JWB Seduction Charge (Not Breach of Promise)

[jparkuntz]

Quote:Wow, great and important find! I'm glad the Mercury story was able to be verified. About the Philadelphia Archives, I have to tell you something important. In less than 2 weeks it's going to close and isn't scheduled to reopen until September 2018 because it is moving locations:

https://blog.eogn.com/2017/11/29/philade...gust-2018/

This link may be helpful in understanding Pennsylvania laws regarding the crime of seduction at the time:

https://books.google.com/books?id=vj2TAA...ia&f=false

Yikes, I can't make it down there before they close. I'm not sure how requisitions get issued, other than that they come to Governors from counties. But I don't know what agency within a county sends that prompt: a sheriff, a commissioner, or a court.

I saw the 7-21 year penalty for seduction in an act from Pennsylvania that was referring to slaves. So it would be interesting to find out what the penalty was in 1859 for non-slave: was it still 1-3 years, as indicated in the 1843 act you quote? Or was it weaker or stronger?

I can tell you that of all the 1857-1860 Pennsylvania requisition files I looked through yesterday, about one third were for seduction, one third for forgery, and the other third other felonies.

Jerry Kuntz
Warwick NY