Description:

Early Boston Trade ALS for Prominent New England Family, 1714

1p, measuring 6.75" x 9.75", Boston, dated December 6, 1714. Signed "Benjn Gray" and addressed to Mary Garrish in Piscataqua. Gray attempts to clear up a misunderstanding regarding trade in the area and offers advice to the disgruntled woman. The letter has flattened folds, with separations and a few small holes. There is an area of paper loss where the wax seal was broken, causing some loss of text. Edge toning is present, along with some light soiling and staining. Boldly signed.

In part (with irregular spelling and grammar):

"In the first place you wright me that Mr. Gerrish never wrought a word to you about it. In answer to that I say he left it wholly to me he being going at that time to Marblehead: and again I observe you complain of the scarcety of monney and dedness of trad. Al these things are common to us and again your not designing to trad this winter but to this madam I answer the sooner the better…the Sloopman will answer to your satisfaction and a doable difocalty arrises of getting the monney for one this you must do madam as I said before…The Sooner the better att present…I observe you would not have me send large quantitys which as to that master shall be as you please so right now I have shipt: 1 hhd of molasses…1 barrol of flour…1 barrol of bisket…other things I am shiping as cotton wol sugar & run and 1 hhd brown bisket and one of white a teans of gingerbread &c…"

The letter is an intriguing look at the landscape of trade in early colonial Massachusetts and Maine. Piscataqua was made up of six settlements, located in present-day Kittery and Portsmouth, Maine, and in 1714, Massachusetts made Kittery Point a Port of Entry. Off the coast lay Gerrish Island, named after Colonel Timothy Gerrish (1684-1755), who was a wealthy merchant and farmer. The Gerrish family was a prominent family in New England, having emigrated to America in 1639. Moses Gerrish married Jane Sewell, sister of Chief Justice Samuel Sewall who had been a key figure in the Salem Witch Trials, and Reverend Nicholas Noyes II, an official minister in trials, was married to Elizabeth Gerrish. It is possible that the Mary Gerrish referred to in the letter was formerly Mary Leighton (1693-1765) who married Paul Gerrish in 1712 at Kittery, Maine.

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:

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

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide 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 that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, 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. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

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. 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.

January 6, 2022 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