Summons

Bouvier (1856) “The name of a writ commanding the sheriff, or other authorized officer, to notify a party to appear in court to answer a complaint made against him and in the said writ specified, on a day therein mentioned.”

A summons is an official notification to appear in court, either as party to a case or as a witness. More prosperous jurisdictions could have partially printed forms such as this example from the Lexington City Court. Like the warrant above, this document not only instructs the Marshal to bring the accused W. A. Lindsay into court but also the nine witnesses to the alleged crime of having his saloon open on Sunday.