Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- John T. Doyle papers
- Dates:
- 1855-1905
- Extent:
- 2 linear feet (4 manuscript boxes)
- Language:
- English.
- Preferred citation:
-
([Identification of item, date] John T. Doyle Papers (MS 760). California Historical Society Collection at Stanford, Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The John T. Doyle papers touch on law cases in which Doyle or his partners were involved. Most of the documents involve civil disputes in the San Francisco Bay Area, though some are connected to other places in California, notably Placerville, while other documents discuss mining claims and companies in Nevada.
The collection comprises legal papers on the process of guardianship, damage suits, estate and probate cases, actions to prevent the extension of Montgomery Street, and the Friedlander estate case. Also includes an inventory of cattle sold, with prices attached, announcements of land sales, and various indentures, insurance premiums, IOU's, balance sheets, contracts, letters to the Bank of California negotiating a loan, sales receipts, probate court orders, official charges, letters of guardianship, summonses, and discussions of mine speculations.
The personal correspondence relates to discussions on domestic finance and the difficulties in arguing certain law cases. There are occasional remarks on family matters and comments on farming conditions.
- Biographical / historical:
-
John T. Doyle was born in New York City on November 26, 1819, the son of John Doyle and Frances Glinden Doyle. In 1838, he graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. In 1853, he was admitted to the San Francisco bar and remained a practicing attorney until 1888. In 1868, he became one of the first members of the Board of Regents of the University of California.
Doyle went through a succession of partnerships: Janes, Doyle, Barber & Boyd; Doyle & Barber; Doyle, Barber & Scripture; Doyle, Galpin, Barber & Scripture; Doyle, Galpin & Scripture; Doyle, Galpin & Ziegler; and after his retirement, circa 1890, he set up a practice on his own. In 1876, he had recovered from the Mexican government a judgment of $904,000 for interest and capital held by Mexico for the Catholic Church in California. The case was pleaded before the International Tribunal in the Hague, the first case argued before it. The Court awarded the Church $1,426,000 which included accruing interest. It decreed that henceforth Mexico must pay the church $43,000 a year forever.
In May 1863, Doyle married Miss Antonia Pons, the daughter of a silk manufacturer in Lyons, France. Doyle was a founder of the Ethno-Historical Society in 1866, and served two terms as its president. Early on Doyle advocated for the formation of a California Historical Society.
Doyle died in 1906 at the age of 86.
- Acquisition information:
- Possibly a donation by June Foster in 1932. Transferred to Stanford University Libraries in 2025.
- Physical location:
- Special Collections and University Archives materials are stored offsite and must be paged three business days in advance. For more information on paging collections, see the department's website: https://library.stanford.edu/libraries/special-collections.
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-05-08 11:49:02 -0700 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research.
- Terms of access:
-
Material in the public domain does not have any restrictions on use.
- Preferred citation:
-
([Identification of item, date] John T. Doyle Papers (MS 760). California Historical Society Collection at Stanford, Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
Department of Special Collections, Green Library557 Escondido MallStanford, CA 94305-6004, US
- Contact:
- (650) 725-1022