This was given from the USA Marshall William Nicholas to what appears to be an orphaned baby born the same day named William sheaff. The property owner died and must of not had anyone to give it to so it went to the state? Not sure. Property owner looks like Henry gehelt.
William nichols - During the American Revolutionary War, he served in the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment (as an ensign, second lieutenant, and quartermaster in 1776) and in the 7th Pennsylvania Regiment (as second lieutenant, later captain) in 1776-77. By the mid to late 1780s Nichols had established himself in legal and public service: he was a notary and tabellion public in 1786 and then an attorney by 1787. He served as Clerk of the Philadelphia Orphans’ Court and also for the Court of Quarter Sessions.His term as U.S. Marshal appears in official lists of U.S. Marshals for Pennsylvania 1795-1799
Fries rebellion incident 1799 - Resistance began in August 1798 less than fifty miles from Philadelphia, primarily in Northampton, Montgomery, and Bucks Counties, and increased through December with public denouncements of the acts and the erection of liberty poles. Through 1798, the rebels threatened violence against the tax assessors sent to these regions, but did little physical violence. In January 1799 the federal government issued arrest warrants for obstructing assessment of the House Tax. U.S. Marshal William Nichols left Philadelphia on February 25 to serve the warrants, which required resisters to appear for trial in Philadelphia. Nichols arrived in Northampton County on March 1, took twelve men into custody the next day, and served the remainder of his warrants over the next three days. He then retired on March 6 to his new headquarters and temporary jail for his prisoners, the Sun Inn in Bethlehem. The next day nearly 400 armed resisters entered Bethlehem in an attempt to free the prisoners. As the highest-ranking militia officer present, John Fries assumed command of the men. Once they reached the Sun Inn, Fries began negotiations with Nichols. As the negotiations dragged late into the day the uneasy crowd grew anxious. Nichols finally agreed to release the prisoners in order to calm the crowd and also to protect his deputies. In response to this event President Adams issued a proclamation from Philadelphia urging all insurgents to retire peacefully by March 18, 1799. The insurgents complied with Adams’ proclamation by March 18, but by that point Adams had already set the military into motion.
Samuel Caldwell - merchant, warden of the port of Philadelphia (1784-1788) state collector of the port and clerk to the port wardens. Appointed October 6 1789 as the clerk of the U.S. district court. Mayors court documents show he also was the clerk for the circuit and districts court in Philadelphia
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