Joseph White Murder Trial Papers, 1830-1964
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Not requestable
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains original material from the events surrounding the murder trial of Joseph White, including the indictment, names of the jurors, testimonies, the autopsy, newspaper accounts and letters to and from the principals. Also included are the records of the Vigilance Committee, which was formed shortly after the murder to "ferret out the perpetrator" and administer watch patrols. Of interest is an account of the murder by William R. L. Ward, an employee of Joseph White.
Dates
- Creation: 1830-1964
Creator
- White, Joseph, 1747 or 1748-1830 (Person)
Restrictions on Access
This collection is open for research use.
Biographical Sketch
Joseph White was born in August 1748 to Capt. John White and Margaret Muchmore White. He began his career as a sailor and rose to be a master of several vessels. In 1770 he married Elizabeth Stone in Salem, Massachusetts. She died in 1822 leaving no children. On the night of April 6, 1830, Joseph White was brutally murdered in his bed. Two men, Francis and Joseph Knapp, were convicted of his murder. A third man, Richard Crowninshield, was arrested, but committed suicide in his jail cell before he could be brought to trial. Daniel Webster prosecuted the case for the Commonwealth.
Extent
1 linear foot (2 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection contains original material from the events surrounding the murder trial of Joseph White, including the indictment, names of the jurors, testimonies, the autopsy, newspaper accounts and letters to and from the principals.
Series List
SERIES I. Primary Source Material
SERIES II. Secondary Source Material
Physical Location
Phillips Library Stacks
Provenance
This provenance of this material is unknown.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Tamara Gaydos, August 2007.
Subject
- White, Joseph, 1747 or 1748-1830 (Person)
- Crowninshield, Richard, 1804-1830 (Person)
- Knapp, John Francis, d. 1830 (Person)
- Knapp, Joseph Jenkins, 1804-1830 (Person)
- Rantoul, Robert S. (Robert Samuel), 1832-1922 (Person)
- Ward, William Raymond Lee, 1811-1897 (Person)
- Webster, Daniel, 1782-1852 (Person)
- Vigilance Committee (Organization)
- Massachusetts. Supreme Judicial Court (Organization)
- Title
- JOSEPH WHITE (1748-1830) MURDER TRIAL PAPERS, 1830-1964
- Author
- Processed by: Tamara Gaydos; machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan.
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Phillips Library Repository