1841-1885
Guide to the Collection
Abstract
This collection consists of the legal notebooks of Charles Devens, kept during some of the years he practiced as a lawyer (1841-1845) and served on the Superior and Supreme Judicial Courts of Massachusetts (1867-1876, 1880-1882).
Collection Description
This collection consists of the legal notebooks of Charles Devens, kept during some of the years he practiced as a lawyer (1841-1845) and served on the Superior and Supreme Judicial Courts of Massachusetts (1867-1876, 1880-1882). The notebooks include manuscript docket books, case notes, trial calendars, and drafts for opinions.
Note: The volume titles derive from Devens' own labeling.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged chronologically.
Box List
Box 1Folder 1
Loose items, undated
Box 1Folder 2Vol. 1
Memoranda for opinions, undated
Box 1Folder 3Vol. 2
Notebook, undated
Box 1Folder 4Vol. 3
Docket, undated
Box 1Folder 5Vol. 4
Davis and Devens court docket, 4 Sep. 1841
Box 1Folder 6Vol. 5
C.C.P. court docket, 1842-1844
Box 1Folder 7Vol. 6
C.C.P. notebook, March term, 1843
Box 1Folder 8Vol. 7
Northampton law term, 1845
Box 1Folder 9Vol. 8
Notebook no. 2, 1845
Box 1Folder 10Vol. 9
Notebook, 1848
Box 1Folder 11
Loose items, 1860s
Box 1Folder 12Vol. 10
Estate of Charles Devens, Jr., 1864-1867
Box 1Folder 13Vol. 11
Norfolk Superior Court docket, April term, 1867
Box 1Folder 14Vol. 12
Norfolk Superior Court notebook, April term, 1867
Box 1Folder 15Vol. 13
Norfolk, April term, 1867
Box 2Folder 16Vol. 14
Superior Court docket, August term, 1867
Box 2Folder 17Vol. 15
Hampden, no. 4, October term, 1867
Box 2Folder 18Vol. 16
Worcester, criminal term, October term, 1867
Box 2Folder 19Vol. 17
Fitchburg, November term, 1867
Box 2Folder 20Vol. 18
Essex, December term, 1867
Box 2Folder 21Vol. 19
Essex, December term, 1867
Box 2Folder 22Vol. 20
Worcester, criminal term, January term, 1869
Box 3Folder 23Vol. 21
Suffolk, criminal session, April term, 1869
Box 3Folder 24Vol. 22
Franklin, August term, 1869
Box 3Folder 25Vol. 23
Worcester, November term, 1869
Box 3Folder 26Vol. 24
Worcester, December term, 1869
Box 3Folder 27
Miscellaneous loose items, 1870s
Box 3Folder 28Vol. 25
Worcester, March term, 1870
Box 4Folder 29Vol. 26
Essex, May term, 1870
Box 4Folder 30Vol. 27
Superior Court docket, August term, 1870
Box 4Folder 31Vol. 28
Franklin, no. 1, August term, 1870
Box 4Folder 32Vol. 29
Franklin, no. 2, August term, 1870
Box 4Folder 33Vol. 30
Suffolk, criminal terms, October and November terms, 1870
Box 4Folder 34Vol. 31
Suffolk, criminal session, November and December terms, 1870; February term, 1871
Box 4Folder 35Vol. 32
Berkshire, Pittsfield, continued, 1871
Box 4Folder 36Vol. 33
Suffolk, April term, 1871
Box 5Folder 37Vol. 34
Suffolk, vol. 2, April term, 1871
Box 5Folder 38Vol. 35
Superior Court, trial calendar, September term, 1871
Box 5Folder 39Vol. 36
Middlesex, September term, 1871
Box 5Folder 40Vol. 37
Worcester, criminal term, October term, 1871
Box 5Folder 41Vol. 38
Superior Court docket, November term, 1871
Box 5Folder 42Vol. 39
Suffolk, Supreme Judicial Court, November law session, Nov. 1871
Box 5Folder 43Vol. 40
Hampden, December term, 1871
Box 5Folder 44Vol. 41
Hampshire, criminal, December term, 1871
Box 6Folder 45Vol. 42
Suffolk, January term, 1872
Box 6Folder 46Vol. 43
Superior Court, January term, 1872
Box 6Folder 47Vol. 44
Worcester, Fitchburg, June term, 1872
Box 6Folder 48Vol. 45
Suffolk, September term, 1872
Box 6Folder 49Vol. 46
Plymouth, October term, 1872
Box 7Folder 50Vol. 47
Docket, cases whose opinions are to be written by self, 1873-1877
Box 7Folder 51Vol. 48
Supreme Judicial Court, 1873-1877
Box 7Folder 52Vol. 49
Suffolk, Superior Court, vol. 1, January term, 1873
Box 7Folder 53Vol. 50
Suffolk, Superior Court, vol. 2, January term, 1873; Bristol, June term, 1873
Box 7Folder 54Vol. 51
Norfolk, criminal term, September term, 1873
Box 8Folder 55Vol. 52
Supreme Judicial Court docket, November term, 1873
Box 8Folder 56Vol. 53
Supreme Judicial Court for Bristol, November term, 1873
Box 8Folder 57Vol. 54
Essex, Nisi precis, November term, 1873
Box 8Folder 58Vol. 55
Supreme Judicial Court, Hampden County, law docket, 1874
Box 8Folder 59Vol. 56
Supreme Judicial Court, Equity, docket, April term, 1874
Box 8Folder 60Vol. 57
Middlesex, Cambridge, April term, 1874
Box 8Folder 61Vol. 58
Norfolk, special term for trial of J. H. Costley, Dec. 1874
Box 8Folder 62Vol. 59
Supreme Judicial Court, Worcester, September term, 1874
Box 9Folder 63Vol. 60
Memoranda for opinions, July 1875
Box 9Folder 64Vol. 61
Supreme Judicial Court, October term, 1875
Box 9Folder 65Vol. 62
Equity hearings, September, November, and December terms, 1875
Box 9Folder 66Vol. 63
Franklin County law term docket, 1876
Box 9Folder 67Vol. 64
Supreme Judicial Court, Worcester, April term, 1876
Box 9Folder 68Vol. 65
Hampshire, law docket, September term, 1876
Box 9Folder 69Vol. 66
Equity hearings, October term, 1876
Box 9Folder 70Vol. 67
Unidentified, 1880s
Box 9Folder 71Vol. 68
Unidentified, 1880s
Box 10Folder 72Vol. 69
Unidentified notes, [1881]
Box 10Folder 73Vol. 70
Middlesex notes, 1881
Box 10Folder 74Vol. 71
Norfolk, Committee v. James Gately, May 1882
Box 10Folder 75Vol. 72
Supreme Judicial Court, law docket, October term, 1882
Box 10Folder 76Vol. 73
Worcester notes, Dec. 1882
Box 10Folder 77
Fitchburg, Middlesex R.R. Co. v. City of Somerville, 16 June 1884
Box 10Folder 78Vol. 74
Hampden, September term, 1885
Preferred Citation
Charles Devens notebooks, 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.
Organizations:
Massachusetts. Superior Court.
Massachusetts. Supreme Judicial
Court.
Subjects:
Judges--Massachusetts.
Lawyers--Massachusetts.
Legal documents--Massachusetts.