benfield & Co. (12 Mar 1793 and 15 Mar 1794); J.J. Breene (4 Aug 1795); Guerlain & Co (25 Jan and 25 Jun 1794; John MacKenzie (5 Aug 1798); Mr. Piercy (18 Jun 1795); Nathaniel Robbins (12 Mar 1795); Robert Shedden Junior (5 Jun 1798) and Bruce Wilson (2 Jan 1794). The letters introducing the agents of Boyce Benfield & Co. mention trading activities in the Mediterranean. These letters are fastened together and numbered, and also include a receipt for £1659 paid by William Shedden to Elizabeth Paltry Mallet on 22 Aug 1794.
Other documents comprise an authorised copy, made 21 Mar 1797, of an indenture of bargain and sale of 2 Mar 1796, by which David Wilson, a farmer of Harlem, New York, and Margaret his wife, sold to Mary Ker, wife of George Ker, for a consideration of £1800, a dwelling house and land in the seventh ward of Harlem, New York; a letter written from Robert Shedden in New York to James Farquhar, enclosing a printed bond of 26 Jun 1799; a letter written on 31 Dec 1823 by Robert Shedden (of 35 Gower St, London) to William Patrick Ralston Shedden 'at Dr Patrick's, 4th Street, Edinburgh'; and a synopsis of the Shedden papers in the hand of Mrs D. Goldsmith.
All the above, with the exception of the last item, feature annotations in the hand of E.M. Archibald which note that they were produced as exhibits and referred to in the deposition of William Patrick Ralston Shedden.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

As given in the Scope and Content.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Collection level description.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Senate House Library, University of London

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area