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1827 Sandy Hill, New York Mortgage Bond Signed by Presbyterian Elder Luther Johnson to Masonic Leader Charles WhiteDescription
Offered is an original April 25, 1827 manuscript mortgage bond executed in Sandy Hill, Washington County, New York (today's Hudson Falls). This attractive early American legal document records a mortgage obligation in which Luther Johnson bound himself to Charles White in the penal sum of $500 to secure repayment of $250 within three years. The document is signed by Johnson and witnessed by Josiah Beaumont, another early resident of Sandy Hill.
Executed during the height of the Champlain Canal era, this document reflects the legal and financial transactions that accompanied the rapid growth of one of eastern New York's most important early industrial communities.
Historical Summary
This bond was created only two years after the completion of the Champlain Canal, which transformed Sandy Hill into a thriving commercial and manufacturing village. The mortgage follows the standard legal practice of the period: a penal bond of $500 secured repayment of a $250 mortgage, becoming void once the debt was satisfied.
Unlike many anonymous legal documents, this example connects three identifiable early residents who played roles in the history of Sandy Hill.
BiographiesLuther Johnson (Signer)
Luther Johnson was an early resident of Sandy Hill and a respected member of the community. On January 30, 1820, he was ordained as one of the first elders of the Presbyterian Church serving Kingsbury and Queensbury (later the Presbyterian Church of Sandy Hill). His selection as a church elder reflects his standing among the leading citizens of the village. This mortgage bond bears his original signature just seven years after his ordination.
Charles White (Mortgagee)
Charles White was a prominent citizen of Sandy Hill who served as High Priest of the local Royal Arch Masonic Chapter in 1821. During the early nineteenth century, Masonic organizations were among the most influential civic and fraternal institutions in American towns. White's leadership position demonstrates his importance within the growing Sandy Hill community during its period of expansion.
Josiah Beaumont (Witness)
Josiah Beaumont was an early resident of Sandy Hill and head of a family documented in Washington County during the 1820s. He married Eliza Ann Searles in 1825 near Champlain, New York, and witnessed this mortgage bond in 1827 before later joining the westward migration to Illinois. His signature provides an additional identifiable connection to one of Sandy Hill's early families.
Partial Transcription
"Know all men by these presents that I Luther Johnson of Sandy Hill in the State of New York am held firmly bound unto Charles White of the same place in the sum of Five hundred dollars..."
...
"The condition of this obligation is such that... Luther Johnson... shall well and truly pay... unto Charles White... the just and full sum of Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars within three years... according to the conditions of a certain indenture of mortgage... then this obligation shall be void, otherwise to remain in full force and virtue."
Signed:
Luther Johnson
Witnessed by:
Josiah Beaumont
Condition
Original 1827 manuscript on laid paper with excellent period penmanship, original folds from filing, docketing on the reverse reading "Luther Johnson vs. Charles White Bond," and the original paper seal intact. Expected age toning and light wear consistent with nearly 200 years of age.
A wonderful piece of early New York legal history, combining Presbyterian church history, American Freemasonry, Washington County genealogy, and Canal Era finance in a single well-preserved manuscript.
