Description:

Whipple William

 

Declaration Signer William Whipple Superb ALS at War's End, "there never was better crops"

 

WILLIAM WHIPPLE, Autograph Letter Signed, to Joseph Whipple, July 21, 1783, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. 2 pp., 6.25" x 7.75". Expected folds; small tear on one fold; residue of mounting strip on verso; clear and dark text and signature; very good. In 1776, Whipple was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

 

William Whipple writes from Portsmouth to his brother regarding business matters, including prospects for an excellent crop of grain.

 

Complete Transcript:

Portsmouth 21st July 1783

My Dear Brother,

                The inclosed letter I received a few days after you left this. the 10th Inst I saw Atkinson at Exeter  he told me much the same story that he writes  was then on his way home, could get no money from Tracy but was obliged to take goods which are the stores he mentions, these he expects to turn into money, he promised to be here in a fortnight. I said nothing to him of your sending orders to Green to see him as I supposed he wod hear of it from Green before he got home. I hope you were not too late to dispose of your Grain. People are cutting winter grain, this way & all hands agree there never was better crops. I hope you will get rid of your Old Grain before the new comes on.

                I have got a copy of the appraisment, which is as follows

                                Farm &c                               600

                                Spruce creek land             300

                                Personals                            176..4..1

                                                                                1076..4 1

I think this is full high  they certainly will not command the money at that sale  I sent to Holmes to know when he intended to take his departure, he says, as he was disappointed of a horse he has given over all thots of going. I hope your matters go on well. Take care of your health.

                                                                                                Your Affectionate Bror

                                                                                                Wm Whipple

[Docketing:] W. W. July 1783

[Endorsement:] From Genl Whipple, one of the signers of the declaration of Independence / [?]

 

William Whipple (1730-1785) was born in Maine and became a ship’s master at the age of 21. He earned a fortune in trade with the West Indies, shipping cargoes of wood, rum, and slaves. In 1759, he established himself as a merchant in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He served in the New Hampshire Provincial Congress and represented New Hampshire in the Continental Congress, where he signed the Declaration of Independence. He also commanded a brigade at the Battle of Saratoga and negotiated the surrender of the British forces there. He freed his slave Prince Whipple (1750-1796) in February 1784, believing that no man could fight for freedom while holding another in bondage. After the war, William Whipple served as an Associate Justice of the Superior Court of New Hampshire.

 

Joseph Whipple (1738-1816) served as a member of the New Hampshire General Court from 1776 to 1778, from 1782 to 1783, and again in 1785. He was briefly a colonel in the New Hampshire militia after the Revolutionary War. He and his brother William were partners in a mercantile business in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Joseph Whipple was the Collector of Customs in Portsmouth beginning in 1786, and President George Washington reappointed him in 1789 under the new federal government. Although he was initially a strong Federalist, by 1794, Whipple had joined the Republicans. President John Adams removed him from office in 1798, but President Thomas Jefferson reappointed him to the post in 1801, and he held it until near his death. Whipple also served as the Superintendent of the Lighthouse and the Agent for Fortifications in Portsmouth. In 1796, Whipple became involved in attempts to return runaway slave Oney Judge Staines (1773-1848), who had fled George and Martha Washington while working at the President’s house in Philadelphia. Whipple refused to place her on a ship to Virginia against her will for fear of an abolitionist riot, but he informed Washington that she would return voluntarily if the Washingtons promised to free her following their deaths. In an angry response, Washington refused to consider Judge Staines’s proposal. After leaving the presidency, Washington attempted unsuccessfully to have her brought back forcibly, but refusing to pursue the public provisions of the 1793 Fugitive Slave Act, which he had signed into law. Judge Staines remained in New Hampshire, married, learned to read, and raised three children.

 

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:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

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 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000