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Introduction to Singley v. Rigdon Promissory Note, 6 March 1837, S. Otho Williams First Copy [Singley v. Rigdon] Promissory Note, 6 March 1837, S. Otho Williams Second Copy [Singley v. Rigdon] Petition, circa 6 November 1839 [Singley v. Rigdon] Petition, circa 6 November 1839, Copy [Singley v. Rigdon] Summons, 7 November 1839 [Singley v. Rigdon] Summons, 4 July 1840 [Singley v. Rigdon] Subpoena, 3 May 1841 [Singley v. Rigdon] Affidavit, 4 May 1841 [Singley v. Rigdon] Plea, circa 5 May 1841 [Singley v. Rigdon] Replication, circa 5 May 1841 [Singley v. Rigdon] Affidavit, 6 May 1841–A [Singley v. Rigdon] Affidavit, 6 May 1841–B [Singley v. Rigdon] Docket Entry, Judgment, 6 May 1841 [Singley v. Rigdon] Case File Wrapper, circa May 1841 [Singley v. Rigdon]

Introduction to Singley v. Rigdon

Page

Singley v. Rigdon
Hancock Co., Illinois, Circuit Court, 6 May 1841
 
Historical Introduction
In May 1841, the Circuit Court issued a subpoena for JS to testify in a civil suit regarding a debt that held. Law firm Little & Williams, representing Nicholas Singley, commenced an action against Rigdon in November 1839 in the Hancock County Circuit Court related to a $150 promissory note that Rigdon had given to Singley—who was evidently a Latter-day Saint—in , Ohio, in March 1837. Little is known about the reason for this debt or the circumstances surrounding it.
Common law procedures for recovering debts on notes could be cumbersome, but Little & Williams employed a provision that simplified legal process by allowing a petition to be used in the place of a declaration. After the submission of the petition, the court issued a summons to requiring his presence at the April 1840 term of court. Rigdon, however, was not in , as he had accompanied JS to to present a for redress to Congress. In July 1840, Little & Williams filed a duplicate petition on Singley’s behalf, and the court issued another summons for Rigdon, which was served upon him.
The circuit court subpoenaed JS, , and in May 1841 to testify on ’s behalf. In an affidavit, Rigdon explained that JS was a material witness and claimed that JS had paid off the debt but that Singley had subsequently become dissatisfied with part of JS’s payment. On 6 May 1841, Rigdon, acting as his own attorney, filed a plea in which he claimed that Singley had no cause of action because the debt had been paid. Singley’s attorneys filed a to the plea, claiming the debt remained unsatisfied. The suit then proceeded to trial before Judge at the circuit court in , Illinois. JS, Cahoon and Ripley testified. The plaintiff’s attorney and Rigdon in his own defense appeared before the court. After Douglas listened to the evidence, he ruled in favor of Rigdon.
 
Calendar of Documents
This calendar lists all known documents created by or for the court, whether extant or not. It does not include versions of documents created for other purposes, though those versions may be listed in footnotes. In certain cases, especially in cases concerning unpaid debts, the originating document (promissory note, invoice, etc.) is listed here. Note that documents in the calendar are grouped with their originating court. Where a version of a document was subsequently filed with another court, that version is listed under both courts.
 

1837 (1)

March (1)

6 March 1837

Sidney Rigdon, Promissory Note, Kirtland Township, Geauga Co., OH, to Nicholas Singley

 
Hancock Co., Illinois, Circuit Court

1839 (2)

November (2)

Ca. 6 November 1839

Little & Williams on behalf of Nicholas Singley, Petition, Hancock Co., IL

  • Ca. 6 Nov. 1839; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm 1,521,441 at FHL; handwriting of S. Otho Williams.
  • 4 July 1840; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm 1,521,441 at FHL; printed form with manuscript additions in handwriting of S. Otho Williams; docket printed with manuscript additions in handwriting of S. Otho Williams; notation in handwriting of S. Otho Williams; notations printed with manuscript additions presumably in handwriting of E. G. Haggard.
7 November 1839

S. Otho Williams on behalf of Wesley Williams, Summons, to Hancock Co. Sheriff, for Sidney Rigdon, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL

  • 7 Nov. 1839; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm 1,521,441 at FHL; printed form with manuscript additions in handwriting of S. Otho Williams; docket printed with manuscript additions in handwriting of S. Otho Williams; notation printed with manuscript additions presumably in handwriting of E.G. Haggard; notation in handwriting of S. Otho Williams.

1840 (1)

July (1)

4 July 1840

S. Otho Williams on behalf of Wesley Williams, Summons, to Hancock Co. Sheriff, for Sidney Rigdon, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL

  • 4 July 1840; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm 1,521,441 at FHL; printed form with manuscript additions in handwriting of S. Otho Williams; docket printed with manuscript additions in handwriting of S. Otho Williams; notation in handwriting of S. Otho Williams; notations printed with manuscript additions presumably in handwriting of E. G. Haggard.

1841 (7)

May (7)

3 May 1841

S. Otho Williams, Subpoena, to Hancock Co. Sheriff, for JS and Others, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL

  • 3 May 1841; Hancock Co., IL, Summonses, 1841–1847, BYU; printed form with manuscript additions in handwriting of S. Otho Williams; docket printed with manuscript additions in handwriting of S. Otho Williams; notations printed with manuscript additions in handwriting of Lewis Robison.
4 May 1841

Sidney Rigdon, Affidavit, before S. Otho Williams, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL

  • 4 May 1841; private possession; handwriting of Sidney Rigdon; certification in handwriting of S. Otho Williams; docket and notation in handwriting of S. Otho Williams.
Ca. 5 May 1841

Sidney Rigdon, Plea, Hancock Co., IL

  • Ca. 5 May 1841; private possession; unidentified handwriting; docket in unidentified handwriting; notation in handwriting of S. Otho Williams.
Ca. 5 May 1841

Little & Williams on behalf of Nicholas Singley, Replication, Hancock Co., IL

  • Ca. 5 May 1841; private possession; unidentified handwriting; docket in unidentified handwriting; notation in handwriting of S. Otho Williams.
6 May 1841

Alanson Ripley, Affidavit, before Eli H. Williams on behalf of S. Otho Williams, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL, 6 May 1841–A

  • 6 May 1841; microfilm in Circuit court case files, 1830–1900, CHL; printed form with manuscript additions in handwriting of Eli H. Williams; signature of Alanson Ripley; docket and notation in handwriting of S. Otho Williams.
6 May 1841

Reynolds Cahoon, Affidavit, before Eli H. Williams on behalf of S. Otho Williams, Carthage Hancock Co., IL, 6 May 1841–B

  • 6 May 1841; microfilm in Circuit court case files, 1830–1900, CHL; printed form with manuscript additions in handwriting of Eli H. Williams; signature of Reynolds Cahoon; docket and notation in handwriting of S. Otho Williams.
6 May 1841

Docket Entry, Judgment, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL

  • 6 May 1841; Hancock County Circuit Court Record, vol. C, p. 64, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of S. Otho Williams.
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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Introduction to Singley v. Rigdon
ID #
18266
Total Pages
1
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page

    Footnotes

    1. [1]

      Subpoena, 3 May 1841 [Singley v. Rigdon].

    2. [2]

      Sidney Little had a law practice in Carthage, Illinois, and Archibald Williams had a practice in Quincy; they advertised their joint legal services under the firm Little & Williams.

    3. [3]

      Petition, ca. 6 Nov. 1837 [Singley v. Rigdon]; Promissory Note, 6 Mar. 1837 [Singley v. Rigdon]; Minute Book 1, 10 June 1836; see also Letter from Don Carlos Smith, ca. Late Mar. 1838.

    4. [4]

      Rigdon, JS, and other church leaders were involved in several business ventures in the Kirtland area in 1837, including a store in nearby Chester, Ohio, and the Kirtland Safety Society. (Historical Introduction to Notes Receivable from Rigdon, Smith & Co., 22 May 1837.)

    5. [5]

      Petition, ca. 6 Nov. 1839 [Singley v. Rigdon]; An Act, Simplifying Proceedings at Law for the Collection of Debts [25 Feb. 1833], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois [1839], p. 538, sec. 1, sec. 6; see also Introduction to Boosinger v. JS et al. and Boosinger v. O. Cowdery et al.

      The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.

    6. [6]

      Summons, 7 Nov. 1839 [Singley v. Rigdon].

    7. [7]

      Summons, 7 Nov. 1839 [Singley v. Rigdon]. Rigdon started on the journey to Washington DC with JS and Elias Higbee in October 1839, but a continued bout of malaria necessitated that he stop in Springfield, Illinois, to recover. Though Rigdon apparently returned to Nauvoo in May 1840, he remained bedridden as late as July. (Historical Introduction to Statement, ca. 1 Nov. 1839–B; Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, 19 Nov. 1839; Richard M. Young to Elias Higbee, 9 Apr. 1840, JS Letterbook 2, pp. 133–134; Historical Introduction to Letter to Crooked Creek, Illinois, Branch, ca. 7 or 8 July 1840.)

    8. [8]

      Petition, ca. 6 Nov. 1839 [Singley v. Rigdon]; Summons, 4 July 1840 [Singley v. Rigdon].

    9. [9]

      Subpoena, 3 May 1841 [Singley v. Rigdon]; Affidavit, 4 May 1841 [Singley v. Rigdon].

    10. [10]

      Affidavit, 4 May 1841 [Singley v. Rigdon].

    11. [11]

      Plea, ca. 5 May 1841 [Singley v. Rigdon].

    12. [12]

      Replication, ca. 5 May 1841 [Singley v. Rigdon]. Both parties requested a jury trial. However, the statute outlining the debt collection procedure made no mention of a jury, referring only to the parties appearing before the court, which would issue a verdict. (An Act, Simplifying Proceedings at Law for the Collection of Debts [25 Feb. 1833], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois [1839], p. 538, secs. 5–6.)

      The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.

    13. [13]

      Cahoon and Ripley filed affidavits attesting to their presence in court on 6 May 1841. If JS filed a similar affidavit, it has not been located, but court records show that all three men were paid witness fees. (Affidavit, 6 May 1841–A [Singley v. Rigdon]; Affidavit, 6 May 1841–B [Singley v. Rigdon]; Docket Entry, Fees, ca. 6 May 1841, Singley v. Rigdon [Hancock Co. Cir. Ct.], Fee Book E, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL.)

      Hancock County Courthouse. Carthage, IL.

    14. [14]

      Docket Entry, Judgment, 6 May 1841 [Singley v. Rigdon].

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