Brower v. Mesier: Assault, Slavery, and Court Crisis between Two Founders of Wappinger in 1793

In 1793, Nicholas Brower brought suit against Peter Mesier, Matthew Mesier, and their enslaved man Jack in the Dutchess County Court of General Sessions (the county’s criminal court) for assault. In the same term, Peter Mesier levelled counter charges against Brower. The case also boiled over into a suit in the Court of Common Pleas, the county’s civil court. Neither Brower nor Mesier were strangers to court proceedings: both had made regular appearances, lodging complaints about neighbors and business partners as well as being the subject of other people’s complaints since the colonial period. These men were also connected by modern Wappinger’s most prominent colonial landmark: the Mesier Homestead. Mesier purchased the homestead from Brower in 1777 through an intermediary, potentially sewing the seeds of dislike that boiled over into violence and court drama in the 1790s.

Join Dutchess County Historian William P. Tatum III for an exploration of these courts dramas, which will include a look back to the origins of both Brower and Mesier, along with the roles they played in Revolutionary Dutchess.

This event is part of our Speaker Series programming. The public is invited to attend. WHS member admission is free, non-member suggested donation of $5.00. Seating is limited and is on a first come/first serve basis. Please RSVP to help us plan attendance and to be added to our mailing list. (please note, an RSVP does not save you a seat).

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