Albert C. Greene Papers (MSS 452)

This collection, covering the years 1802-1863 and is divided into seven series.

Series 1: Correspondence contains personal and business letters from family, friends, and clients. Mostly personal letters until 1812, then more business letters. There are also letters or copies of letters that Greene wrote to others. There is a report from a surgeon, Richard Fraser, about the ship Hottinquer, on its way from Liverpool, England to New York. He details the outbreak of smallpox on board and makes suggestions on preventing outbreaks on other immigrant ships (box 3, folder 10). There is also a letter to Mrs. Alexander Hamilton from the historian Frances Hawkes detailing papers of her husband that he has in his possession which he believes are valuable and should go to the Library of Congress (Box 4, folder 5).

Series 2: Papers contains a variety of items, such as loose accounts, appointments, arrest warrants, deeds, dockets, indentures, insurance policies, legal documents, and orations.

Series 3: Partnerships contains loose accounts and correspondence of the partnerships of Greene & Bowen and Greene & Randolph.

Series 4: Bound Volumes contains a bank book, cash book, daybooks, dockets, ledger, and a memo book.

Series 5: Avery Trial contains records relating to the Avery Trial in 1832-1833. Albert C. Greene was one of three prosecuting attorneys, along with Dutee Pearce and William Staples, in the case against Rev. Ephraim Avery. Avery was charged with the murder of Sarah Maria Cornell on Dec. 20, 1832 by strangling her and then hanging her to a stake. The trial began Monday May 6, 1833 and concluded on June 2nd with Avery's acquittal.

Series 6: Loose Legal Papers relates to the many other court cases handled by Albert C. Greene. Of note are depositions relating to the infamous Olney Lane or Snowtown Riot of 1831 in Box 13, folder 124.

Series 7: Loose Dockets contains dockets which are listings of the cases in progress for courts in each of the counties in Rhode Island for the period 1815-1857.