Description:

J. Adams Signed 4 Language Ships Papers, With Reference to Son Charles On Day of Last Letter Received

A four languages ships papers signed by John Adams as President, with a reference to his son, Charles. 1p, measuring 19.25" x 16.5", New York, dated February 19, 1799. Signed "John Adams" at the lower center. Partially printed in French, Spanish, English, and Dutch, the document grants permission to "Peter Murphy of New York, master or commander of the Snow called The Ann & Mary of the burthen of 126 tons or thereabouts, lying at present in the port of New York bound for Newry and laden with Flax & Slaves…" Countersigned by Secretary of State Timothy Pickering and Collector of Customs at New York, Joshua Sands. With two large white paper seals intact. At the bottom edge, Adams has written his son's name "Charles Adams." This gains the document a second last name signature "Adams".The document has flattened folds, with separations, holes, and edge chipping that have been repaired on verso with archival tape. Paper loss in places which does not affect any of the text or signatures. Light toning and staining throughout. Large, bold signature. 

It is very possible that Adam's son Charles was at the forefront of his mind as he had received a letter from him the very same day. In the letter dated February 19, 1799, Charles wrote his father with recommendations for various naval appointments. Reading in part: "I undertake the task with much pleasure conscious that I have no other interest but the good and welfare of my Country at heart. Your hopes with respect to Daubeny are or may be fulfilled I know him to be well attached to Government but I also know he is an unskillful Sailor. I know he is a Fop and as such regarded by all men of Maritime knowledge. He has suffered much by giving out that he was first Lieutenant of Talbots Ship. Captain Talbot though an Excellent brave man is not a regular bred Sailor, and it is therefore necessary his second should be a perfect Seaman…I will give you my honor that whenever an appointment from New York is contemplated to give you an honest and true account of the merits of the Candidates. With real affection I am Your son, Chas Adams. " This is the last surviving letter between John Adamas and his son, who had a strained relationship. Charles frequently got into trouble at school, and later became an alcoholic who engaged in extramarital affairs and questionable financial dealings. In the fall of 1799, Adams disowned Charles, and the pair never spoke again. A year later, the destitute Charles died of cirrhosis of the liver at the age of 30.

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

Unless otherwise indicated, 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. 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 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.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 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