Description:

Ellery William

Declaration Signer William Ellery Superb Signature

 

Fantastic William Ellery Signature on verso of a manuscript document. 6" x 2.25". Dated on verso "Audited April 1771", and signed on the verso by Ellery as "William Ellery".  The page was inlaid to another sheet to a completed size of 8.25" x 3". Tiny hole along bottom edge, else bright with strong contrasting ink.

 

As the colonial disputes with England became more and more intense, Ellery helped lead a riotous march of Rhode Islanders though Providence in resistance to the Stamp Act in 1765, and again helped support efforts against the Intolerable Acts of 1767. The First Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia in the Fall of 1774, aroused admiration in Ellery for the stand they made in resisting British authority on matters internal to the Colonies. He felt strongly that the local bodies in each colony were quite capable of managing their own internal affairs without the intrusions of Royal interference from more than 3,000 miles away.

 

After the actual fighting at Lexington/Concord on 19 April 1775, and the assembly of the Second Continental Congress on 10 May, Ellery became extremely concerned that no pusillanimous approach to the British acts of violence, such as “accommodation” that a few delegates were espousing, would gain approval. Ellery announced, “You must exert yourself. To be ruled by Tories, when we may be ruled by Sons of Liberty” how debasing. There is liberty and fire enough, it only requires the application of the bellows. Blow, then, a blast that will shake this country.” He let it be known that he would stand for office as a delegate, should a vacancy occur.

 

William Ellery was chosen to replace Mr. Ward of Rhode Island and attended the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia and presented his credentials on 16 May, 1776, and took his seat. He voted for the Resolution for Independence on 2 July, and the Declaration on 4 July 1776. On 10 July 1776, William Ellery wrote to his brother, Benjamin, including this sentence, “We have lived to see a Period which a few years ago no human forecast could have imagined – to see these Colonies shake off and declare themselves independent of a State which they once gloried to call Parent …”

 

Ellery was present to sign the engrossed copy of the Declaration of Independence on 2 August 1776 along with most of the other signers. This is what he wrote about this famous event: ”I was determined to see how they all looked "as they signed what might be their death warrant I placed myself beside the Secretary Charles Thomson and eyed each closely as he affixed each name to the document. Undaunted resolution was displayed in every countenance.”

 

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

 

 

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item.


Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

January 16, 2020 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to [bp]% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions