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Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 1841–1845

Source Note

“A Record of the Proceedings of the City Council of the City of Nauvoo, Handcock County, State of Illinois, Commencing A.D. 1841”; handwriting of
James Sloan
28 Oct. 1792–24 Oct. 1886. City recorder, notary public, attorney, judge, farmer. Born in Donaghmore, Co. Tyrone, Ireland. Son of Alexander Sloan and Anne. Married Mary Magill. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ordained an elder, ...
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,
Thomas Bullock
23 Dec. 1816–10 Feb. 1885. Farmer, excise officer, secretary, clerk. Born in Leek, Staffordshire, England. Son of Thomas Bullock and Mary Hall. Married Henrietta Rushton, 25 June 1838. Moved to Ardee, Co. Louth, Ireland, Nov. 1839; to Isle of Anglesey, Aug...
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,
Willard Richards
24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813; to Chatham, Columbia Co...
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, and
George Walker
15 Dec. 1806–after 1870. Bookkeeper, clerk, rope maker, laborer. Born in Burslem, Staffordshire, England. Moved to Lancashire, England, before 1832. Married Catherine Burgess, before 1832, in Lancashire. Moved to Salford, Lancashire, before 1840. Baptized...
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; 432 pages, including one inserted leaf; CHL. Includes insertions, notes, tables, redactions, and use marks.

The minutes were inscribed in a commercially produced blank book measuring 13 × 8¼ × 1½ inches (33 × 21 × 4 cm). The volume contains 216 leaves measuring 12¾ × 7½ inches (32 × 19 cm) and consists of nineteen gatherings of leaves. The first and last gatherings consist of six ruled leaves and two flyleaves, while the other gatherings are each composed of twelve ruled leaves. The book contains three front flyleaves and three back flyleaves. The volume is covered in brown leather, with a dark brown pattern decorating both the front and back covers as well as the spine. At some point, an unknown scribe inscribed “Records | OF THE | City Council | of the | City of Nauvoo | commencing AD. 1841” on the front cover in black ink, and “Sermons | by | Joseph Smit[h] | and others.” on the back cover. The spine is divided into five segments. The second and fourth segments are black with gold designs; the word “RECORDS” is printed in gold on the second segment. At an unknown time, white labels inscribed with black ink were placed upon the first and fifth segments of the spine to identify the two purposes of the book. “NAUVOO | CITY COUNCIL” was written on the label on the first segment, while an inverted label reading “SERMONS” was placed on the fifth segment of the spine. The second back flyleaf is inscribed with an index for a compilation of sermons inscribed in the book. Each page has thirty-six horizontal blue lines. At some point, a clerk used a pencil to rule pages 1–189 with a single vertical line running the length of each page on the left side. The same side of pages 190–261 was also vertically ruled in black ink with either a single or double line. An unknown clerk numbered the pages with blue ink on the top outside corner of each page. Following page 403, the remaining pages of the book were misnumbered 304–332.

Pages 1–239 were used to record minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and other matters pertaining to the meetings of the Nauvoo City Council between 1841 and 1845. The city council items are inscribed in blue and black ink. A loose sheet containing minutes inscribed in black ink was inserted into the volume between pages 238 and 239. Pages 240–362 were left blank. Although the volume contains some minutes, its main function was to record the decisions of the city council rather than to give a detailed exposition of the minutes. The volume accordingly corresponds with the Nauvoo City Council rough books. The rough books capture the discussions and debates of the council, while this volume includes the decisions and resolutions following those debates. At some point after 1843, a clerk turned the volume upside down and began inscribing sermons given by JS and others during 1843 and 1844, beginning at the end of the volume and continuing through page 363. These pages were renumbered 1–70 in their upside-down state. The sermons are inscribed in black ink with occasional insertions and other redactions written in graphite.

The inside cover of the book includes an insertion from the Niles National Register for 21 March 1840; a loose copy of the Times and Seasons for 15 January 1841; and an index of ordinances, resolutions, and other Nauvoo City Council matters discussed within the volume. The index consists of four leaves, with each page measuring 13¼ × 4¼ inches (34 × 11 cm). The entries were inscribed in blue and black ink. It is ruled with forty-one horizontal black lines and a single blue line that runs vertically along the left side of each page.

The contents of the book suggest that clerks made entries in the volume as early as 3 February 1841 and finished sometime after 8 February 1845. An inventory of church records indicates that the volume came into the possession of
Willard Richards
24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813; to Chatham, Columbia Co...
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by 1846. The volume was included in the 1846 inventory of church records prior to the
Nauvoo
Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
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exodus and was taken to Utah Territory with other church records. Subsequent inventories indicate that it has remained in continuous institutional custody since that time.

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An Ordinance regulating the mode of proceeding in cases of , before the Municipal Court.

Sec. 1. Be it Ordained by the City Council of the City of , that in all cases, where any Person or Persons, shall at any time hereafter, be arrested, or under arrest in this , under any Writ or Process, and shall be brought before the Municipal Court of this , by virtue of a Writ of Habeas Corpus, the Court shall in every such Case have power and authority, and are hereby required to examine into the origin, validity, & legality of the Writ or Process, under which such arrest was made, & if it shall appear to the Court, upon sufficient testimony, that said Writ or Process was illegal or not legally issued, or did not proceed from proper authority, then the Court shall discharge the Prisoner from under <said> arrest, but if it shall appear to the Court that said Writ or Process had issued from proper authority, and was a legal Process, the Court shall then proceed and fully hear the merits of the case, upon which such arrest was made, upon such evidence as may be produced and sworn before said Court, & shall have power to adjourn the hearing, and also issue process from time to time, in their discretion, in order to procure the attendance of Witnesses, so that a fair & impartial trial, & decision may be obtained, in every such case.

Sec. 2. And be it further ordained, that if upon investigation it shall be proven before the Municipal Court, that the Writ or Process has been issued, either through private pique, malicious intent, religious or other persecution, falsehood, or misrepresentation, contrary to the constitution of this , or the constitution of the , the said Writ or Process shall be quashed & considered of no force or effect, & the Prisoner or Prisoners [p. 98]

Ordinance, 8 August 1842

An Ordinance regulating the mode of proceeding in cases of , before the Municipal Court.

Sec. 1. Be it Ordained by the City Council of the City of , that in all cases, where any Person or Persons, shall at any time hereafter, be arrested, or under arrest in this , under any Writ or Process, and shall be brought before the Municipal Court of this , by virtue of a Writ of Habeas Corpus, the Court shall in every such Case have power and authority, and are hereby required to examine into the origin, validity, & legality of the Writ or Process, under which such arrest was made, & if it shall appear to the Court, upon sufficient testimony, that said Writ or Process was illegal or not legally issued, or did not proceed from proper authority, then the Court shall discharge the Prisoner from under said arrest, but if it shall appear to the Court that said Writ or Process had issued from proper authority, and was a legal Process, the Court shall then proceed and fully hear the merits of the case, upon which such arrest was made, upon such evidence as may be produced and sworn before said Court, & shall have power to adjourn the hearing, and also issue process from time to time, in their discretion, in order to procure the attendance of Witnesses, so that a fair & impartial trial, & decision may be obtained, in every such case.

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Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 1841–1845

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