ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Title
John W. DeMott Collection

Collection Number
SC 284

OCLC Number
122573374

Creator 
Various, including John W. DeMott (1803-1886) and Abraham Hewlett (1811-1888)

Provenance 
Donated by Cornell Jaray in 1982.

Extent,Scope, and Content Note 
The John W. DeMott Collection consists of 0.8 cubic ft. of DeMott’s personal and professional papers. The court actions provide insight into court procedures in the late 19th century in Queens County, New York.  His personal papers and the papers of Abraham Hewlett give examples of the types of expenses incurred when running a household during this time period. The purchases of manure, laudanum, shirts, boots, drapery, furniture, china, and silver present a portrait of a well-appointed home. Of particular interest are the receipts for doctor’s visits, taxes, and tuition, which give additional information about the cost of living in 19th century.

A sub-section of professional papers relate to Abraham Hewlett (1811-1888), a descendant of the first white settler in the area, George Hewlett.  Abraham Helwett was one of the executors of Samuel Wood’s (1795-1878) estate and inherited the entire property belonging to Wood, who died in 1878.  Wood’s estate papers are included in the collection.  

Arrangement and Processing Note
Processed by Carol Curtis, intern, and Kristen J. Nyitray in December 2006.
Updated by Kristen J. Nyitray, February 2007 and May 2019.
Last updated in April 2020.

Organization: personal papers arranged chronologically; professional papers arranged alphabetically, then chronologically within folders.

Series 1:  Personal Papers (c.1838-1875)
Includes personal bills and receipts; household bills and receipts; medical receipts; tuition receipts; and account books.

Series 2: Professional Papers (c.1848-1890)
Sub-series 1: Estates and Wills
Sub-series 2: Court Actions
Sub-series 3: Other Transactions, Records, and Correspondence
Sub-series 4: The Papers of Abraham Hewlett

Language
English 

Restrictions on Access
The collection is open to researchers without restriction.

Rights and Permissions 
Stony Brook University Libraries' consent to access as the physical owner of the collection does not address copyright issues that may affect publication rights. It is the sole responsibility of the user of Special Collections and University Archives materials to investigate the copyright status of any given work and to seek and obtain permission where needed prior to publication.  

Citation 
[Item], [Box], John W. DeMott Collection, Special Collections and University Archives, Stony Brook University Libraries.  

Historical Note
John W. DeMott was a lawyer and under-sheriff in Queens County, later Nassau County, New York. He was son of Samuel DeMott (b. 1774) and Mary Hewlett (b.1778).
DeMott was also Treasurer of the Merrick and Jamaica Plank Road Company (1862-1888). For more information about this company, researchers may consult manuscript collection 282, The Merrick and Jamaica Plank Road Collection.

Subjects
DeMott, John W., -- 1803-1886.
DeMott, John W., 1803-1886 -- Archives.
Hewlett, Abraham, -- 1811-1888.
Wood, Samuel, -- 1795-1878.
Finance, Personal -- New York (State) -- Nassau County.
Practice of law -- New York (State) -- Nassau County.
Nassau County (N.Y.) -- Officials and employees.
Queens County (N.Y.) -- Officials and employees.
Employees.
Finance, Personal.
Practice of law.
New York (State) -- Nassau County.
New York (State) -- Queens County.

INVENTORY

Series 1: Personal papers

Box 1:  Personal papers (c.1838-1875)
f .1:   no date. personal papers, account books (4 pages; 2 account books)
f .2:  1838-1849.  personal papers (38 pages)
f .3:  1850-1859.  personal papers, household expenses, medical receipts (33 pages)
f .4:  1860-1869.  personal papers, household bills and receipts (21 pages)
f .5:  1861-1869.  personal papers, medical receipts, tax receipts, tuition receipts (17 pages)
f. 6:  1870-1874.  personal papers, household bills and receipts (63 pages)
f .7:  1875-1879.  personal papers, household bills and receipts, account books (33 pages; 3 account books)
f .8:  1880-1875.  personal papers, household bills and receipts (35 pages; 6 account books)

Series 2: Professional Papers
Sub-series 1:  Estates and Wills

Box 2: Professional Papers  (c. 1848-1879)
f. 1:  Abrams, Nathaniel estate n.d. (1 page)
f .2:  Bedell estate 1862 (2 pages)
f .3:  Birdsall, Jerusha estate 1859 (1 page)
f .4:  Bond, Lawrence estate 1871 (4 pages)
f .5:  Craft, Gilbert estate 1878 (1 page)
f .6:  Davidson, Robert estate 1841 (1 page)
f .7:  DeMott, Charles estate, will 1850s (3 pages)
f .8:  Hatfield, Benjamin estate 1860 (1 page)
f .9:  Hendrickson, Nathaniel estate 1876 (7 pages)
f .10:  Hewlett, George will n.d. (1 page)
f .11:  Hewlett, John estate 1851 (2 pages)
f .12:  Hewlett, Lewis estate 1867 (4 pages)
f .13:  Hewlett, Samuel estate 1870 (3 pages)
f .14:  Hewlett, Treadwell estate 1863 (2 pages)
f .15:  Langdon, Ananias estate 1851 (1 page)
f .16:  Lee, Elizabeth estate 1876 (2 pages)
f .17:  Mott, James estate 1851(1 page)
f .18:  Nostrand, John estate 1860s (12 pages)
f .19:  Pearsall, Adam estate 1859 (1 page)
f .20:  Watt, James estate 1861 (1 page)
f .21:  Willets, Obadiah estate 1850
f .22:  Williams, Susanna estate 1848 (2 pages)
f .23:  Wood, Jane estate 1856 (1 page)
f .24:  Wood, Samuel estate 1878-79 (32 pages)

Series 2: Professional Papers
Sub-series 2:  Court actions (c. 1848-1883)
f. 25:  A.B. vs. C.D. court action 1860 (1 page)
f .26:  Batcher Dorner (?) Bank vs. Carrington, James W. court action 1849 (1 page)
f .27:  Bedell, Daniel vs. Pearsall, David. court action n.d.  (1 page)
f .28:  Bedell, Tredwell. court action n.d. (3 pages)
f .29:  Blackwell, James M. vs. Weeks, John. court action 1848 (2 pages)
f .30:  Coleman, Isaac and Newman, Joseph vs. Hermann, James. court action 1849 (1 page)
f .31:  Davidson, John vs. Hicks, Edmund. court action 1848 (1 page)
f .32:  Donohue, Patrick vs. Clapp, Stephen. court action 1854 (2 pages)
f .33:  Fitzgerald, John vs. Collins, John. court action 1849 (1 page)
f .34:  Garvie, James vs. Van Wicklen, Peter. court action 1849 (1 page)
f .35:  Gilbert, Walter vs. Onderdonk, William. court action 1849 (1 page)
f .36:  Hague, Thomas O. vs. Hewlett, Abraham. court action 1883 (2 pages)
f .37:  Haviland, Richard vs. Weeks, John. court action 1848 (1 page)
f .38:  Hine, Philander B. vs. Hermann, James. court action 1849 (1 page)
f .39:  Hewlett, Abraham vs. Lott, John court action 1868 (1 page)
f .40:  Hewlett, Nelly vs. Lott, George H. and John. court action 1868 (2 pages)
f .41:  Kemp, James vs. Vandewater, Livingston. court action 1848 (1 page)
f .42:  Kirby, Leonard and Kirby, Valentine vs. Wilson, Alanson and Harrold, William. court action 1848 (1 page)
f. 43:  McGee, John vs. Combs, Thomas. court action 1860 (2 pages)
f .44:  McKenna, Francis vs. Wall, Charles. court action 1858 (4 pages)
f .45:  Mott, Benj. B. vs. Lott, Geo. H. court action 1868 (1 page)
f .46:  Norton, Sam’l vs. Norton, John; Clinton, Hannah F. et.al. court action 1852 (4 pages)
f .47:  Petitt, Increase vs. Zingsem, Peter Joseph. court action 1860 (1 page)
f .48:  Pearsall, Henry vs. Pearsall, Nathaniel, Pearsall, Jane, and Mott, John. court action 1860 (1 page)
f .49:  Rhodes, John vs. Pearsall, Henry B. court action 1852 (1 page)
f .50:  Schumaker, John vs. Vanderpol, Abraham. court action n.d. (1 page)
f .51:  Smith, William vs. Pearsall, Howard. court action 1848 (1 page)
f .52:  Springs (?), Sam’l vs. Leyton, Peter H. court action 1849 (1 page)
f .53:  Wood, Thomas vs. Salpin, Horace and Tobey, Anselm court action 1848 (1 page)
f .54:  Wellstead, John J. guardianship case 1886 (1 page)
f .55:  White, Thomas and Hawley, Thomas vs. Mott, Chauncey and Gale, Daniel A. court action 1848 ((1 page)
f .56:  Willetts, Isaac vs. Pruitt, John H. court action 1849 (1 page)
f .57:  Waight, Cromwell vs. Wandolin. (?) court action 1868 (1 page)
f .58:  Williams, Richard vs. Weeks, John. court action 1848 (1 page)
f .59:  Wood, Joseph vs. Langdon, John and Langdon, Ezekiel. court action 1851 (1 page)

Series 2: Professional Papers
Sub-series 3: Other transactions, records, and correspondence  (c. 1830-1882)

Box 3
f .60:  Babcock, D. bills 1857 (12 pages [fragments])
f .61:  Burtis, James articles of agreement 1854 (1 page)
f .62:  DeMott, John W. professional papers, unspecified, n.d. (41 pages)
f .63:  DeMott, John W. professional papers, bills, receipts, correspondence 1830-1836 (7 pages)
f .64:  DeMott, John W. professional papers, bills, receipts, correspondence 1840-1849 (39 pages)
f .65:  DeMott, John W.  professional papers, bills, receipts, correspondence 1850-1859 (55 pages)
f .66:  DeMott, John professional papers, bills, receipts, correspondence 1860-1869 (20 pages)
f .67:  DeMott, John W. professional papers, bills, receipts, correspondence 1870-1879 (17 pages)
f .68:  DeMott, John W. professional papers, bills, receipts, correspondence 1880-1882 (5 pages)
f .69:  DeMott, Samuel bills and receipts 1833-1857 (7 pages)
f .70:  Duryea, Hewlett list of births, deaths, marriages 1847 (1 page)
f .71:  Hempstead, Town of resolution n.d. (5 pages)
f .72:  Hewlett, Mrs. Abraham bills and receipts; subpoena 186?-1877 (12 pages)
f .73:  Hewlett, George vs. Hewlett, Alfred. dispute 1859 (1 page)
f .74:  Hewlett, Henry. bills 1835-1836 (11 pages)
f .75:  Jennings, D. bills 1835 (1 page)
f .76:  Lawrence, Susan (Zingsem). mortgage 1861 (1 page)
f .77:  Lott, John J. notes 1860s (3 pages)
f .78:  O’Brien, J.D. bill 1876 (1 page)
f .79:  Pearsall, Eliza (Mrs. Thomas). bills 1871-1880 (4 pages)
f .80:  Ransom, Frank. letter 1882 (1 page)
f .81:  Simonson, Alfred L. bills and letters 1880 (20 pages)
f .82:  Titus, Sylvanus. survey 1852       (1 page)                                    
f .83:  Undine Fishing Club. letter 1882 (1 page)

Series 2: Professional Papers
Sub-series 4:  Papers of Abraham Hewlett  (c. 1857-1889)

f. 84:  Hewlett, Abraham receipts n.d. (4 pages)
f .85:  Hewlett, Abraham household receipts 1857-1869 (5 pages)
f .86:  Hewlett, Abraham bills, receipts 1870-1879 (32 pages)
f .87:  Hewlett, Abraham Hempstead town tax, district school tax receipts 1870-1888 (22 pages)
f .88:  Hewlett, Abraham receipts rent, mortgages – income 1870s-1880s (7 pages)
f .89:  Hewlett, Abraham bills, receipts, correspondence 1880-1888 (63 pages)
f .90:  Hewlett, Abraham bills, receipts for 49 Water Street, New York City 1881-1888
f .91:  Hewlett, Abraham mortgage of Julia Wellstead and John Wellstead 1885 (1 page)
f .92:  Hewlett, Abraham vs. Wellstead, John and others receipts, correspondence 1870-1886 (19 pages)
f .93:  Hewlett, Abraham vs. Wellstead, John and others. summons 1886 (10 pages)
f .94:  Hewlett, Abraham vs. Wellstead, John and others. summons 1886 (10 pages)
f .95:  Hewlett, Abraham vs. Wellstead, John and others. summons 1886 (9 pages)
f .96:  Hewlett, Abraham vs. Wellstead, John and others. summons 1886 (3 pages)
f .97:  Hewlett, Abraham vs. Wellstead, John and others. summons 1886 (4 pages)
f .98:  Hewlett, Abraham vs. Wellstead, John and others. summons 1886 (4 pages)
f .99:  Hewlett, Abraham vs. Wellstead, John and others. summons 1886 (9 pages)
f .100:  Hewlett, Abraham and Wellstead, John. memorandum of sale 1886 (8 pages)
f .101:  Hewlett, Abraham estate, auction sale papers. 1889, [1890] (7 pages)