Blatchford, Seward, and Griswold records
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Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Blatchford, Seward & Griswold Records consist of material pertaining to thirty-four inventions. Materials date from 1841 to 1910 and include handwritten copies of patent applications and letters patent, correspondence, notes, newspaper clippings, drawings, printed court records, court notices, bills of complaint, briefs, witness lists, depositions, subpoenas, affidavits, transcripts of testimony, and patent assignments. Most of the cases were heard in the U.S. Circuit Courts, in a New England, New York, or New Jersey district. A few were heard in State Supreme Courts.
Several of the most significant disputes are worth highlighting. For example, Samuel Blatchford represented Samuel F. B. Morse in a series of infringement suits in the 1840s and 1850s. These suits were brought by Morse against men constructing telegraph lines without proper license. The collection contains correspondence and copies of court records (box 1) on these cases.
During the 1850s the firm was hired to represent Ross Winans, a Baltimore inventor of railroad car chassis. Winans became embroiled in several infringement suits, only one of which, Winans vs. Danforth, is represented in the collection (box 4).
The letters patent issued to Charles Goodyear on June 15, 1844, for his rubber manufacture process signaled the beginning of twenty-two years of legal maneuvering for Blatchford, Seward & Griswold. Suit followed by countersuit produced nearly two dozen cases, seventeen of which are documented in the collection. In most of the suits, the firm represented Goodyear’s main antagonist, Horace H. Day. In 1858, however, the firm was hired by Goodyear as chief counsel in the application for extension of the 1844 patent. A seven-year extension was granted on June 15, 1858. At the same time as the extension proceeding, the firm argued on behalf of the Congress Rubber Company, owned by Day, against several companies licensed to use Goodyear’s vulcanization process.
Blatchford, Seward & Griswold continued to represent Day during the late 1850s, but in 1864 Seward argued on behalf of Goodyear’s heirs against Day. The amount of material in the collection on the rubber patent cases (boxes 1-3) reflects both the intricacy of the Goodyear-Day conflict and the extent of the firm’s involvement in the litigation.
A series of infringement suits concerning Elias Howe’s sewing machine patent presented another challenge for the firm between 1854 and 1863.The material on the sewing machine (box 3) includes transcripts of testimony from workers in Boston and New York City. The testimony was taken to illustrate changes in work conditions brought by the introduction of the sewing machine. The transcripts provide a glimpse into the lives of working men and women. Many of the witnesses were in the clothing trade, including factory owners and seamstresses. (See Appendix for a list of the witnesses and their occupations.)
Several decades later Seward was counsel for the Gramme Electrical Company (box 5). This case is unique in the collection because it concerns the introduction of a foreign patent into the U.S. market.
The William Webster carpet loom patent (boxes 4, 7), Samuel W. Tyler mowing machine (boxes 4, 5, and 7), and Clinton G. Colgate telegraph cable patent (box 5) were each the subject of infringement suits during the 1870s and are represented by briefs, correspondence, and printed court records.
The collection contains material on fifteen other patent cases between 1880 and 1910, but none is documented as thoroughly as the cases mentioned above.
List of Witnesses in the Sewing Machine Patent Case (in box 3)
- Backster, Charles C.
- Foreman, Accountant
- Baker, Ezra
- Shoe Manufacturer
- Benson, John J.
- Coat Manufacturer
- Blatchford, Samuel
- Lawyer
- Bowker, John P
- Occupation unknown
- Bradshaw, John A.
- Machinist
- Burlingame, Anson
- Lawyer
- Bush, Mary O.
- Ladies’ and Children’s Clothing Manufacturer
- Chapin, Seth P.
- Sewing Machine Operator
- Clapp, George P.
- Occupation unknown
- Clark, Burton E.
- Bag Manufacturer
- Dalton, Annie
- Leather Seamstress
- Douglass, Alexander
- Skirt Manufacturer
- Ellis, Jonathan T.
- Clerk
- Farron, Margaret
- Sewing Machine Operator
- Fisher, George
- Newspaper Publisher
- Gardner, Smith
- Manufacturer
- Gleason, Sewall
- Occupation unknown
- Hasler, Henry
- Carriage Trimmer
- Horne, William M.
- Machinist
- Howe, Amasa B.
- Sewing Machine Manufacturer
- Inglis, Charles
- Coachmaker
- Jacobs, Herman
- Satchel Manufacturer
- Jeffers, William H.
- Ladies Shoemaker
- Johnston, William
- Boot Fitter
- Kolher, Gottlieb
- Manufacturer
- Lerow, Jacob H.
- Occupation unknown
- McCall, James
- Salesman
- McCurdy, James S.
- Inventor
- Marsh, Seymour N.
- Bandage Manufacturer
- Millar, James W.
- Tailor
- Murray, Joseph
- Machinist
- Phelps, Orson C.
- Machinist
- Potter, Orlando Brunson
- Lawyer, Sewing Machine Manufacturer
- Proctor, William F.
- Machinist
- Raymond, James M.
- Tailor
- Renwick, Edward Sabine
- Inventor, Patent Expert
- Renwick, Henry Brevoort
- Engineer, Patent Expert
- Rollin, Daniel G.
- Machinist
- Sheldon, Julius
- Hat Manufacturer
- Simpson, Edwin B.
- Shoe Manufacturer
- Simpson, Emma
- Seamstress
- Thorpe, Abraham
- Tailor
- Townsley, George R.
- Boot Manufacturer
- Tucker, Hiram
- Bed Manufacturer
- Tyng, Stephen Higginson
- Priest
- Udall, William M.
- Shirt Manufacturer
- Waters, Harvey
- Machinist
- Whiting, William E.
- Clerk
- Winchester, Oliver Fisher
- Gun and Shirt Manufacturer
Dates
- Creation: 1841 - 1910
Creator
- Blatchford, Samuel, 1820-1893 (Person)
- Blatchford, Seward & Griswold (Organization)
- Griswold, Burr Wakeman (Person)
- Seward, Clarence A. (Clarence Armstrong), 1828-1897 (Person)
Access note
This collection is open.
Digital Access Note
Some parts of this collection are available online. Links to specific online digital items are found within their entry in this finding aid.
Conditions Governing Use
Access to collections in the Department of Distinctive Collections is not authorization to publish. Please see the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy for permission information. Copyright of some items in this collection may be held by respective creators, not by the donor of the collection or MIT.
Historical Note
The Blatchford, Seward & Griswold firm was formed by the merger of two partnerships, one started in New York City by Richard Blatchford in 1819, and another in Auburn, New York, by William Henry Seward and Elijah Miller in 1823. In 1854 the two firms merged, maintaining one office in New York City. The partners were Samuel Blatchford (1820-1893), Clarence Armstrong Seward (1828-1897) and Burr Wakeman Griswold (1823-1886). The firm was known as Blatchford, Seward & Griswold until 1869, when Charles Mandes Da Costa (1837-1890) became a senior partner. The firm specialized in patent cases; they worked with many prominent nineteenth century American inventors on patent applications, provided counsel during infringement suits, and worked with newly formed manufacturing firms on patent license matters. Between 1885 and 1910, six other men became senior partners. Blatchford, Seward, and Griswold retired from the firm in 1867, 1897, and 1884 respectively. The firm has been known as Cravath, Swaine & Moore since 1941.
Extent
7 Cubic Feet (6 record cartons, 1 flat storage box, 3 folders of oversize drawings and patents)
Language of Materials
Multiple languages
Abstract
Blatchford, Seward & Griswold was a New York law firm specializing in patent cases. The firm worked with inventors to apply for patents, provide counsel during infringement suits, and advise companies formed to market new inventions. The collection contains material on 34 patents including Samuel F. B. Morse's telegraph, Charles Goodyear's rubber manufacturing process, Elias Howe's sewing machine, Ross Winans' railroad car chassis, William Webster's carpet loom, Samuel W. Tyler's mowing machine, and Clinton G. Colgate's telegraph cable. Materials in the collection span the years 1841 to 1910 and include letters patent, patent applications, correspondence, notes, clippings, drawings, printed court records, court notices, bills of complaint, briefs, witness lists, depositions, subpoenas, affidavits, transcripts of testimony, and patent assignments.
Location
Materials are stored off-site. Advance notice is required for use.
Source of Acquisition
The collection was given to the MIT Libraries in May 1954 and March 1955 by the New York City law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore.
Appraisal note
Needs review.
Subject
- Bigelow, Erastus B. (Erastus Brigham), 1814-1879 (Person)
- Colgate, Clinton G. (Clinton Gilbert) (Person)
- Cravath, Swaine & Moore (Organization)
- Day, Horace H., 1813-1878 (Person)
- Edison, Thomas A. (Thomas Alva), 1847-1931 (Person)
- Goodyear, Charles, 1800-1860 (Person)
- Higginson, Henry Lee, 1834-1919 (Person)
- Howe, Elias, 1819-1867 (Person)
- Morse, Samuel Finley Breese, 1791-1872 (Person)
- Singer, Isaac Merritt, 1811-1875 (Person)
- Smith, Francis O. J. (Francis Ormond Jonathan), 1806-1876 (Person)
- Tyler, Samuel W. (Person)
- Tyng, Stephen H. (Stephen Higginson), 1800-1885 (Person)
- Blatchford, Samuel, 1820-1893 (Person)
- Webster, William (Inventor : New York) (Person)
- Griswold, Burr Wakeman (Person)
- Winans, Ross, 1796-1877 (Person)
- Seward, Clarence A. (Clarence Armstrong), 1828-1897 (Person)
- Blatchford, Seward & Griswold (Organization)
- Title
- Guide to the Records of Blatchford, Seward, & Griswold, 1841-1910
- Status
- Ready For Review
- Author
- Roland Madany
- Date
- (Copyright 1981)
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- Processing of the collection was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Repository Details
Part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Libraries. Department of Distinctive Collections Repository
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries
Building 14N-118
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge MA 02139-4307 US
distinctive-collections@mit.edu