Declaration, circa 7 May 1844 [JS et al. v. C. B. Street and M. B. Street]
Source Note
Bachman & Skinner on behalf of JS, , , , and the estate of , Declaration, , IL, ca. [7] May 1844, JS et al. v. C. B. Street and M. B. Street (Hancock Co., IL, Circuit Court 1846); handwriting of ; docket by , [, IL, ca. 7 May 1844]; notation by , [, Hancock Co., IL], 8 May 1844; ten pages; photocopy in Historical Department, Materials Received from Mark W. Hofmann, CHL.
In 1982, the Church Historical Department (now CHL) acquired this document from Mark Hofmann. As was later discovered, Hofmann forged many early church history and Americana manuscripts and altered authentic documents to increase their market value; he also dealt in authentic manuscripts. In 1986, church representatives offered documents received from Hofmann to the courthouses or local government agencies where they may have originated, and this document was returned to the circuit court. A collection was created in 1995 to collate forged and suspect documents acquired from Hofmann directly or indirectly through other donors and included both manuscripts and photocopies of documents that were returned to government institutions in 1986. Since there is no provenance information definitively dating this document prior to its possession by Hofmann and there is no indication the document underwent forensic testing, it cannot be conclusively authenticated.
And also further whereas afterwards, to wit on the seventeenth day of February A D 1841, at the said County of the said Charles B. Street and Marvin B. Street were partners in trade under the style of their said firm of “C. B. & M. B. Street” and so being partners the said Charles B. Street and Marvin B. Street and <the said> Robert F. Smith on the seventeenth day of February AD 1841, at the City of , to wit, at the County of made their certain <other> promissory note, in writing, and then and there delivered the same to the said Joseph Smith, , , and , the said having deceased since that time and before the commencement of this suit, and thereby jointly <or> and severally promised to pay the said Joseph Smith, , , and the said since deceased, (under the name of the said firm of “C. B. & M. B. Street” and Robert F. Smith by his proper name of Robert F. Smith) or order, three thousand one hundred and thirty three dollars and sixty-<two> five cents at <Hancock County,> Illinois, to wit, at in the said County of payable in goods and produce in such quantiti[e]s, and proportions as the said Joseph Smith, , , and the said since deceased should choose, to wit, in dry goods, in groceries and in Hardware; in flour at two dollars per hundred pounds in meal at twenty five cents per bushel, in corn at twenty cents per bushel, in oats at twenty one cents per bushel, in pork at five cents per pound and in cows or meat cattle on or before the first day of June next thereafter the date there [p. [3]]