Appeals to the Privy Council
Report No. 01_1727_00

Winthrop v Lechmere

Connecticut 

 

Case Name Short

Winthrop v Lechmere

 
Case Name Long

John Winthrop v Thomas and Ann Lechmere

 
 

Acts of the Privy Council, Colonial Series

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APC Citation 

v.3 [112] p.139 – 16 January 1727 – entry 1

 
PC Register Citation 

George I v.5 (September 1724 – May 1727) p.297–298: PC 2/89/297–298

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APC Citation 

v.3 [112] p.139 – 8 February 1727 – entry 2

 
PC Register Citation 

George I v.5 (September 1724 – May 1727) p.319: PC 2/89/319

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APC Citation 

v.3 [112] p.139 – 18 February 1727 – entry 3

 
PC Register Citation 

George I v.5 (September 1724 – May 1727) p.330: PC 2/89/330

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APC Citation 

v.3 [112] p.139–140 – 18 February 1727 – entry 4

 
PC Register Citation 

George I v.5 (September 1724 – May 1727) p.330–331: PC 2/89/330–331

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APC Citation 

v.3 [112] p.140 – 28 March 1727 – entry 5

 
PC Register Citation 

George I v.5 (September 1724 – May 1727) p.338–339: PC 2/89/338–339

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APC Citation 

v.3 [112] p.140 – 13 May 1727 – entry 6

 
PC Register Citation 

George I v.5 (September 1724 – May 1727) p.357–358: PC 2/89/357–358

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APC Citation 

v.3 [112] p.140 – 21 November 1727 – entry 7

 
PC Register Citation 

George II v.1 (14 June 1727 – 22 May 1729) p.186–187: PC 2/90/186–187

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APC Citation 

v.3 [112] p.140 – 16 December 1727 – entry 8

 
PC Register Citation 

George II v.1 (14 June 1727 – 22 May 1729) p.193: PC 2/90/193

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APC Citation 

v.3 [112] p.140–150 – 20 December 1727 – entry 9

 
PC Register Citation 

George II v.1 (14 June 1727 – 22 May 1729) p.195–202: PC 2/90/195–202

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APC Citation 

v.3 [112] p.150 – 13 February 1728 – entry 10

 
PC Register Citation 

George II v.1 (14 June 1727 – 22 May 1729) p.230–231: PC 2/90/230–231

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APC Citation 

v.3 [112] p.150 – 19 November 1728 – entry 11

 
PC Register Citation 

George II v.1 (14 June 1727 – 22 May 1729) p.390–391: PC 2/90/390–391

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APC Citation 

v.3 [112] p.150 – 27 November 1728 – entry 12

 
PC Register Citation 

George II v.1 (14 June 1727 – 22 May 1729) p.398: PC 2/90/398

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APC Citation 

v.3 [112] p.150 – 4 December 1728 – entry 13

 
PC Register Citation 

George II v.1 (14 June 1727 – 22 May 1729) p.404: PC 2/90/404

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APC Citation 

v.3 [112] p.151 – 4 December 1728 – entry 14

 
PC Register Citation 

George II v.1 (14 June 1727 – 22 May 1729) p.407: PC 2/90/407

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APC Citation 

v.3 [112] p.151 – 11 December 1728 – entry 15

 
PC Register Citation 

George II v.1 (14 June 1727 – 22 May 1729) p.411: PC 2/90/411

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Colonial Courts

Court of Probates – county of New London – 21 February 1717/1718 – letters of administration of estate granted to Winthrop

Superior Court – judgments for Winthrop on multiple actions of Lechmere brought in July 1724

General Assembly – 1725 – Lechmere’s petition for relief and a new trial

Assembly – 1725 – order for a complete inventory of Wait Winthrop’s estate in Court of Probates

Court of Probates – 29 June 1725 – refusal to accept Winthrop’s inventory without real estate, from which judgment Winthrop appeals

Court of Probates – Lechmere brings suit to have administration of estate granted to him which, being stayed, leads Lechmere to appeal to Superior Court

Superior Court – 28 September 1725 – affirmance of action of Court of Probates and order for both real and personal property to be inventoried, from which Winthrop appeals for review to Superior Court

Superior Court – 22 March 1725/6 – affirmance of their judgment of 28 September 1725 and on Lechmere’s review grant of power of administration to Lechmere

Special Superior County Court – 29 April 1726 – approves Lechmere’s inventory of the estate

Assembly – 12 May 1726 – receipt of Lechmere’s petitions for right to sell land to pay debt of deceased

Governor – receipt of protest from Winthrop

Assembly – May 1726 – passage of an act empowering Lechmere to sell the land to pay the remaining debt and finding Winthrop in contempt

Superior Court – September 1726 – issuance of an order pursuant to the passing of the May Act of Assembly allowing the sale of land

Participants

Dummer, Jeremiah (agent for Connecticut)

Latimore, Robert

Lechmere, Ann (Anne) (wife of Thomas Lechmere, sister of John Winthrop, daughter of the late Wait Wintrhop, niece of the late Hon. Fitzjohn Winthrop, and granddaughter of the late Hon. John Winthrop)

Lechmere, Charles (agent for Thomas and Ann Lechmere)

Lechmere, Thomas of Boston, merchant (husband of Ann Lechmere)

Talcott, John, Governor

Wally, Abell

Winthrop, Hon. Fitzjohn, late Governor (deceased uncle of John Winthrop and Ann Winthrop Lechmere)

Winthrop, Hon. John, late Governor (deceased grandfather of John Winthrop and Ann Winthrop Lechmere)

Winthrop, John of New London (brother of Ann Lechmere, son of the late Wait Winthrop, nephew of the late Hon. Fitzjohn Winthrop, and grandson of the late Hon. John Winthrop)

Winthrop, Major-General Wait of Boston (deceased father of John Winthrop and Ann Winthrop Lechmere)

Description

Land dispute between a brother and sister following the death of their father intestate. As Smith describes, at issue was the validity of the 1699 Connecticut Act for the Settlement of Intestate Estates, which, contrary to English practice, divided real and personal property in equal shares among the intestate’s children with the eldest son receiving a double share.

Disposition

Colonial “Act for the Settlement of Intestate Estates declared null and void as contrary to the laws of England in regard it makes Lands of Inheritance distributable as personal Estates . . . . ”

Sentences of 29 June 1725, 28 September 1725, and 22 March 1725/6 reversed. Court of Probates directed not to reject an inventory without real property. Letters of administration for Lechmere vacated and order of 29 April 1726 approving his inventory to be discharged and the original letters of administration granted to Winthrop to be ordered to stand. Lechmere suit dismissed and all acts under these proceedings to be declared null and void, including court order of 27 September 1726. Winthrop to be put in possession of any lands lost, with rents and profits foregone and costs paid by petitioner repaid.

Notes

According to Smith (p.537), “the only instance we have seen of a colonial act specifically declared null and void ab initio upon judicial review by the King in Council.” Washburne, Imperial Control, p.184, notes that three appeals are usually cited as involving the validity of colonial legislative enactments: Winthrop v Lechmere, Philips v Savage, and Clark v Towsey. The importance of this case warrants its more detailed exposition here.

References in Smith, Appeals to the Privy Council from the American Plantations

Table of Cases (Winthrop v Lechmere) (extensive discussion)


DOCUMENTATION

Printed Cases

Not found

Privy Council Documents in PC 1 at The National Archives at Kew

TNA Document Complaint of J. Winthrop – his petition – 8 Feb. 1727 – PC 1/48/23 view_Document
Notes about
Document
Referenced in APC, v.6 [367] p.173–178

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TNA Document Complaint of J. Winthrop – his petition (typed copy) – 8 Feb. 1727 – PC 1/48/23 view_Document
Notes about
Document
Referenced in APC, v.6 [367] p.173–178; this typewritten copy of the petition has been added to the bundle.

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TNA Document Order of reference – 8 Feb. 1727 – PC 1/48/23 view_Document
Notes about
Document
Referenced in APC, v.6 [367] p.173–178

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TNA Document Committee report for a copy of the petition to be sent to the Governor for his answer – 18 Feb. 1727 – PC 1/48/23 view_Document
Notes about
Document
Referenced in APC, v.6 [367] p.178

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TNA Document Governor Talcott’s answer (copy 1) – 19 Sept. 1727 – PC 1/48/23 view_Document
Notes about
Document
Referenced in APC, v.6 [367] p.178–181

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TNA Document Governor Talcott’s answer (copy 2) – 19 Sept. 1727 – PC 1/48/23 view_Document
Notes about
Document
Referenced in APC, v.6 [367] p.178–181

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TNA Document Enclosure with Governor Talcott’s answer (copy 1) – 19 Sept. 1727 (certification date) – PC 1/48/23 view_Document
Notes about
Document
Referenced in APC, v.6 [367] p.178–181

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TNA Document Enclosure with Governor Talcott’s answer (copy 2) – 19 Sept. 1727 (certification date) – PC 1/48/23 view_Document
Notes about
Document
Referenced in APC v.6 [367] p.178–181

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TNA Document Letters of 23 Feb. 1698 and 24 Apr. 1699 (copy 1) – 19 Sept. 1727 – PC 1/48/23 view_Document
Notes about
Document
Referenced in APC, v.6 [367] p.181

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TNA Document Letters of 23 Feb. 1698 and 24 Apr. 1699 (copy 2) – 19 Sept. 1727 – PC 1/48/23 view_Document
Notes about
Document
Referenced in APC, v.6 [367] p.181

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TNA Document Paragraph in a Connecticut law re houses and land to heirs (copy 1) – 19 Sept. 1727 – PC 1/48/23 view_Document
Notes about
Document
Referenced in APC, v.6 [367] p.181

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TNA Document Paragraph in a Connecticut law re houses and land to heirs (copy 2) – 19 Sept. 1727 – PC 1/48/23 view_Document
Notes about
Document
Referenced in APC, v.6 [367] p.181

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TNA Document Order referring Governor’s answer to the Committee – 4 Dec. 1727 (Dorse says Dec. 4, 1728) – PC 1/48/23 view_Document
Notes about
Document
Referenced in APC, v.6 [367] p.181

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TNA Document List of papers re Winthrop’s complaint – no date – PC 1/48/23 view_Document
Notes about
Document
Referenced in APC, v.6 [367] p.181

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TNA Document Complaint of J. Winthrop – extracts from the record of the colony authenticated by the Governor – 16 July 1728 – PC 1/48/24 view_Document
Notes about
Document
Referenced in APC, v.6 [410] p.200

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TNA Document Law for dividing the estates of intestates – Board of Trade report on the petition of J. Belcher and J. Dummer – 31 Dec. 1730 – PC 1/48/26 view_Document
Notes about
Document
Referenced in APC, v.6 [431] p.215–216

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TNA Document Law of inheritance in case of intestacy – 6 Feb. 1731 – PC 1/48/27 view_Document
Notes about
Document
Referenced in APC, v.6, [431] p.216

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Other Documents

Other Documents

Winthrop’s printed case was written on 13 folios of 2 foolscap pages each. It was transcribed and printed at the end of the 19th century but the original cannot be located at present.

 

 
Other Documents

Printed in the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society (1892) under the general heading ‘Winthrop, “Brief”’ are:

 

 
 

     (1) the brief of the appellant (p.440–496),

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     (2) the decree of the King in Council (p.496–509), and

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     (3) correspondence from Winthrop (p.509–511).
Editors’ notes indicate that they were unable to find a copy of the respondent’s case, for whom they say the counsel were Willes (probably Sir John) and Booth, whom they could not further identify.

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Other Documents

See also the Appendix (p.571–579) to Hoadley, Connecticut Public Records 1726–1735, for the text of the Order in Council.