1805 District of Maine Court Recognizance Signed by Stephen Longfellow, Grandfather of Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This is an original Massachusetts judicial recognizance (appeal bond) printed and manuscript legal document completed in Cumberland County, District of Maine, dated November 20, 1805.

The form was executed before Stephen Longfellow (1750–1824), Justice of the Peace in Cumberland County, who was the grandfather of the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Stephen Longfellow succeeded his father in judicial duties in Gorham and was a prominent early Maine magistrate.

The handwritten pencil note at the bottom ("Written by Stephen Longfellow, father of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – Maine 1805") is incorrect. The document is from 1805, two years before Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in 1807, and the signature is that of Stephen Longfellow (1750–1824), Henry's grandfather—not his father, Stephen Longfellow (1776–1849).

Parties Named

• Thomas Hopkins Jr., of Portland, gentleman (principal)
• Samuel Whitmore Jr., of Gorham, gentleman (surety)
• Benjamin Smith & Robert Snow, traders of Cumberland County (plaintiffs)
• Tyler Porter, of Pleasant Mountain Gore, York County (appellant)
• Stephen Longfellow, Justice of the Peace

The recognizance binds the parties in the amount of $16 each to prosecute an appeal before the Court of Common Pleas sitting at Portland, following a judgment rendered at Gorham.

Historical Significance

This document illustrates the administration of justice in the District of Maine while it was still part of Massachusetts, fifteen years before Maine achieved statehood in 1820.

Its principal historical importance lies in the signature of Stephen Longfellow (1750–1824), a respected magistrate and patriarch of the Longfellow family. He was the grandfather of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, one of America's most celebrated poets, and served as Justice of the Peace in Gorham, where he handled many local civil matters.

While not signed by Henry's father, it remains an authentic legal document connected with the Longfellow family and early Maine judicial history.

Condition

• Original printed Massachusetts legal form with manuscript entries.
• Strong, legible ink throughout.
• Original folds from filing.
• Light toning and minor edge wear consistent with age.
• Overall Very Good condition.