{"title":"Colonial Times","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Colonial Times Collection explores the people, events, and everyday affairs that shaped America before independence through original letters, land records, legal documents, financial papers, military records, and other historic artifacts. From the founding and growth of the colonies to the mounting tensions that led to revolution, each carefully selected piece offers a tangible connection to the individuals and institutions that laid the foundations of the United States.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"c-1760-1780-colonial-estate-division-household-inventory-manuscript-williams-family-probate-original-18th-century-american-manuscript","title":"c. 1760–1780 – Colonial Estate Division \u0026 Household Inventory Manuscript – Williams Family Probate – Original 18th Century American Manuscript","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"relative basis-auto flex-col -mb-(--composer-overlap-px) pb-(--composer-overlap-px) [--composer-overlap-px:28px] grow flex\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex min-h-0 grow flex-col text-sm\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"qMYqUG_convSearchResultHighlightRoot\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"\" data-turn-id-container=\"request-WEB:7dffbfcf-9e2d-44f1-b28d-2a0c9c41a962-14\" data-is-intersecting=\"true\"\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none [\u0026amp;:has([data-writing-block])\u0026gt;*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" dir=\"auto\" data-turn-id=\"request-WEB:7dffbfcf-9e2d-44f1-b28d-2a0c9c41a962-14\" data-turn-id-container=\"request-WEB:7dffbfcf-9e2d-44f1-b28d-2a0c9c41a962-14\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-30\" data-turn=\"assistant\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto pb-8 [--thread-content-margin:var(--thread-content-margin-xs,calc(var(--spacing)*4))] @w-sm\/main:[--thread-content-margin:var(--thread-content-margin-sm,calc(var(--spacing)*6))] @w-lg\/main:[--thread-content-margin:var(--thread-content-margin-lg,calc(var(--spacing)*16))] px-(--thread-content-margin)\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-conversation-screenshot-content=\"\" class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] @w-lg\/main:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col gap-4 grow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"78ba0bea-aeff-4fb3-b93c-8a9625573d58\" data-turn-start-message=\"true\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5-5\" class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal outline-none keyboard-focused:focus-ring [.text-message+\u0026amp;]:mt-1\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert wrap-break-word w-full light markdown-new-styling\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2982\" data-end=\"3144\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eOriginal eighteenth-century probate manuscript documenting the division of a colonial American estate among members of the Williams family after payment of debts.\u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3146\" data-end=\"3468\"\u003eThe manuscript records the allocation of the family's \u003cstrong data-start=\"3200\" data-end=\"3235\"\u003ehouse, land, and movable estate\u003c\/strong\u003e to heirs including \u003cstrong data-start=\"3255\" data-end=\"3372\"\u003eAbigail Williams, Simon Williams, Daniel Williams, Dorothy Williams, Easter (Esther) Williams, and Tenor Williams\u003c\/strong\u003e, with detailed calculations balancing each beneficiary's share in pounds, shillings, and pence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3470\" data-end=\"3995\"\u003eAccompanying the financial calculations is an exceptionally detailed inventory of household furnishings and personal property distributed to each heir. Listed items include feather beds, looking glass, pewter plates and dishes, brass kettles, chairs, tables, chests, Bible, coffee pot, tea canisters, tea spoons, candlesticks, warming pan, table linens, napkins, curtains, buckles, razors, bottles, flannel, kitchen utensils, furniture, and numerous other household possessions that illustrate daily life in colonial America.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3997\" data-end=\"4360\"\u003eSuch estate division manuscripts are among the finest surviving records of early American domestic life, preserving not only the value of an estate but the actual distribution of property among heirs. Documents of this type are highly desirable to collectors of colonial Americana, probate records, genealogy, social history, and early household material culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4362\" data-end=\"4530\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003eAn outstanding and highly displayable manuscript offering a rare glimpse into the home, possessions, and inheritance practices of an eighteenth-century American family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"370\" data-end=\"426\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eThe manuscript consists of two related accounting pages:\u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col data-start=\"428\" data-end=\"576\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"10blpui\" data-start=\"428\" data-end=\"506\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-start=\"431\" data-end=\"482\"\u003eDivision of the house, land, and movable estate\u003c\/strong\u003e after payment of debts.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"7gmpo4\" data-start=\"507\" data-end=\"576\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-start=\"510\" data-end=\"553\"\u003eDetailed inventories of household goods\u003c\/strong\u003e allotted to each heir.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"578\" data-end=\"598\"\u003eNamed heirs include:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"600\" data-end=\"716\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"z5fns9\" data-start=\"600\" data-end=\"618\"\u003eAbigail Williams\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"2x3x1y\" data-start=\"619\" data-end=\"635\"\u003eSimon Williams\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1u2bxbf\" data-start=\"636\" data-end=\"653\"\u003eDaniel Williams\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"l81bg3\" data-start=\"654\" data-end=\"672\"\u003eDorothy Williams\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1cyrbc8\" data-start=\"673\" data-end=\"699\"\u003eEaster (Esther) Williams\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"4rjz5u\" data-start=\"700\" data-end=\"716\"\u003eTenor Williams\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"718\" data-end=\"827\"\u003eThe opening calculations state that after debts were paid, each heir was entitled to a proportional share of:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"829\" data-end=\"880\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"16oipf0\" data-start=\"829\" data-end=\"836\"\u003eHouse\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1j3uhcf\" data-start=\"837\" data-end=\"843\"\u003eLand\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1ih8c2i\" data-start=\"844\" data-end=\"880\"\u003eMovable estate (personal property)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"882\" data-end=\"953\"\u003eThe inventory then records each beneficiary's allotted household goods.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"955\" data-end=\"958\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-section-id=\"1c7c49r\" data-start=\"960\" data-end=\"971\"\u003eContents\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"973\" data-end=\"1040\"\u003eThe inventories include numerous period household items, including:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"1042\" data-end=\"1454\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1wx3iit\" data-start=\"1042\" data-end=\"1057\"\u003eLooking glass\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1d0bve9\" data-start=\"1058\" data-end=\"1072\"\u003eFeather beds\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1ux6362\" data-start=\"1073\" data-end=\"1081\"\u003eChairs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"5s09k5\" data-start=\"1082\" data-end=\"1090\"\u003eTables\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"16xa8zl\" data-start=\"1091\" data-end=\"1098\"\u003eChest\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1sovcul\" data-start=\"1099\" data-end=\"1114\"\u003eBrass kettles\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"kco6ae\" data-start=\"1115\" data-end=\"1130\"\u003ePewter plates\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"cjcs95\" data-start=\"1131\" data-end=\"1146\"\u003ePewter dishes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1cdv3lb\" data-start=\"1147\" data-end=\"1156\"\u003eTankard\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"37n1db\" data-start=\"1157\" data-end=\"1169\"\u003eCoffee pot\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"pafz6m\" data-start=\"1170\" data-end=\"1185\"\u003eTea canisters\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1wkft0m\" data-start=\"1186\" data-end=\"1198\"\u003eTea spoons\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"177rw7w\" data-start=\"1199\" data-end=\"1213\"\u003eCandlesticks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"oxdgov\" data-start=\"1214\" data-end=\"1223\"\u003eBottles\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"16rabfs\" data-start=\"1224\" data-end=\"1231\"\u003eLinen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"h09bhk\" data-start=\"1232\" data-end=\"1241\"\u003eNapkins\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"bcf5y1\" data-start=\"1242\" data-end=\"1255\"\u003eTablecloths\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"g41bpp\" data-start=\"1256\" data-end=\"1266\"\u003eCurtains\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1yos5ni\" data-start=\"1267\" data-end=\"1280\"\u003eWarming pan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"12bpwwa\" data-start=\"1281\" data-end=\"1290\"\u003eFlannel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"17xv9fx\" data-start=\"1291\" data-end=\"1300\"\u003eBuckles\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"6z472n\" data-start=\"1301\" data-end=\"1309\"\u003eRazors\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"16xx748\" data-start=\"1310\" data-end=\"1317\"\u003eBible\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"8c7pdz\" data-start=\"1318\" data-end=\"1338\"\u003eChest with drawers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"lso06n\" data-start=\"1339\" data-end=\"1357\"\u003eCooking utensils\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1cr82e7\" data-start=\"1358\" data-end=\"1372\"\u003eKitchen ware\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1jmoegd\" data-start=\"1373\" data-end=\"1393\"\u003eHousehold textiles\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1ycw02g\" data-start=\"1394\" data-end=\"1405\"\u003eFurniture\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"g6uz4s\" data-start=\"1406\" data-end=\"1454\"\u003eLivestock or land adjustments noted separately\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1456\" data-end=\"1568\"\u003eEach section is totaled in pounds, shillings, and pence with balancing calculations to equalize the inheritance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"1570\" data-end=\"1573\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-section-id=\"hlyorq\" data-start=\"1575\" data-end=\"1601\"\u003eHistorical Significance\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1603\" data-end=\"2056\"\u003eThis is exactly the type of manuscript created during probate proceedings after the death of a property owner. Estate divisions allocated land and personal property among heirs after debts were satisfied. Such documents provide an unusually detailed picture of domestic life, recording everyday possessions—from furniture and linens to cookware and personal effects—that seldom survive in the archaeological record. \u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2058\" data-end=\"2246\"\u003eUnlike a simple inventory, this manuscript also shows \u003cstrong data-start=\"2112\" data-end=\"2172\"\u003ehow the estate was actually divided among family members\u003c\/strong\u003e, making it more informative for genealogical and social-history research.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"2248\" data-end=\"2251\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-section-id=\"hrykuu\" data-start=\"2253\" data-end=\"2265\"\u003eCondition\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"2267\" data-end=\"2480\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1q4ckd5\" data-start=\"2267\" data-end=\"2297\"\u003eTwo folio manuscript leaves.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"dny4da\" data-start=\"2298\" data-end=\"2329\"\u003eInk remains dark and legible.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"iwuwyk\" data-start=\"2330\" data-end=\"2350\"\u003eTypical fold wear.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1qrawst\" data-start=\"2351\" data-end=\"2380\"\u003eMinor toning and edge wear.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"sommc1\" data-start=\"2381\" data-end=\"2412\"\u003eNo major loss affecting text.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"nxqu0n\" data-start=\"2413\" data-end=\"2480\"\u003eVery good condition for an eighteenth-century probate manuscript.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52598059401498,"sku":null,"price":825.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_1887.jpg?v=1785248309"},{"product_id":"1767-colonial-virginia-land-office-application-5-000-acre-frontier-survey-indian-path-wigwam-pre-revolutionary-manuscript","title":"1767 Colonial Virginia Land Office Application – 5,000 Acre Frontier Survey – Indian Path \u0026 Wigwam – Pre-Revolutionary Manuscript","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"151\" data-end=\"309\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eThis is an original manuscript \u003cstrong data-start=\"182\" data-end=\"227\"\u003eVirginia frontier land office application\u003c\/strong\u003e requesting a survey of \u003cstrong data-start=\"251\" data-end=\"266\"\u003e5,000 acres\u003c\/strong\u003e in the western lands of colonial Virginia.\u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col gap-4 grow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"cd6f896b-5015-41eb-866f-3baee7fb9ab7\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5-5\" class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal outline-none keyboard-focused:focus-ring [.text-message+\u0026amp;]:mt-1\" data-turn-start-message=\"true\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert wrap-break-word w-full light markdown-new-styling\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2792\" data-end=\"3123\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eOriginal colonial Virginia manuscript land application dated \u003cstrong data-start=\"2853\" data-end=\"2869\"\u003eMay 15, 1767\u003c\/strong\u003e, requesting the survey of \u003cstrong data-start=\"2896\" data-end=\"2911\"\u003e5,000 acres\u003c\/strong\u003e in the Great Valley of western Virginia. Signed by \u003cstrong data-start=\"2963\" data-end=\"2978\"\u003eJohn McNutt\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong data-start=\"2983\" data-end=\"3000\"\u003eRoger McNeill\u003c\/strong\u003e, the document represents an early stage in the acquisition of frontier lands only nine years before American independence.\u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3125\" data-end=\"3594\"\u003eThe application provides a vivid description of the proposed tract using natural and frontier landmarks rather than surveyed boundaries. It locates the property near the \u003cstrong data-start=\"3295\" data-end=\"3319\"\u003ehead of Beaver Creek\u003c\/strong\u003e, where \u003cstrong data-start=\"3327\" data-end=\"3366\"\u003ean Indian path crosses Willing Hill\u003c\/strong\u003e, beginning at \u003cstrong data-start=\"3381\" data-end=\"3409\"\u003ea large limestone spring\u003c\/strong\u003e, continuing over the mountain, and specifically notes the location of \u003cstrong data-start=\"3480\" data-end=\"3500\"\u003ean Indian wigwam\u003c\/strong\u003e before directing completion of the survey according to the terms of the Virginia Land Office.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3596\" data-end=\"3959\"\u003eManuscripts documenting the opening of Virginia's western frontier are increasingly scarce, particularly those preserving contemporary references to Native American travel routes and settlements. Unlike the more commonly encountered engraved land patents, this is the original application requesting the survey itself—a significant survival from the colonial era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3961\" data-end=\"4363\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003eWritten on laid paper with a contemporary docket on the reverse reading \u003cstrong data-start=\"4033\" data-end=\"4078\"\u003e\"Survey for 5000 [acres], May 15th 1767,\"\u003c\/strong\u003e this manuscript is an outstanding artifact of colonial land speculation, westward expansion, and early American frontier history. An excellent addition for collectors of colonial Virginia, land grants, Native American history, Appalachian settlement, and eighteenth-century Americana.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"311\" data-end=\"333\"\u003eThe document is dated:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote data-start=\"335\" data-end=\"353\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"337\" data-end=\"353\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"337\" data-end=\"353\"\u003eMay 15, 1767\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"355\" data-end=\"387\"\u003eand is signed by the applicants:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"389\" data-end=\"483\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1hkscvy\" data-start=\"389\" data-end=\"406\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"391\" data-end=\"406\"\u003eJohn McNutt\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"gfy0yu\" data-start=\"407\" data-end=\"483\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-start=\"409\" data-end=\"426\"\u003eRoger McNeill\u003c\/strong\u003e (surname spelling varies slightly in period handwriting)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-section-id=\"ir7acx\" data-start=\"485\" data-end=\"507\"\u003eText (essentially)\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cblockquote data-start=\"509\" data-end=\"941\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"511\" data-end=\"941\"\u003e\"An application given by John McNutt and Roger McNeill for five thousand acres of land in the Great Valley within three or four of the Head of Beaver Creek where an Indian path crosses Willing Hill, beginning at a large limestone spring to the left hand... over the hill above mentioned where there was an Indian wigwam and down the north side of the mountain till the survey be completed, complying with the terms of the office.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"943\" data-end=\"983\"\u003eThe reverse bears a contemporary docket:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote data-start=\"985\" data-end=\"1032\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"987\" data-end=\"1032\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"987\" data-end=\"1032\"\u003e\"Survey for 5000 [acres], May 15th 1767.\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"1034\" data-end=\"1037\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-section-id=\"ery58m\" data-start=\"1039\" data-end=\"1060\"\u003eHistorical Context\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1062\" data-end=\"1171\"\u003eThis document belongs to the great period of \u003cstrong data-start=\"1107\" data-end=\"1171\"\u003eVirginia's western expansion before the American Revolution.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1173\" data-end=\"1233\"\u003eSeveral important features increase its historical interest:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"1235\" data-end=\"1643\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"14yrcj9\" data-start=\"1235\" data-end=\"1296\"\u003eDated \u003cstrong data-start=\"1243\" data-end=\"1296\"\u003enine years before the Declaration of Independence\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"ocqpv2\" data-start=\"1297\" data-end=\"1347\"\u003eRequests a very substantial \u003cstrong data-start=\"1327\" data-end=\"1347\"\u003e5,000-acre tract\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1fwumbq\" data-start=\"1348\" data-end=\"1422\"\u003eDescribes the land by natural landmarks rather than surveyed coordinates\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1kjqzsr\" data-start=\"1423\" data-end=\"1566\"\u003eReferences:\n\u003cul data-start=\"1439\" data-end=\"1566\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"gbl9cl\" data-start=\"1439\" data-end=\"1457\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1441\" data-end=\"1457\"\u003eBeaver Creek\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"4sculb\" data-start=\"1460\" data-end=\"1482\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1462\" data-end=\"1482\"\u003eThe Great Valley\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1ub0qbk\" data-start=\"1485\" data-end=\"1502\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1487\" data-end=\"1502\"\u003eIndian path\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1jgiawf\" data-start=\"1505\" data-end=\"1524\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1507\" data-end=\"1524\"\u003eIndian wigwam\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"129qpx3\" data-start=\"1527\" data-end=\"1549\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1529\" data-end=\"1549\"\u003eLimestone spring\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"lwrlb7\" data-start=\"1552\" data-end=\"1566\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1554\" data-end=\"1566\"\u003eMountain\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"a0emct\" data-start=\"1567\" data-end=\"1643\"\u003eRepresents the first step toward obtaining a western Virginia land survey.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1645\" data-end=\"1792\"\u003eThese applications were submitted before official surveys and patents were issued and are considerably scarcer than the later engraved land grants.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1794\" data-end=\"2039\"\u003eThe reference to an \u003cstrong data-start=\"1814\" data-end=\"1829\"\u003eIndian path\u003c\/strong\u003e and an \u003cstrong data-start=\"1837\" data-end=\"1854\"\u003eIndian wigwam\u003c\/strong\u003e is especially desirable because it documents how frontier settlers identified land using Native American travel routes and habitation sites immediately prior to large-scale settlement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"2041\" data-end=\"2044\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-section-id=\"hrykuu\" data-start=\"2046\" data-end=\"2058\"\u003eCondition\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"2060\" data-end=\"2220\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1wnqpjk\" data-start=\"2060\" data-end=\"2095\"\u003eOne page manuscript on laid paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1g4e7pd\" data-start=\"2096\" data-end=\"2106\"\u003eComplete\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1hqlecj\" data-start=\"2107\" data-end=\"2123\"\u003eOriginal folds\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"mr4zfh\" data-start=\"2124\" data-end=\"2141\"\u003eMinor edge wear\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"jul4a4\" data-start=\"2142\" data-end=\"2165\"\u003eVery legible dark ink\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1mopl5d\" data-start=\"2166\" data-end=\"2190\"\u003eReverse docket present\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1q1onvz\" data-start=\"2191\" data-end=\"2220\"\u003eVery good condition overall\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52599560962330,"sku":null,"price":1200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_1891.jpg?v=1785253240"},{"product_id":"1770-colonial-shipping-cargo-manifest-sloop-hills-merchant-account-delivered-to-myles-williams-pre-revolutionary-america","title":"1770 Colonial Shipping Cargo Manifest – Sloop Hills – Merchant Account Delivered to Myles Williams – Pre-Revolutionary America","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col gap-4 grow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"d3f6a3b1-42ce-4ccc-b83e-ce6dd2ac05e5\" data-turn-start-message=\"true\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5-5\" class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal outline-none keyboard-focused:focus-ring [.text-message+\u0026amp;]:mt-1\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert wrap-break-word w-full light markdown-new-styling\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2793\" data-end=\"3111\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eOriginal colonial American manuscript cargo account dated \u003cstrong data-start=\"2851\" data-end=\"2870\"\u003eJanuary 9, 1770\u003c\/strong\u003e, recording merchandise delivered from the \u003cstrong data-start=\"2913\" data-end=\"2928\"\u003eSloop Hills\u003c\/strong\u003e to merchant \u003cstrong data-start=\"2941\" data-end=\"2959\"\u003eMyles Williams\u003c\/strong\u003e. Prepared only six years before the Declaration of Independence, the document provides a fascinating snapshot of everyday commerce in colonial America.\u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3113\" data-end=\"3570\"\u003eThe inventory lists an assortment of goods unloaded from the vessel, including \u003cstrong data-start=\"3192\" data-end=\"3336\"\u003ebeef, pork, flour, tar, butter, 1,300 staves, 1,826 bricks, bushels of oats, sugar, tallow, wheat, casks, chairs, nuts, and other provisions\u003c\/strong\u003e, with contemporary quantity calculations recorded alongside the entries. Such documents served as working merchant records documenting the receipt and distribution of cargo moving through the coastal trade that linked colonial ports.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3572\" data-end=\"4028\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003eWritten on laid paper and docketed on the reverse, this manuscript is a fine survival of eighteenth-century commercial history. Unlike formal legal documents, working cargo inventories were often discarded after accounts were settled, making original examples increasingly scarce. An excellent addition for collectors of colonial Americana, maritime history, merchant records, early commerce, shipping manuscripts, and pre-Revolutionary American documents.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"161\" data-end=\"324\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"326\" data-end=\"344\"\u003eThe heading reads:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote data-start=\"346\" data-end=\"446\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"348\" data-end=\"446\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"348\" data-end=\"446\"\u003e\"1770. The account of the Sloop Hills Cargo Delivered to Myles Williams January the 9th 1770.\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"448\" data-end=\"546\"\u003eIt is a merchant's cargo memorandum listing provisions and merchandise discharged from the vessel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"548\" data-end=\"551\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-section-id=\"1c7c49r\" data-start=\"553\" data-end=\"564\"\u003eContents\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"566\" data-end=\"595\"\u003eAmong the cargo recorded are:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"597\" data-end=\"1018\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1j426ek\" data-start=\"597\" data-end=\"603\"\u003eBeef\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1j49qdq\" data-start=\"604\" data-end=\"610\"\u003ePork\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"947pum\" data-start=\"611\" data-end=\"628\"\u003eBarrels of pork\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"h352sa\" data-start=\"629\" data-end=\"647\"\u003eBarrels of flour\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"nybhun\" data-start=\"648\" data-end=\"664\"\u003eBarrels of tar\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1w1riaw\" data-start=\"665\" data-end=\"673\"\u003eButter\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1cwceut\" data-start=\"674\" data-end=\"737\"\u003eMoon (likely \"meal\" or another provision—partially illegible)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"qfqhz4\" data-start=\"738\" data-end=\"756\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"740\" data-end=\"756\"\u003e1,300 staves\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"6pj40r\" data-start=\"757\" data-end=\"781\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"759\" data-end=\"781\"\u003e72 bushels of oats\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"xipxcb\" data-start=\"782\" data-end=\"800\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"784\" data-end=\"800\"\u003e1,826 bricks\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1dh6ikd\" data-start=\"801\" data-end=\"823\"\u003eOnion tops and wheat\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"14qift7\" data-start=\"824\" data-end=\"879\"\u003eApproximately \u003cstrong data-start=\"840\" data-end=\"852\"\u003e760 pegs\u003c\/strong\u003e (or similar hardware item)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"bvxfqf\" data-start=\"880\" data-end=\"908\"\u003eAdditional bushels of oats\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1lsqr2c\" data-start=\"909\" data-end=\"924\"\u003eBags of sugar\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"5rn1lx\" data-start=\"925\" data-end=\"933\"\u003eTallow\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"183erzo\" data-start=\"934\" data-end=\"948\"\u003eWinter wheat\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"94f090\" data-start=\"949\" data-end=\"966\"\u003eBarrels of nuts\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"169akrl\" data-start=\"967\" data-end=\"980\"\u003eHogshead(s)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"16xbffl\" data-start=\"981\" data-end=\"988\"\u003eCasks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1ux6362\" data-start=\"989\" data-end=\"997\"\u003eChairs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"gqbh5l\" data-start=\"998\" data-end=\"1018\"\u003eChop (animal feed)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1020\" data-end=\"1092\"\u003eA contemporary tally appears in the center, totaling quantities of meat:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"1094\" data-end=\"1107\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1j49qdq\" data-start=\"1094\" data-end=\"1100\"\u003ePork\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1j426ek\" data-start=\"1101\" data-end=\"1107\"\u003eBeef\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1109\" data-end=\"1201\"\u003eThe reverse carries a contemporary docket identifying the document as relating to the cargo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"1203\" data-end=\"1206\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-section-id=\"hlyorq\" data-start=\"1208\" data-end=\"1234\"\u003eHistorical Significance\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1236\" data-end=\"1316\"\u003eThis is an excellent example of a \u003cstrong data-start=\"1270\" data-end=\"1315\"\u003ecolonial American coastal shipping record\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1318\" data-end=\"1524\"\u003eDocuments of this type were created by merchants upon receipt of cargo arriving from coastal vessels. They illustrate the complex trade networks that connected colonial ports before the American Revolution.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1526\" data-end=\"1560\"\u003eThe cargo represents a mixture of:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"1562\" data-end=\"1661\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"4l82az\" data-start=\"1562\" data-end=\"1574\"\u003eFoodstuffs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"q552me\" data-start=\"1575\" data-end=\"1595\"\u003eBuilding materials\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"uapzyh\" data-start=\"1596\" data-end=\"1619\"\u003eAgricultural products\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"18ys86u\" data-start=\"1620\" data-end=\"1640\"\u003eHousehold supplies\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"exg66g\" data-start=\"1641\" data-end=\"1661\"\u003eMerchant inventory\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1663\" data-end=\"2145\"\u003eThe inclusion of \u003cstrong data-start=\"1680\" data-end=\"1750\"\u003estaves, bricks, sugar, tallow, flour, oats, and livestock products\u003c\/strong\u003e illustrates the diverse commodities exchanged through colonial maritime commerce. Such working business documents were generally discarded after accounts were settled, making surviving examples relatively uncommon today. Similar shipping and cargo account books are preserved in maritime archives such as Mystic Seaport and the New-York Historical Society. \u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"2147\" data-end=\"2150\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-section-id=\"hrykuu\" data-start=\"2152\" data-end=\"2164\"\u003eCondition\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"2166\" data-end=\"2296\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1lis3mv\" data-start=\"2166\" data-end=\"2187\"\u003eOriginal laid paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"y1msxd\" data-start=\"2188\" data-end=\"2202\"\u003eSingle folio\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1pqblpb\" data-start=\"2203\" data-end=\"2222\"\u003eStrong legibility\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1hqlecj\" data-start=\"2223\" data-end=\"2239\"\u003eOriginal folds\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"mr4zfh\" data-start=\"2240\" data-end=\"2257\"\u003eMinor edge wear\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"2m0vju\" data-start=\"2258\" data-end=\"2274\"\u003eReverse docket\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1dznt7k\" data-start=\"2275\" data-end=\"2296\"\u003eVery good condition\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52599563616538,"sku":null,"price":575.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_1894.jpg?v=1785253721"},{"product_id":"1776-edmund-physick-signed-pennsylvania-quit-rent-receipt-penn-proprietary-land","title":"1776 Edmund Physick Signed Pennsylvania Quit-Rent Receipt — Penn Proprietary Land","description":"\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExceptional Revolutionary-Era Pennsylvania Land Document — Signed by Edmund Physick\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn important and highly desirable \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMarch 13, 1776 Pennsylvania land receipt\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, documenting the payment of four years of quit-rent on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e83½ acres of land in Providence Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe receipt records payment by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGeorge Miller\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e in the current money of Pennsylvania and states that the quit-rent was paid in full through March 1, 1776. The document is personally signed by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdmund Physick\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, one of Pennsylvania's important colonial-era officials and agents associated with the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePenn family proprietors\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePhysick was a prominent Philadelphia businessman who served as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReceiver-General and quit-rent collector\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e for Pennsylvania's proprietary government. He later became a confidential estate agent for the Penn family, managing their extensive Pennsylvania properties. Contemporary archival collections contain numerous Physick land receipts, warrants, and financial records from this period.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis document is especially desirable because of its \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMarch 1776 date\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, placing it just months before the Declaration of Independence and the end of Pennsylvania's proprietary colonial government. It provides a tangible record of the land and financial system that existed in Pennsylvania on the eve of American independence.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe receipt is printed on period paper with extensive manuscript additions and bears the bold original signature of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdmund Physick\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. The reverse retains additional manuscript impressions and notations.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDocument:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Pennsylvania quit-rent receipt\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDate:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e March 13, 1776\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePlace:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Chester, Pennsylvania\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLand:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 83½ acres\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLocation:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Providence Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePayer:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e George Miller\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSigned by:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Edmund Physick\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSubject:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Quit-rent paid to the Pennsylvania proprietors\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePeriod:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Revolutionary War \/ Colonial America\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Very good overall for an 18th-century financial document, with expected folds, toning, edge wear, and manuscript aging.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn exceptional piece of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRevolutionary-era Pennsylvania Americana\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, combining an original 1776 land transaction with the autograph of an important official connected to the Penn proprietary estate.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSuggested Retail Price: $895\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52704454115610,"sku":null,"price":895.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_2139_0b608310-8efc-45ce-9696-97c57566bda4.jpg?v=1786880827"},{"product_id":"1755-colonial-germantown-will-of-dirk-jansen-certified-and-signed-by-chief-justice-benjamin-chew-1774","title":"1755 Colonial Germantown Will of Dirk Jansen—Certified and Signed by Chief Justice Benjamin Chew, 1774","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eAn unusually substantial colonial Pennsylvania probate manuscript: the last will and testament of \u003cstrong\u003eDirk Jansen, yeoman of Germantown\u003c\/strong\u003e, originally dated January 7, 1755, and officially copied and certified at Philadelphia on October 8, 1774.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten across three large manuscript sheets marked A, B, and C, the will records Jansen’s distribution of an extensive Pennsylvania estate among his children John, Richard, Ann Catherine, and Rebecca. The property included his Germantown residence, meadow and orchard; numerous tracts along Germantown’s Great Road; and hundreds of acres in Bucks, Lancaster, Northampton, and Philadelphia counties. The will also distributes livestock, farming implements, household furnishings, and substantial monetary bequests.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe document is certified and authentically signed by \u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Chew (1722–1810)\u003c\/strong\u003e as Register General of Pennsylvania. At the time of this certification, Chew was also Chief Justice of Pennsylvania’s highest court. A prominent colonial jurist, Chew served as longtime legal adviser to the Penn family and was the owner of Cliveden, later a principal site of the Battle of Germantown.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe certification retains its large, elaborate embossed paper seal and original attachment cord. Historical sources associate Dirk Jansen with an early Germantown property later incorporated into the historic house known as Upsala, although additional title research would be required to determine whether the residence described in this will was that particular property.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an official 1774 certified copy from the original will retained in the Register General’s Office. The Jansen and witness signatures are clerk-copied; Benjamin Chew’s certification signature is original.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCondition is fragile, with extensive fold separation, tears, losses, staining, and detached sections, but most of the manuscript remains legible. The Chew signature and impressive provincial office seal are well preserved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore info...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eThis is a \u003cstrong\u003ecolonial Pennsylvania certified manuscript copy of the last will and testament of Dirk Jansen of Germantown\u003c\/strong\u003e, originally executed January 7, 1755.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe three-page will was copied from the original held in the Pennsylvania Register General’s Office and officially certified in Philadelphia on \u003cstrong\u003eOctober 8, 1774\u003c\/strong\u003e, only six months before Lexington and Concord.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe certification is signed:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Benjamin Chew, Reg’r Gen’l”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt retains the large embossed paper-and-wafer seal of the Register General’s Office.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePrincipal figures\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDirk Jansen\u003c\/strong\u003e, described as a yeoman of Germantown, Philadelphia County\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChildren and beneficiaries: \u003cstrong\u003eJohn, Richard, Ann Catherine, and Rebecca\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWitnesses copied from the original: \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Bowman, Christian Warner, and John K—\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Chew (1722–1810)\u003c\/strong\u003e, Pennsylvania’s Register General and, by 1774, Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChew was a leading colonial lawyer, longtime legal representative of the Penn family, and owner of Cliveden—the house that became a focal point of the Battle of Germantown.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHistorical content\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJansen’s will describes a remarkably substantial estate, including:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHis Germantown residence, meadow, and orchard\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMultiple Germantown lots along the “Great Road or Main Street”\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWoodland and additional Philadelphia County acreage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eApproximately \u003cstrong\u003e400 acres at “Maxelium” in Bucks County\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eApproximately \u003cstrong\u003e250 acres called “Indian Land” near the head of Perkiomen Creek\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eApproximately \u003cstrong\u003e500 acres in Lancaster County\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eApproximately \u003cstrong\u003e300 acres near Indian Creek\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLivestock, farming implements, household furnishings, and monetary bequests\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorical accounts associate a Dirk or Dirck Jansen with the early property now known as \u003cstrong\u003eUpsala\u003c\/strong\u003e, near the later Battle of Germantown battlefield. One account states that Jansen probably erected the early rear portion around 1740. However, the present document does not itself name “Upsala,” so the specific residence described in the will should be presented as a \u003cstrong\u003epossible, research-worthy connection rather than a certainty\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eImportant distinction\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is \u003cstrong\u003enot the original 1755 will signed by Jansen\u003c\/strong\u003e. The Jansen signature, witness names, and written word “Seal” on page C were reproduced by the register’s clerk. The genuine autograph is Benjamin Chew’s signature beneath the 1774 certification.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCondition\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePoor to fair but substantially legible:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThree manuscript sheets, marked A, B, and C\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExtensive fold separations and edge losses\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLarge internal tears and detached or nearly detached sections\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeveral words affected or missing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGeneral toning, staining, and handling wear\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOriginal attachment cord present\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEmbossed paper seal substantially intact and visually impressive\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBenjamin Chew’s certification and signature remain clear\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52732974399770,"sku":null,"price":1795.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_2358.jpg?v=1787409920"},{"product_id":"augustus-jay-john-jay-s-huguenot-grandfather-rare-colonial-new-york-receipt-signed-1718","title":"Augustus Jay—John Jay’s Huguenot Grandfather—Rare Colonial New York Receipt Signed, 1718","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJAY, AUGUSTUS (1665–1751).\u003c\/strong\u003e Colonial manuscript receipt signed \u003cstrong\u003e“Augustus Jay,”\u003c\/strong\u003e New York, September 26, 1718. One oblong manuscript slip on laid paper, recording the receipt of forty pounds from \u003cstrong\u003eRobert Livingston Jr.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA remarkable early document connecting two of colonial New York’s most prominent families. Augustus Jay acknowledges receiving “of Mr. Robt. Livingston Junr. ye Sume of forty pounds,” signing boldly beneath the entry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn Pierre Jay in La Rochelle, France, Augustus Jay was a French Huguenot who fled religious persecution following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Settling in New York, he became a successful merchant and established the American branch of the Jay family. He was the grandfather of \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Jay\u003c\/strong\u003e, Founding Father, co-author of \u003cem\u003eThe Federalist Papers\u003c\/em\u003e, President of the Continental Congress, diplomat, Governor of New York and first Chief Justice of the United States.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe payer was apparently \u003cstrong\u003eRobert Livingston of Clermont (1688–1775)\u003c\/strong\u003e, son of Robert Livingston the Elder and a member of the powerful Livingston family. He served in the New York colonial assembly and was the grandfather of Chancellor Robert R. Livingston, a member of the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore than three centuries old, this receipt preserves an extraordinarily scarce autograph of the immigrant patriarch of the Jay family while documenting an early financial transaction involving the closely connected Jay and Livingston mercantile dynasties.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOriginal folds, age toning and light staining; small edge loss or mounting remnant at upper right, not affecting the manuscript. The writing and rare full signature remain strong and distinct.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52740883775770,"sku":null,"price":3250.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_2502.jpg?v=1787657586"},{"product_id":"1761-colonial-pennsylvania-probate-document-with-paper-seal-berks-county","title":"1761 Colonial Pennsylvania Probate Document with Paper Seal—Berks County","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePENNSYLVANIA—BERKS COUNTY.\u003c\/strong\u003e Original printed and manuscript letters of administration for the estate of \u003cstrong\u003eHenry Wolff\u003c\/strong\u003e, deceased, issued at Reading, October 10, 1761. Signed by Deputy Register \u003cstrong\u003eJames Read\u003c\/strong\u003e and retaining its large applied provincial probate seal.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn attractive colonial Pennsylvania legal document appointing \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Dickert\u003c\/strong\u003e and his wife \u003cstrong\u003eMaria Agnes\u003c\/strong\u003e to administer the estate of Henry Wolff, a blacksmith of Albany Township who died without leaving a will.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaria Agnes was Wolff’s widow and had subsequently married John Dickert, an Albany Township yeoman. The document gave the couple authority to collect the deceased’s property and outstanding credits, pay his debts, prepare an inventory and render a final accounting to the probate office in Reading.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrinted beneath the heading of \u003cstrong\u003eWilliam Plumsted, Register General for the Probate of Wills and Granting Letters of Administration in and for the Province of Pennsylvania\u003c\/strong\u003e, the document was completed in manuscript and signed by Berks County Deputy Register James Read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlumsted was a prominent colonial merchant and public official who served twice as mayor of Philadelphia and held the position of Pennsylvania Register General from 1745 until his death in 1765.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe document is particularly notable for its large surviving \u003cstrong\u003eapplied paper seal\u003c\/strong\u003e, cut into an elaborate radiating design and impressed with the probate office’s official device. Such fragile paper seals were easily damaged or lost, making its substantial survival especially desirable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Wolff and Dickert names, along with Maria Agnes’s given names, reflect the Pennsylvania German population that settled Albany Township and the northern Berks County frontier. As the estate of a working blacksmith, the document offers a tangible connection to the tradesmen who supported Pennsylvania’s expanding colonial settlements.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLarge laid-paper sheet with original folds, age toning, scattered staining and old reinforcement along several folds on the reverse. The paper seal is stained with a small area of loss but remains substantially intact. Text and Read’s signature remain clear.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52740949180698,"sku":null,"price":525.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_2516.jpg?v=1787660757"},{"product_id":"1758-sir-patrick-houstoun-founding-era-georgia-colonist-and-president-of-the-royal-council-signature-savannah","title":"1758 Sir Patrick Houstoun—Founding-Era Georgia Colonist and President of the Royal Council—Signature, Savannah","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eOriginal colonial-era signature of \u003cstrong\u003eSir Patrick Houstoun, 5th Baronet\u003c\/strong\u003e, one of the earliest settlers and most important officials of eighteenth-century Georgia. Signed \u003cstrong\u003e“P. Houstoun”\u003c\/strong\u003e on a clipped portion of an original document and mounted on an early collector’s card bearing the manuscript identification, \u003cstrong\u003e“Savannah March 5th 1758.”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoustoun followed General James Oglethorpe to Georgia during the colony’s founding era and was employed by Oglethorpe in a confidential capacity at Frederica. He subsequently became a leading landowner, representative of the Vernonburg District in Georgia’s first Provincial Assembly, and a charter member of the Royal Council after Georgia became a royal colony.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the date associated with this signature, Houstoun was the senior member and president of His Majesty’s Council, president of the Upper House of Assembly, Register of Grants, and Receiver of Quit Rents. As senior councilor, he was authorized to act in place of the royal governor when necessary. His surviving signatures are closely associated with the administration and registration of early Georgia land grants.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoustoun was also the father of John Houstoun, delegate to the Continental Congress and twice governor of Georgia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA scarce autograph connected directly with the establishment and royal administration of colonial Georgia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClipped from a larger document and mounted on a ruled collector’s card. Toning, a vertical crease, and light handling wear; the signature remains bold and legible. The place and date are presented as an early collector’s identification rather than a guaranteed inscription in Houstoun’s hand.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52741399773466,"sku":null,"price":695.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/f5a87612-e785-4499-9cbd-27f4eed08c06.jpg?v=1787674419"},{"product_id":"william-bollan-signed-1734-massachusetts-bay-writ-early-colonial-lawyer-and-future-agent-in-london","title":"WILLIAM BOLLAN SIGNED 1734 MASSACHUSETTS BAY WRIT — EARLY COLONIAL LAWYER AND FUTURE AGENT IN LONDON","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eAn original Massachusetts Bay legal writ dated \u003cstrong\u003eApril 9, 1734\u003c\/strong\u003e, bearing an apparent early legal endorsement by \u003cstrong\u003eWilliam Bollan\u003c\/strong\u003e, the prominent colonial attorney who later represented Massachusetts before the British government in London.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrinted and manuscript document issued in the name of \u003cstrong\u003eKing George II\u003c\/strong\u003e, directing the sheriff of Essex County to attach the estate of \u003cstrong\u003eIsaac Follett of Salem\u003c\/strong\u003e, identified as a weaver or yeoman, and, if insufficient property could be found, to take him into custody. Follett was ordered to appear before the Suffolk County Inferior Court of Common Pleas in Boston to answer a claim brought by \u003cstrong\u003eDavid Dolbear of Boston, cordwainer\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to the writ, Follett had executed a note dated December 3, 1733, promising payment of \u003cstrong\u003e£50\u003c\/strong\u003e by January 10, but had failed to satisfy the debt. The sheriff was consequently authorized to attach property valued at £100.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reverse contains the contemporary return of \u003cstrong\u003eThomas Chute, Deputy Sheriff\u003c\/strong\u003e, dated April 10, recording that he had attached Follett’s “house and land belonging thereto” in Salem and left a summons at the defendant’s usual residence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt lower left appears the endorsement:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“William Bollan Att[orney] Pl[aintiff]”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBollan was then practicing law in Massachusetts. In 1745 Governor William Shirley selected him as Massachusetts’s agent in England, initially to recover the province’s substantial expenses incurred during the capture of Louisbourg. He became an important advocate for Massachusetts and later wrote extensively on colonial rights, constitutional government, and freedom of speech and the press.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe writ is additionally signed by \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Ballantine\u003c\/strong\u003e, longtime clerk of the Suffolk County Inferior Court of Common Pleas, beneath the printed authority of Justice Thomas Palmer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA rare surviving example of Bollan’s early Massachusetts legal career, created more than a decade before his appointment as colonial agent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 9, 1734\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlace:\u003c\/strong\u003e Boston, Province of Massachusetts Bay\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e William Bollan; John Ballantine; Thomas Chute, Deputy Sheriff\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Substantial paper losses through the central vertical fold, smaller punctures, fold separations, edge wear, toning and staining. Manuscript remains substantially legible. Please examine photographs carefully.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52742001983770,"sku":null,"price":795.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_2576.jpg?v=1787691517"},{"product_id":"1815-kentucky-pioneer-benjamin-helm-signed-court-summons-early-elizabethtown-and-abraham-lincoln-association","title":"1815 Kentucky Pioneer Benjamin Helm Signed Court Summons — Early Elizabethtown and Abraham Lincoln Association","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eAn original early Kentucky legal manuscript signed by \u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Helm (1767–1858)\u003c\/strong\u003e, distinguished pioneer, surveyor, state senator, War of 1812 officer, and clerk of the Hardin Circuit Court.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIssued April 6, 1815, the summons directs the sheriff of Bullitt County to bring John Reed and another named witness before the Hardin Circuit Court. They were ordered to testify for Thomas Rey in a pending lawsuit against Ezekiel Hart at the court’s June term. Failure to appear carried the substantial penalty of £100 for each witness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe document concludes with the official signature \u003cstrong\u003e“B. Helm.”\u003c\/strong\u003e The reverse retains its contemporary case docketing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBenjamin Helm was among the formative figures of early Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Born in Fairfax County, Virginia, in 1767, he accompanied the westward movement of the Helm family and became an early surveyor, public official, merchant, and landowner. He served in the Kentucky Senate from 1796 to 1800, held the Hardin County clerkship, served as clerk of its Circuit Court, and attained the rank of major during the War of 1812.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelm also occupied the same close-knit Elizabethtown circle as the families connected with Abraham Lincoln’s Kentucky origins. He purchased property formerly owned by Christopher Bush, father of \u003cstrong\u003eSarah Bush Johnston Lincoln\u003c\/strong\u003e, who became Abraham Lincoln’s beloved stepmother. Helm also witnessed early property instruments associated with the Sinking Spring tract where Lincoln was born. Although the present document does not mention Lincoln or the Bush family, it was written and signed by a public official closely associated with their Kentucky community.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA desirable signed document combining early Kentucky statehood, pioneer settlement, frontier jurisprudence, and an intriguing association with Abraham Lincoln’s family history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 6, 1815\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlace:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hardin County, Kentucky\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSigned:\u003c\/strong\u003e “B. Helm”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e Benjamin Helm, pioneer, surveyor, state senator, court clerk, and War of 1812 major\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSubject:\u003c\/strong\u003e Witness summons in \u003cem\u003eThomas Rey v. Ezekiel Hart\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Original folds, scattered ink smears and offsets, light toning and minor marginal wear; signature and principal text remain strong.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52753310155034,"sku":null,"price":695.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_2649.jpg?v=1787947459"},{"product_id":"1718-john-penn-als-to-brother-thomas-penn-william-penn-family-wax-seal","title":"1718 John Penn ALS to Brother Thomas Penn – William Penn Family – Wax Seal","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eExceptional colonial American association letter written and signed by \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Penn (1700–1746), known as “the American,” eldest surviving son of William Penn and later chief proprietor of Pennsylvania\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten from \u003cstrong\u003eReading, England, on October 2, 1718\u003c\/strong\u003e, the letter is addressed “Dear Brother” and sent to John’s younger brother \u003cstrong\u003eThomas Penn (1702–1775)\u003c\/strong\u003e, who subsequently became Pennsylvania’s principal proprietor. The reverse bears the contemporary address “For Thomas Penn” and retains its original red wax seal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohn reports the death and burial of \u003cstrong\u003eMary Chandler\u003c\/strong\u003e, referring discreetly to the family’s “distemper” and advising that the cause of death be described to the children as a fever. He also mentions their sister \u003cstrong\u003ePeggy\u003c\/strong\u003e, “Aunt Lowther,” “Uncle Richard,” and other family members. These names provide compelling internal evidence of its place within the immediate family of William Penn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe letter was written approximately two months after William Penn’s death, during the consequential period when his heirs assumed control of the Pennsylvania proprietorship. John Penn was born in Philadelphia and inherited the largest interest in the colony; Thomas later became its principal proprietor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne manuscript sheet, handwritten on both sides, signed “John,” with integral address panel and red wax seal. Later docketing and manuscript notations appear on the address side.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Poor but stable and substantially legible. Heavy overall toning and staining; extensive fold separations, edge losses, small holes, ink corrosion, and old corner reinforcements. Wax seal remains present. Offered as found and sold with all faults clearly photographed. No modern restoration has been attempted.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52795741274394,"sku":null,"price":9995.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_2860.jpg?v=1788555219"},{"product_id":"1770-king-george-iii-royal-north-carolina-land-grant-sylvanus-dixon-carteret-county-core-sound-john-frohock","title":"1770 King George III Royal North Carolina Land Grant – Sylvanus Dixon – Carteret County, Core Sound – John Frohock","description":"\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn original colonial North Carolina royal land patent issued in the name of King George III on December 4, 1770, granting 300 acres in Carteret County to Sylvanus Dixon, whose name is rendered “Salvenus Dickson” in the document.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe land was situated “on the North Side of Core Sound on Hunting Quarter,” encompassing property around Thoroughfare Bay in the historic Hunting Quarters region of eastern Carteret County—an area now associated with the coastal communities of Sea Level and Atlantic. Its extensive handwritten metes-and-bounds description identifies waterways, inlets, courses, distances and marked trees defining this early coastal property.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePrinted at the head “North Carolina” and beginning with the imposing royal declaration, “George the Third, by the Grace of God, of Great-Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith,” the patent conveys the land to Dixon and his heirs under the authority of the British Crown. It was issued during the administration of William Tryon, royal governor of North Carolina from 1765 to 1771.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn important colonial endorsement on the reverse records the patent’s official registration:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Enrolled in the Office of the Auditor General at New Bern this 8 Day of January 1771. John Frohock, Aud.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJohn Frohock was a prominent colonial official, substantial land speculator and controversial figure whose alleged abuses of office became associated with the grievances that produced North Carolina’s Regulator movement. The document was therefore created during an exceptionally turbulent period, only months before the Battle of Alamance and approximately five years before American independence.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSylvanus Dixon was an early Carteret County landholder with longstanding connections to the Hunting Quarters area. He remained in the county following the Revolution and appears as the head of a household in the 1790 federal census.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn impressive surviving artifact of royal government, colonial land distribution and the early settlement of North Carolina’s Core Sound region.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDate:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e December 4, 1770\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRegistration:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e January 8, 1771\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePlace:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Carteret County, Province of North Carolina\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGrantee:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Sylvanus Dixon, written “Salvenus Dickson”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAcreage:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 300 acres\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLocation:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e North side of Core Sound, Hunting Quarters and Thoroughfare Bay\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRoyal authority:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e King George III\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAdministration:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Royal Governor William Tryon\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEnrollment:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e John Frohock, Auditor General’s Office, New Bern\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Poor and fragmentary, as shown. The document is separated along numerous old fold lines and has substantial paper losses, holes, edge tears, staining and detached sections. Nevertheless, a large portion of the printed royal text, handwritten land description, grantee’s name, acreage, location and reverse enrollment remain legible. The original provincial seal and presumed signature of Governor Tryon are no longer present. All surviving fragments are included. Professional conservation is recommended.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52866235728154,"sku":null,"price":745.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_3062.jpg?v=1789333449"},{"product_id":"1760-colonial-delaware-orphans-court-petition-new-castle","title":"1760 Colonial Delaware Orphans Court Petition New Castle","description":"1760 Colonial Delaware Orphans Court Petition New Castle. Shipped with USPS Priority Mail.","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53003694539034,"sku":"EB-327236695162","price":795.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/57_4aa4a5fa-99cd-4d2f-8507-73a8702faedc.jpg?v=1791146465"},{"product_id":"1738-colonial-philadelphia-import-invoice-for-joseph-paschall-associate-of-benjamin-franklin-london","title":"1738 Colonial Philadelphia Import Invoice for Joseph Paschall — Associate of Benjamin Franklin  London","description":"\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn extensive manuscript invoice recording merchandise shipped from London to Joseph Paschall of Philadelphia aboard the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eConstantine\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, under Edward Wright. Signed by the exporting merchant with an abbreviated name apparently identifying Lawrence Williams, the document preserves a detailed account of goods destined for the colonial Philadelphia market nearly four decades before American independence.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe inventory offers a particularly engaging view of eighteenth-century furniture making, shopkeeping, and household consumption. Entries include brass clock-case hinges, desk and chest locks, furniture handles, tea-table catches, sash pulleys, rules, steel-pointed compasses, nails, and screws, alongside taffetas, cloth, hats, buttons, combs, and other merchandise. Shipping expenses, commission, and insurance bring the final account to £151 14s. 11d.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe consignee is believed to be Joseph Paschall, the Philadelphia merchant and city councilman documented as a fellow founder of Benjamin Franklin’s Union Fire Company. This association adds historical interest to an already informative record of early transatlantic commerce. The invoice bears no Franklin signature or handwriting.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWritten in an attractive, highly legible period hand. The photographed portions show age toning, intersecting folds, scattered small holes, and splits along portions of the folds, with edge wear and minor losses. The text remains substantially readable. An appealing manuscript for collectors of colonial Pennsylvania, maritime trade, furniture history, and Franklin’s Philadelphia circle.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53017479545114,"sku":null,"price":1595.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_3481.jpg?v=1791320894"},{"product_id":"1739-colonial-philadelphia-merchant-s-correspondence-fur-trade-shipping-a-disputed-legal-release","title":"1739 Colonial Philadelphia Merchant’s Correspondence — Fur Trade, Shipping \u0026 a Disputed Legal Release","description":"\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn extensive colonial mercantile manuscript containing draft correspondence concerning Philadelphia’s trade with Britain, overseas shipments, merchandise purchases, and difficulties surrounding a legal release.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe longer letter discusses a release placed in the hands of attorney Peter Evans, the need for witnesses and examination, and the expense and frustration of resolving the matter. The writer pointedly remarks that “Lawyers are not always the most Exact in Doing of Business.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommercial passages record detailed orders for men’s and boys’ hats, acknowledge goods arriving aboard the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eConstantine\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e under Edward Wright, and discuss shipments aboard the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSalley\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. The writer reports anticipated losses on animal skins damaged by worms and poor preparation, while describing plans for further exports of furs and wax. Tobacco and bills of exchange also appear in the correspondence.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe photographs show three written pages, including a shorter draft headed “To L W.” Contemporary cancellations, interlineations, and revisions preserve the writer’s composition process and suggest working drafts or retained correspondence. The longer letter concludes with flourished initials; the writer’s identity has not been established.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA richly detailed record of colonial Philadelphia commerce, appealing to collectors of early Pennsylvania manuscripts, maritime trade, the fur trade, and legal history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Period folds, age toning, scattered spotting, small holes and splits at folds, and minor edge wear. Some writing is faint, but much of the text remains legible. Dimensions not supplied.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53017561825562,"sku":null,"price":1500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_3489.jpg?v=1791322205"},{"product_id":"1739-40-philadelphia-newport-merchant-s-letter-salt-molasses-flour-indigo-philadelphia-february-5-1739-40-1740","title":"1739\/40 Philadelphia–Newport Merchant’s Letter — Salt, Molasses, Flour \u0026 Indigo  Philadelphia, February 5, 1739\/40 [1740]","description":"\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn informative colonial manuscript documenting commercial dealings between Philadelphia and Newport, Rhode Island, more than thirty-five years before American independence.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAddressed to Hazard \u0026amp; Easton and other named correspondents, the letter discusses salt shipped aboard the sloop \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHummingbird\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, apparently commanded by John Painter, its sale on consignment, and molasses received in return. The writer reviews the resulting account balance and requests information about eighteen barrels of flour previously shipped. He asks that the accounts be settled and the remaining balance remitted in merchandise, including “Right Good Indigo.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA contemporary notation identifies the document as “A Coppy of a Letter Sent to Newport in Rhode Island,” establishing it as a retained merchant’s copy. The closing bears initials appearing to read “J.P.”; the writer’s identity remains unconfirmed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn appealing record of early coastal commerce, illustrating the shipment, sale, and exchange of staple commodities among colonial ports.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Age toning, intersecting folds, scattered spotting, small holes and splits at folds, and minor edge wear and losses. Most writing remains legible.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53017604096282,"sku":null,"price":850.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_3492.jpg?v=1791322661"},{"product_id":"1741-philadelphia-merchant-s-manuscript-deadly-epidemic-atlantic-trade-silver-watches-schoolbooks","title":"1741 Philadelphia Merchant’s Manuscript — Deadly Epidemic, Atlantic Trade, Silver Watches \u0026 Schoolbooks","description":"\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginal manuscript merchant’s letter draft, Philadelphia, dated “11 of 9th mo 1741” [November 11, 1741, Old Style], addressed to Lawrence Williams and initialed apparently “JP.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA detailed colonial American commercial manuscript combining transatlantic trade with a vivid contemporary account of a deadly Philadelphia epidemic. The writer describes “such a Sickly time here the Like not known this Thirty years,” reports numerous deaths, and explains that people became afraid to visit one another. He records the contemporary belief that the disease had arrived aboard vessels from Ireland and notes its disruption of shipping.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBusiness matters include a £125 sterling bill of exchange, calfskins shipped aboard the Constantine, complaints concerning damaged merchandise, and orders for two silver watches and schoolbooks for the writer’s nephews. The closing also mentions herrings received too spoiled to eat.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTwo written pages are shown, with numerous revisions and an alternative opening characteristic of a retained draft. An additional photographed page bears calligraphic writing, arithmetic, and a small drawing resembling a folding knife.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition: Fold creases, scattered spotting and discoloration, small edge tears, and marginal losses visible in the photographs. The principal text remains substantially legible. Dimensions not supplied.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn engaging early Philadelphia manuscript with particular appeal for collectors of colonial commerce, epidemic history, education, and everyday life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53017694011674,"sku":null,"price":1495.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_3494.jpg?v=1791323869"},{"product_id":"1734-philadelphia-will-signed-by-joseph-breintnall-ben-franklin-s-junto-library-company-associate","title":"1734 Philadelphia Will Signed by Joseph Breintnall — Ben Franklin’s Junto \u0026 Library Company Associate","description":"\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginal manuscript last will and testament of Samuel Nicholas, Philadelphia bricklayer, dated October 15, 1734. Signed by Nicholas beside a seal and witnessed by James Estaugh and Joseph Breintnall.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn evocative early Philadelphia legal document bearing the signature of Joseph Breintnall, an original member of Benjamin Franklin’s Junto and the first secretary of the Library Company of Philadelphia. The manuscript offers a tangible connection to Franklin’s civic and intellectual circle during the early years of his Philadelphia career.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNicholas, describing himself as sick but of sound mind, provides for his wife Mary and disposes of houses on Mulberry Street and High Street. He grants Mary lifetime use of the properties, with detailed provisions governing their eventual inheritance, and leaves her his household furnishings and remaining personal estate.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA significant opening clause directs that an enslaved man named Douglas be sold to raise money for Nicholas’s debts and funeral expenses. The provision documents the presence of slavery within an eighteenth-century Philadelphia artisan’s household.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNicholas appoints Mary, his brother-in-law Joseph Paschall, and Philadelphia carpenter Edward Warner as executors.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOne manuscript page shown. Bold, substantially legible writing, with fold creases, light discoloration, scattered spotting, and minor edge wear. Seal impression or remnant visible beside Nicholas’s signature. Dimensions and reverse not examined.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA substantial colonial Philadelphia manuscript combining a Franklin-associated witness signature with evidence of urban property ownership, family inheritance, and slavery.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53017717408026,"sku":null,"price":2395.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_3498.jpg?v=1791324322"},{"product_id":"1734-colonial-pennsylvania-land-survey-manuscript-plat-signed-by-surveyor-general-benjamin-eastburn-bucks-county","title":"1734 Colonial Pennsylvania Land Survey \u0026 Manuscript Plat — Signed by Surveyor General Benjamin Eastburn — Bucks County","description":"\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn appealing colonial Pennsylvania manuscript survey documenting a 200-acre tract for Samuel Hough in Bucks County, signed “Benja Eastburn Surv. Genl.” and returned to the Secretary’s Office on December 28, 1734.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePrepared pursuant to a warrant from the Proprietaries dated April 4, 1734, the document locates the property near a branch of Tohickon Creek called Deep Run. Its hand-drawn plat records boundary directions and distances, corner markers, an allowance for roads, and adjoining “William Allen’s Land.” The reverse bears the contemporary docket “Samuel Hough—200 a \/ Bucks County.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBenjamin Eastburn served as Surveyor General of the Province of Pennsylvania from 1733 to 1741. This survey dates from the beginning of his tenure and preserves a tangible record of land administration under the Penn proprietorship.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe combination of an early colonial date, manuscript map, descriptive text, and prominent official signature offers strong appeal to collectors of Pennsylvania history, early American cartography, and colonial manuscripts.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition: Age toning and scattered spotting; old horizontal and vertical folds with small splits and holes at portions of the folds; irregular edges with small marginal losses. Writing, plat, and signature remain clearly legible. See photographs.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53032387707162,"sku":null,"price":695.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_3568.jpg?v=1791399085"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/collections\/IMG_2860.webp?v=1788782092","url":"https:\/\/www.princetonaudubonprints.com\/collections\/colonial-times.oembed","provider":"TheArchiveAuthority.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}