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(VERMONT). Manuscript Document, Being a Deposition Taken by Nathan Stone, Justice of the Peace of Barre, Vt., and apparently in his hand, of testimony given by Seneca Sylvester in a suit brought against the firm of Brewster & Trumbull of Barre, by Jacob Perkins which is currently before the Supreme Court sitting at Woodstock. Barre, Vt., August 21st, 1813. Single leaf folded to form two 12?�� x 7?�� leaves. Document takes up 1 of the inner two pages, with docket of Stone on one of the outside pages and of another clerk on the other. On laid paper. Folded, long split running about halfway up the center fold with tear extending slightly into text at top. Small tear at wax seal, but all without serious loss of content. Good, only, but intact and sound. $100.00

 

 The firm of Brewster & Trumbull appears to have been a machine shop specializing in textile equipment, and Sylvester one of their employees. Stone?��s writing is execrable and it is difficult to make out the precise nature of Sylvester?��s testimony, but he briefly answers several questions posed by one of the defendants, Gilbert Brewster, in the presence of Stone. Sylvester ?��tends?�� something (equipment?) and affirms that the establishment does ?��good business.?�� A patent for a spinning machine part was taken out by G. Brewster, G. Trumbull and J. Mathes of Barre, Vt. in 1812. And Gilbert Brewster is credited with patenting the ?��Eclipse?�� speeder in 1829 that was introduced into the British textile industry at Manchester in 1835 (Hayes, American Textile Machinery: Its Early History (Cambridge, [Mass.] 1879)) The deposition here is being taken because the witness resides more than 30 miles from the proceedings of the court. It is signed several times by Stone and there is a signature of Seneca Sylvester.

It is interesting to note that Barre is here identified as a part of Jefferson Co., Vermont which was formed in 1810. The name was changed to Washington Co. just five years later, in 1815, no doubt the result of the Embargo.