1843 Essex County New Jersey Guardianship Document – Oliver S. Halsted – Seal For Sale

Dated July 2, 1843, the document records the court’s appointment of Peter Fern [possibly Fenn] as guardian of the persons and real and personal property of Frederick and Mariam Beecroft, both minors under fourteen years of age.

The certificate retains its original applied, embossed official seal, displaying an American eagle surrounded by the inscription “Surrogate Seal of Essex County, N.J.” Traces of red coloring remain within the lettering and design. The unusually large seal gives the document considerable visual and historical appeal.

Oliver Spencer Halsted [1792–1877] was a respected Newark lawyer and public official who served in the New Jersey Assembly, the State Council, and as Surrogate of Essex County.

Condition: Considerable age toning, foxing, soiling and edge wear. The document has separated substantially along its original horizontal and vertical folds, with small losses where the folds intersect. The principal text, Halsted’s signature, and the official seal remain present and legible. Please examine the photographs carefully.

An appealing piece of early New Jersey legal and genealogical history with a particularly attractive surviving county seal.