Financial Troubles
Although West had been a prosperous farmer before the war, the depreciation in value of continental currency ruined him financially. In its first decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in West v. Barnes (1791) that William West could not use continental currency to pay off his mortgage because of a procedural problem. West was forced to sell his farm to his sons-in-law, Gideon Smith, Jeremy Phillips, Job Randall, and Joseph Battey resulting in further litigation after his death in West v. Randall. West was forced into debtor's prison for a period and died in relative poverty in 1814. West was buried on his farm in Scituate near the Danielson Highway. No depictions of West are known to exist, but he was described as "a man rather above the middle height, a bony, sinewy man, long favored, with a prominent nose."
Read more about this topic: William West (Rhode Island Politician)
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