Lot 83: John Hancock Case with John Adams as Atty

There is a famous trial that was a important win for John Adams in which he defended John Hancock in the Admiralty Court. The trial was a little more than a year before this case.

The Trial was from November 28, 176 eighth through March 26 of 1769. This document from 1771 is about a dispute where a Mr. John Winn owed Hancock money. To find anything realted to the two patriots and founding fathers John Hancock and John Adams from this period is exceedingly rare. The document is form the sheriff our county Suffolk and York under sheriff deputies greeting ....., for 50 pounds. this is a case of John Hancock of Boston in our county of Suffolk in a plea on the case for the John Winn of Boston on the 15th day of April 1771.Being indebted to the plaintiff in the sum of 38 pounds 15 shillings and four pans of lawful money according to the accounting as promised to the plaintive to pay him that sum on demand and for that John Hancock of Boston....this is for damage of set of John Hancock the sum of 50 pounds which shall be paid on April 1771.

The attorney for John Hancock was John Adams which is docket it on back, with his name written by a court clerk. Great document form Adams acting as an attorney for Hancock.