This small collection of nineteenth century documents is comprised of a number the land records, receipts and wills of two generations of the Coulburn family: Elijah (d.1853) and Hetty Coulburn (d.1865) and their son Sampson , all of Worcester County, Md. Elijah and Hetty lived on a parcel of land known as “Dower,” and upon Elijah’s death, the land was deeded to her son, who owned a number of parcels of his own in Worcester County, including “Fox Harbor.” In 1854, Sampson received a patent to consolidate a number of his properties as one. These include parts of “Golden Purchase,” “Sod,” “Bevan’s Choice,” “Aquintico Savannah” and “Greenland.” Sampson was the executor of both Elijah and Hetty’s estates. Throughout the collection, the name Coulburn appears in a number of variations: Colburn, Coulburn and Coulburne. For example, the payments made on Hetty Coulburn’s estate include two different spellings of her name: Coulburn is spelled both as Coulburn and Colbourne. Spelling issues also arise in the overlapping spellings of Sampson and Samson, who may or may not be the same person. The receipts of Sampson Coulbourne (Colbourn)

Series I: Receipts of Sampson Colbourne,  1834-1859, Contains receipts for legal fees paid by Sampson Colbourne to E. K. Wilson for the  legal representation of Joshua Colbourne in Joshua Colbourne vs. Joshua Ruark for assault, battery and trespass; receipts for money paid to Sampson Colbourne from Joshua Colbourne repaying him for legal coverage; receipt of payment from Sampson Coulburn to E. K. Wilson for legal fees incurred in a defending a suit brought by William Coulburn’s children to recover half of residence of Elijah Coulbourne’s estate (twelve children at $2.081/3 a piece); receipts for tuition paid by Sampson to cover the schooling of his sons Thomas and Minos, miscellaneous receipts for goods and services such as a patent receipts.

Series II: Receipts of Samson Coulburn, 1855-1866, Contains receipts for payment on medical expenses, a set of teeth, and services performed (e.g. the removal of a house and barn at Mason’s Landing).

Series III: Receipts of Payment and Vouchers Against the Estate of  Elijah Coulbourn, 1854-1866, Contains and receipts for payment of goods and services rendered on behalf of Elijah Coulbourn and receipts of payment for debt made by his executor Samson Colbourn after death.

Series IV:  Receipts of Payment and Vouchers Against the Estate of Hetty Coulbourn, 1854-1865, Contains receipts for money paid  from Hetty Coulbourn (widow of Elijah Coulbourn) at death to Joshua J. Coulburn, to John Ruark and Manda C. Jones, Samuel J. K. Morris and Emeline Morris, John and Nancy Pusey, William J. C. and Rachel McKee, George W. Handy, Perry W. Coulburn, Caroline Coulbourn, William Colbourn and Mary Jones. Includes one additional receipt for the recording and abstracting of a deed for Hetty Colbourn.

Series V: Correspondence of Sampson Coulburn, 1848, Letters between Sampson Coulburn and George G. Brewer of the Land Office in Annapolis, Md. regarding Coulburn’s property “Fox Harbor.”

Series VI: Indentures , Indenture between Samuel Handy and Elijah Coulbourn for “Aquintico Savannah;” Coulbourn acquitted of debt to Handy in 1839.

Series VII: Deeds , Deed between Samson Coulburn as executor of Elijah Coulburn’s estate and Robert Jones, 1854, deeding Jones “Raccoon’s Point.”

Series VIII: Plats, Plat for Elijah Coulburn’s property “Coulburn’s Good Luck,” drawn 1850

Series IX: Patents

Series X: Survey Certificates, Survey certificate issued in 1847 stating what Sampson Coulburn’s property boundaries are for “Fox Harbor.”

Series XI: Wills