JWB Seduction Charge (Not Breach of Promise)

[Lincoln Wonk]

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

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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

Thanks for letting everyone know. This will really be a problem for American Revolution researcher, especially.