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This subseries consists of letters received by John Rutherfurd, and responses drafted by him or on his behalf. The subseries is arranged chronologically.

For the most part, the letters concern John Rutherfurd's landholdings in New York and New Jersey. Specific matters relating to John Rutherfurd's landholdings include tenants, sale and lease of lands, collection of rents, and legal matters relating to land titles. Other general subjects include the raising of sheep and the quality of wool, and proposals for the construction of roads and bridges in New Jersey, particularly the Paterson - Hamburg Turnpike.

There are very few items in the collection that would indicate that a given correspondent wrote frequently to John Rutherfurd. John and Richard Duncan occasionally wrote to John Rutherfurd regarding a debt owed by John Duncan to Rutherfurd and others, and other creditors of Duncan sometimes wrote to Rutherfurd. Several letters of Robert Boggs address the sale of sheep's wool, Elias van Arsdale wrote periodically on legal matters, and Margaret White wrote about legal and business matters that John Rutherfurd managed for her family. In several letters dated 1786, the Rev. John Frederick Ernst inquired about an advertisement for settlers in the Chenango Tract, offering his congregation as candidates. Another cluster of letters, from 1827, consists of several letters that Eliza M. Evans wrote to John Rutherfurd concerning a land dispute between Rutherfurd and her family.

Also in the series are drafts of letters sent to various persons, including Rev. Ernst, Mrs. Evans (presumably Eliza M. Evans), and Richard Duncan. Other subjects in the drafts include the estate of Gen. John Reid, and his shares in the Delaware & Raritan Canal.

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Most items are receipts for rents, milling of wheat, interest on bonds or debts, and taxes.

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Material includes bonds of the Heirs of Peter Augustus Jay, William and James Jauncey; deeds for lands in New Jersey, primarily Sussex County; and powers of attorney from persons living outside the United States.

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The material consists of an abstract of title from the suit of John Rutherfurd vs. [ ] Shotwell et al., undated; and a bill of costs and a warrant John Rutherfurd vs. Mary Ellis et al., dated 1827.

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The subseries consists of material having to do with John Rutherfurd's interest in the construction of a bridge linking New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Included are drawings of the proposed bridge, memoranda, calculations, and a report, published in the Trenton Federalist, to the stockholders of the Trenton Delaware Bridge [Company]. The author of the report was John Beatty, who was apparently the president of that company.

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This subseries consists of memoranda and copies of legislation regarding the construction of turnpikes in New Jersey.

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Item is a small, pamphlet-bound volume, with four pages of entries sketching travel in Sussex County, New Jersey, and some calculations.

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This subseries includes letters received by Walter Rutherfurd, and drafts of replies to letters. Most of the material concerns Walter Rutherfurd's land holdings in New Jersey and New York. Specific subjects include surveys, the Business of the Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey, tenants, and lawsuits. Correspondents include George Reyerse, David Ogden, James Duane, Dirck ten Broeck, and Cornelius Haring.

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This subseries consists primarily of material having to do with Walter Rutherfurd's land holdings, including lands that he held in common with John Stevens. Some of the accounts detail goods seized from tenants, presumably for nonpayment of rent. Also in the subseries are accounts, apparently prepared annually, of land and interest-bearing bonds held by Walter Rutherfurd.

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Most of the material in the subseries consist of leases to tenants for farms in New Jersey Earlier material includes powers of attorney from British officers, appointing Walter Rutherfurd to manage their affairs in North America.

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The subseries contains material from three cases. Material from the case of Walter Rutherfurd vs. Moses Martin Jr., et al. consists of what appears to be a [state of case]. Material from the case of Walter Rutherfurd vs. John Stiles consists of two documents that appear to be warrants. Material from the case of Aaron Ogden & Thomas Gibbons vs. Walter Rutherfurd comprises the bulk of the material in the subseries. Principally, material related to the case consists of the defendant's answers to the charges and counsel's observations on answers to charges.

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This subseries consists primarily of some undated rough calculations of the value of shares, unfinished drafts of legal papers, and lists of crops produced.

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Subseries consists of legal papers, such as deeds, conveyances, releases, etc. of John Duncan.

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Subseries consists of legal papers, primarily conveyances, of Gen. Alexander Hamilton, and advertisements for the sale of lands in Scriba's Patent.

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Subseries consists of business papers, legal papers and memoranda of Alexander McDonald. The legal papers include a power of attorney authorizing John Rutherfurd to act on McDonald's behalf. The memoranda include lists of deeds and bonds that belonged to McDonald, but were evidently held by John Rutherfurd.

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This subseries consists of material related to General John Reid. Business papers include accounts and receipts, primarily for rents paid to Reid by his tenants. Legal papers include deeds, bonds, and agreements. Court papers consist of a [state of case] from a lawsuit by Reid against Capt. James Gray in 1771, and a [state of case] from an unidentified 1785 case, which may have involved property forfeiture. Memoranda are mostly in the handwriting of John Rutherfurd, and refer to Reid's business affairs, including landholdings, rents paid, and interest on bonds.

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This subseries includes correspondence to and from persons other than John and Walter Rutherfurd, or specific persons in the Other Persons series. Correspondents include Richard Duncan and John Duncan, who wrote to Peter Van Brugh Livingston about business matters. James Longstreet wrote, perhaps to a newspaper, regarding to the Delaware River Bridge. Dirck ten Broeck wrote to Philip Livingston about business matters that may have also involved the Rutherfurds. J. Alsop of the Corporation for the Relief of Widows & Children of Clergymen of the Episcopal Church corresponded with Jacob LeRoy and John Wilcocks concerning that organization's charitable activities.

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Business and personal material of various persons, including John Duncan.

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This subseries includes the following material: a list of papers relating to the case of William Smith vs. William Alexander (N.D.), a narrative in case for the suit of [James] Alexander vs. Daniel Miller (1726), a list of papers relating to the suit, and an indenture, probably entered as evidence in the suit of [ ] Livingston vs. [ ] Fresneau (1748). The subseries also includes material from cases that cannot be identified. These are: a 1785 deposition of Peter Van Brugh Livingston regarding John Duncan's debt, and, in 1806, depositions of two witnesses attesting to the identity of Robert Walter Rutherfurd.

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Subseries includes field notes for surveys and surveys of tracts in various counties of New Jersey.