1858 PETITIONS TO GOVERNOR NATHANIEL P. BANKS, MASS. RE: GEORGE WHITE FOR JUDGE

Description

We are offering five petitions (1858) signed by selectmen and prominent citizens of Norfolk County, Massachusetts addressed to "His Excellency Nathaniel P. Banks, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts".
The signers were petitioning the governor to appoint George White, Esq. of Quincy to the position of Judge of Probate and Insolvency for the County of Norfolk.  Altogether there are 400 signatures from people living in the towns of Stoughton, Braintree, Randolph and Quincy.
While counting the signatures, a few names got our attention:
John Alden
,
Horatio B. Alden, Jr.
, and
Hiram E. Alden
, who were descendants of John Alden, one of the original settlers of Plymouth Colony who arrived on the Mayflower in 1620.  Research shows that Horatio B. Alden, Jr. was born in Randolph, MA in 1820, and his signature appears on the Randolph petition along with the other two Alden's.
With 400 signatures we believe it's likely there are other well-known prominent signers, as those who would be interested in the appointment of a Probate Judge, who would be in charge of ruling on wills and estates, would be well-to-do property owners.themselves.  (Way too many names for us to research)
**
INFO ON NATHANIEL P. BANKS
: he became a General in the Civil War who fought in the Red River Campaign, 2nd Battle of Bull Run, and the Campaigns in the Shenandoah Valley.
Prior to the war, in 1856 he was Speaker of the House of Representatives serving in the newly formed Republical Party, where he remained until he was elected Governor of Massachusetts serving from 1858 to 1861.
**NOTE: We have also included an invitation to the 40th Anniversary of the meeting of the Convention at Worster, which formed the Free Soil Party of Massachusets, to be held on June 5, 1888 for the purpose of honoring the survivors of the Party.  The invitation is signed "Hon. George White", indicating he was appointed Judge of Probate and Insolvency by Gov. Nathaniel P. Banks.