1675-1904; bulk: 1787-1868
Guide to the Collection
Abstract
This collection consists of the business papers associated with William Davies Sohier and his son William Sohier, both of whom were attorneys. Included in the collection are business correspondence, client legal documents, clients' bills, land surveys, and printed materials all pertaining to their clients' legal affairs.
Biographical Sketch
William Davies Sohier
William Davies Sohier was born to Edward and May (Davies) Sohier on 13 March 1787. He attended Harvard University, where he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, and graduated with his A.B. 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 died on 11 June 1868, and his business affairs were resumed by his sons William and Edward D. Sohier.
William Sohier
Born on 24 March 1822, William Sohier was the fifth child of William Davies Sohier 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 Dexter Sohier. He married Susan Cabot Lowell, a sister of Judge John Lowell, on 13 October 1846. They had seven children, including Elizabeth Putnam Sohier and William Davies 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 23 February 1894 at the age of 72.
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.
Detailed Description of the Collection
I. William D. Sohier (1787-1868) papers, 1675-1887
A. Correspondence, 1816-1868
Arranged chronologically.
This subseries contains letters received by William Davies Sohier from his clients, as well as retained copies of his outgoing correspondence. The majority of the information in the correspondence pertains to his clients' business affairs, including plans to purchase land, estate planning, and the transfer of deeds. The subseries also contains some letters that are more personal in nature and meeting plans between Sohier and his business associates.
B. Client/legal documents, 1675-1885
Arranged alphabetically and chronologically.
This subseries contains various legal documents of Mr. Sohier's clients. Those families with which he had long-term business agreements are arranged alphabetically by family name, and then chronologically within each family's folder. Of particular interest are the Brimmer, McKay, Fitch, and Winchester families, and the records of Edward Tuckerman who may have been a business associate. The remaining client documents have been arranged chronologically. The majority of his clients' documents are estate inventories, wills, pleas, mortgages and indentures pertaining to the sale and purchase of land and the transfer of land ownership between clients. In many cases, the land agreements are the direct result of estate allotments.
1. Individual and Family Clients, 1754-1885
Thomas Bradford, 1837-1850
Thomas D. Bradlee and John W. Bradlee, 1837-1878
Andrew Brimmer, 1807-1844
Martin Brimmer and Elizabeth Brimmer, 1836-1860
Captain William Davis, 1790-1880
Fitch family, 1812-1845
Ann Green, 1832-1862
Greenough family, 1816-1852
Barry Griffith, 1866-1885
Inches family, 1833-1866
Inman family, 1754-1849
Joy family, 1812-1854
Hugh Kendall, 1835-1853
MacKay family, 1811-1866
Mason family, 1842-1880
John Parker and Anna Parker, 1845
William Phillips and Jonathan Phillips, 1840-1869
Honorable Josiah Quincy, 1812-1846
Winchester family, 1839-1881
Edward Tuckerman, 1812-1872
2. Client/legal documents, 1703-1881
1703-1819
1820-1839
1840-1849
1850-1881
3. Client/legal notes, 1675-1853
4. Clients' bills, 1840-1880
C. Land surveys, 1806-1887
Arranged in an oversize box.
This subseries contains land surveys of property in the Boston and Cambridge areas belonging to Mr. Sohier's clients. Some of these areas include properties on Franklin Street, Brattle Street, and Quincy Street. Several of the surveys have the names of the surveyors, including Alex Wadsworth, S. P. E., Ernest W. Bowditch, O. Carleton & William Taylor, and Thomas J. Robinson.
II. William Sohier (1822-1894) papers, 1833-1892
A. Correspondence, 1846-1888
Arranged chronologically.
This subseries contains letters from William Sohier's clients. The majority of information in the letters pertains to old and current business matters that concern estate inventories and allotments, and the purchase and sale of land.
B. Client/legal documents, 1833-1892
Arranged chronologically.
The legal transactions in this subseries belong to William Sohier's clients, including information regarding the sale and purchase of land, estate plans, wills, bills and receipts, and indentures. Some of the documents show that William and his brother Edward worked together at some point in their careers. This subseries also includes the bills paid by William and Edward Sohier (either working together or separately) as trustees for their clients.
1833-1863
1864-1891
Clients' bills, 1833-1892
III. Printed materials, 1862-1904
Arranged chronologically.
This series contains financial and legal printed materials pertaining to the clients of William Davies Sohier and his son. The materials consist of IRS tax filing forms, lists of the current stock rates, and a newsprint publication of a lecture series by Stinson Jarvis from 1904. Mr. Jarvis is described as a California Attorney and Counsellor-at-Law and a Barrister and Extradition Judge in Canada.
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.