Description:

Josiah Bartlett
Kingston, Rockingham County, NH, ca. September 27-28, 1774
Josiah Bartlett 3rd Person ADS As One of "his Majesty's Justices of the Peace" 5 Months After Joining Committee of Correspondence & Committee of Safety!
Partial ADS
A partial autograph document signed in the third person by Josiah Bartlett (1729-1795), the future Declaration of Independence signer then in his role as Justice of the Peace of Rockingham County, New Hampshire, as "Josiah Bartlett Esqr." on the top line recto. September 27-28, 1774. Kingston, Rockingham County, New Hampshire. Inscribed on laid paper, double-sided. Expected wear including toning and isolated foxing. Two flattened paper folds have been repaired. One minor closed tear at right not affecting any text. Else very good to near fine. Measures 7.25" x 1.375" overall.

This fragment comes from part of a larger legal document outlining charges against "transient person" John Saunders, levied by one David Cheney, a carrier from Rawley, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay. Cheney alleged that Saunders physically assaulted him and also urged him to break the law on September 27, 1774 in Kingston. A constable's warrant was summarily issued, and Cheney was apprehended the following day, tried, convicted, and sentenced to pay a fine and court costs.

This portion of the document reads in full, with unchanged spelling and punctuation:

Recto:

"To Josiah Bartlett Esqr one of his Majestys Justices of the Peace for the County of Rockingham in the Province of New hampshire Humbly sheweth on his Majestys [] in the County of--."

Verso:

"Province of
New Hampshire
Rockingham sr

September the 28th 1774
Pursuant to the written Precept I taken the Body of the within Named…"

This partial document is most interesting because Bartlett was still serving as Justice of the Peace and defending his Majesty's laws in September 1774, five months after he had joined the Provincial Assembly's Committee of Correspondence and Committee of Safety. Of further interest, Bartlett had been slated to serve as a New Hampshire delegate at the First Continental Congress, which convened in Philadelphia between early September and late October 1774. He ultimately declined the appointment, though, because his house had been burned down by arsonists, probably local Tories, in May, and he was focused on rebuilding. So Bartlett was in Kingston dealing with a breach of peace case in late September instead of in Philadelphia conversing with like-minded Patriots. Less than three months later, in mid-December 1774, Bartlett was implicated in the Patriot seizure of gun powder and canons from Fort William & Mary in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Convicted as an "accessory after the fact," Bartlett was stripped of his position as Justice of the Peace in February 1775.

Bartlett was one of three New Hampshire delegates to sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and tended wounded Continentals at the Battle of Bennington one year later. He helped draft the Articles of Confederation in the late 1770s, and during his later career, he served as a state supreme court judge before being elected as President and then Governor of the State of New Hampshire. Bartlett thus served as state President for about one year.

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: 7.25" x 1.375"
  • Medium: Partial ADS

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 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. 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.

September 18, 2024 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