A Working Lawyer's Life: The Letter Book of John Henry Senter 1879-1884

Karen S. Beck, Boston College Law Library

Abstract

Senter (1848-1916) was a lawyer who practiced in a small Vermont town. His letter book, which contains 326 letters copied between April 1879 and 1884, records his business dealings, goals and thoughts. Richly detailed and often frank, these letters take us into the world of a small-town lawyer in the late nineteenth century. They introduce us to his clients, the legal matters he addressed, the way he ran his business and his daily difficulties (such as clients who failed to pay their bills). This book has two parts. The first part is a biography of Senter and a history of his practice. The second is a transcription of the letter book.