Guide to the William Ellery letter, 1798
Redwood Library and Athenaeum
50 Bellevue Avenue
Newport, RI 02840
Tel: (401) 847-0292
Fax: (401) 841-5680
email: redwood@redwoodlibrary.org
Published in 2013
Collection Overview
| Title: | William Ellery letter |
| Date range: | 1798 |
| Creator: | Ellery, William, 1727-1820 |
| Extent: | 0.02 linear feet (1 oversize folder) |
| Abstract: | This collection consists of one letter from William Ellery (1727-1827), collector of the port of Newport, Rhode Island, to David L. Barnes (1760-1812), Rhode Island District Attorney, regarding maritime law. |
| Language of materials: | English |
| Repository: | Redwood Library and Athenaeum |
| Collection number: | RLC.Ms.536 |
Scope & content
This collection consists of one letter from William Ellery, as the collector of the port of Newport, to David L. Barnes (1760-1812), the United States District Attorney for Rhode Island from 1797-1801, on December 12, 1798. This letter is in regards the laws for the forfeitures of arms and ammunition on vessels, specifically on the Ship Hope which came into the Newport port in June 1797.Access Points
Subject Names Subject Organizations Subject Topics Subject Topics Document TypesArrangement
This collection is arranged in chronological order.
Biographical note
Wlliam Ellery (1727-1820), the second son of William Ellery Sr. and Elizabeth Almy, was born on December 22, 1727, in Newport, Rhode Island. Ellery graduated from Harvard College in 1747 and returned to Newport to work first as a merchant, later as a customs collector, and then as the clerk of the court of common pleas of Newport County in 1768-1769. At the age of forty three, Ellery studied law and passed the bar and immediately began to practice in Newport in 1770. In May 1776, Ellery was selected as the Rhode Island delegate for the Continental Congress, filling the vacancy left by the death of Samuel Ward (1725-1776). Ellery remained in this position until 1785, during which time he was among one of the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Ellery became a justice of the Rhode Island State Supreme Court in 1785 and was later appointed by the Continental Congress as the commissioner of the Continental Loan Office in 1786. William Ellery served as the first collector of the port of Newport under the new United States Constitution from 1790 until his death in 1820. William Ellery died on February 18, 1820, and is buried in the Common Burial Ground in Newport.Access & Use
| Access to the collection: | Access is open to members and researchers at the Redwood Library and Athenaeum. |
| Use of the materials: | This collection is owned by the Redwood Library and Athenaeum. Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the Special Collections Librarian of the Redwood Library and Athenaeum. |
| Preferred citation: | William Ellery letter, RLC.Ms.536, Redwood Library and Athenaeum. |
| Contact information: | Redwood Library and Athenaeum 50 Bellevue Avenue Newport, RI 02840 Tel: (401) 847-0292 Fax: (401) 841-5680 email: redwood@redwoodlibrary.org |
Administrative Information
| ABOUT THE COLLECTION | |
| Acquisition: | Gift of Mrs. Reginald B. Lanier, 1965 June 17. |
| Processing information: | This collection was initially processed by Aimee Saunders in 2010. |
| ABOUT THE FINDING AID | |
| Author: | Finding aid prepared by Elizabeth Delmage. |
| Encoding: | Finding aid encoded by Elizabeth Delmage 2013 October 09 |
| Descriptive rules: | Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) |
| Sponsor: | Funding for processing and cataloging this collection was provided by the van Beuren Charitable Foundation. |
Additional Information
| Bibliography: |
Inventory
| Mansucripts Oversize Box 1 | Letter to David L. Barnes |
1798 Dec 12 |