Description:

"Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" W. Prescott DS, Possibly Unique

1p, measuring 8.25" x 13.25", Cambridge, Massachusetts, dated May 9, 1767. A Prescott family deed signed by two members of the Prescott family - William and James Prescott, as well as by merchant and future Revolutionary soldier, Ebenezer Bridge. The document records the transfer of the estate shared by William and James to their younger brother Oliver, "in consideration of Four Hundred Pounds". Signed "Wm Prescott" and "James Prescott", with a holographic endorsement signed "Eben. Bridge." Reads in part: "We do hereby acknowledge, do hereby give, grant, sell and convey unto the said Oliver Prescott, his Heirs & assignees forever all the Rights…that we now have or in time to come anyways ought to have…all the Houses, Buildings & Lands which belonged to our Hand." With docketing at the margin and on verso. Also countersigned twice by Abel Lawrence as Justice of the Peace. The deed has flattened folds with separations at the fold edges. Areas of chipping and foxing. Uneven toning throughout. Sold for $2500 at Heritage auctions in 2013, prior to it being understood that this might be unique.

William Prescott (1726-1795) served as a colonel in the Revolutionary War and is best remembered for his leadership at the Battle of Bunker Hill. While commanding his regiment of "minutemen", he famously ordered his men "Do not fire until you see the whites of their eyes." William's older brother, James Prescott (1721-1800) also briefly served as a colonel of the Middlesex regiment in 1775. He later became Sheriff of Middlesex and Judge of the Court of Common Pleas.

Oliver Prescott (1731-1804) was a colonial-era physician, soldier, and judge who graduated from Harvard in 1750, and returned in 1753 to get his MA. In 1776, Prescott was appointed Brigadier General for Middlesex County and became a member of the Board of War. In 1777 he was elected as a member of the Supreme Executive Council, in 1778 he became a 3rd major general of the Militia, and finally in 1779 he was appointed to the office of the Judge of Probate for Middlesex County. Prescott's general success and distinguished professional acquirements; his prompt and unremitted attention to the sick; his tender and pleasant demeanor while treating the sick in their distress; his moderate charges and forbearance to the poor, together with the general success which attended his practice, rendered him one of the most popular, most eminent and useful physicians in the Commonwealth for 50 years. Ebenezer Bridge (1744-1814) was commissioned a Massachusetts colonel and severely wounded at the Battle of Bunker Hill. He later served as Adjutant General of Massachusetts in the state militia from 1781 to 1786.

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 10 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 Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

November 10, 2021 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