Sohier Family Business Papers 1675-1904; bulk: 1787-1868 Guide to the Collection

Table of Contents Collection Summary Biographical Sketch Collection Description Organization Detailed Description of the Collection Preferred Citation Access Terms

Collection Summary

Biographical Sketch

William Davies Sohier

William Davies Sohier was born to Edward and May (Davies) Sohier on March 13, 1787. He attended Harvard University where he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, and graduated with his B.A. in 1805. In 1808, he graduated from Yale University with a master's degree. Once he had finished college, he joined the same profession as his father and became a lawyer. It is unclear if he had any legal partners at his firm, however there are many documents where he is listed with other lawyers, most notably Edward Tuckerman. He also had direct dealings with Andrew Brimmer and his family. William Davies Sohier passed away on June 11, 1868, and his business affairs were resumed by his sons William and Edward D. Sohier.

William Sohier

Born on March 24, 1822, William Sohier was the third son of William Davies and Elizabeth Amory (Dexter) Sohier. After graduating from Harvard in 1840, he began practicing law with Fessenden Law Firm and later worked in the office of his older brother Edward Davies Sohier. He married Susan Cabot Lowell on October 13, 1846, a sister of Judge John Lowell. They had two children: William Davies Sohier and Elizabeth Putnam Sohier. His work as a lawyer was similar to that of his father, dealing with the day-to-day financial and legal affairs of his clients, from mortgage deeds to estate inventories and sales. William Sohier had retired some time prior to his death on February 23, 1894 at the age of seventy-two.

Collection Description

The Sohier family business papers consist of ten document boxes and one oversize box spanning the years 1675 to 1904. The collection is divided into three series: the William D. Sohier (1787-1868) papers; the William Sohier (1822-1894) papers; and printed materials.

The bulk of the collection consists of the business/client documents of William Davies Sohier, Esq. and range from 1703-1881. Those documents dated prior to Mr. Sohier's birth were probably in reference to past transactions executed by his clients, or their ancestors, and were probably kept with their files at his firm. These clients include members of the Brimmer, Fitch, Inman, MacKay, and Winchester families. Of particular interest are the documents of Edward Tuckerman who was a client and may also have been a legal associate of William D. Sohier.

William D. Sohier's correspondence pertains to his profession as a lawyer and concerns the sale of stock and land, mortgage deeds, estate planning, and other various transactions on behalf of his clients. In addition to standard legal documents (i.e. deeds, indentures, and wills) and correspondence, the collection also contains the receipts of bills paid by William D. Sohier and his son on behalf of their clients.

The portion of the collection pertaining to William Sohier is similar to that of his father's, e.g. business correspondence and records of his clients' legal transactions. In addition to these documents are the receipts for bills paid by William and his brother Edward Davies Sohier, also a lawyer, on behalf of their clients and their deceased father. There are also some legal documents in this collection that include the two brothers and suggest that they may have worked together with clients.

The series containing printed materials consist of those forms used by William Davies Sohier and his son in their profession. Also included, is a newsprint transcription (dated 1904) of three lectures by Stinson Jarvis, who is described as a California Attorney and Counsellor-at-Law and a Barrister and Extradition Judge in Canada.

Organization of the Collection

The collection is organized into the following series:

Detailed Description of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Sohier family business papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.

Access Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.