Description:

George Washington
New York, NY, December 30, 1799
George Washington Funeral Ticket for "A Lady", Signed by President of Funeral Committee
Signed Ticket

A signed admittance ticket to the funeral oration for George Washington. Measuring 4.5" x 3", New York, dated December 30, 1799. Signed by "James M. Hughes", Chairman of Funeral Committee, the ticket admits "a Lady" to the oration to be held at St. Paul's Church the following day. This ticket comes from the family papers of Lewis Morris, Gouverneur Morris's half-brother. It is believed the ticket may have been issued on behalf of Lewis's wife, Nancy. Slightly warped and toned. Light wear to the edges and corners. Boldly signed.

On Thursday, December 12, 1799, Washington went out on horseback to supervise farming activities, with the weather shifting from snow to hail to rain. Upon his return, Washington chose to remain in his damp attire for dinner, due to his belief in the importance of punctuality. The next morning, despite feeling unwell, Washington went back out to work on the property. He developed a sore throat and chest congestion, and through the following days his condition was made worse by multiple doctors treating him with extreme bloodletting and other questionable remedies. Despite Martha Washington's aversion to it, George himself was a great believer in the practice; In total, Washington's physicians oversaw the removal of more than 80 ounces of his blood (40 percent of his total blood volume) over a 12-hour period. He died two days later on December 14, 1799. After his death, Washington's friend Dr. William Thornton briefly proposed a scheme to "resurrect" the dead president by giving him a transfusion of lamb's blood. Luckily, this idea was shot down by the other physicians present.

When news spread of Washington's passing, over four hundred ceremonies took place to honor him until the national day of mourning occurred on his birthday, February 22, 1799. An official memorial service for President Washington was held at St. Paul's Chapel on December 31, 1799, with Gouverneur Morris, one of the authors of the Constitution, delivering the eulogy. Washington had had strong ties to the church - he prayed at the chapel after his inauguration, and he continued to worship at St. Paul's until the country's capital was moved from New York to Philadelphia in 1790.

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!

  • Dimensions: 4.5" x 3"
  • Medium: Signed Ticket

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.

April 23, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
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