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Lot 222
Mass. Governor William Shirley Signs 1749 Pay Order to William Pitt for Hero of King George's War
Description:

Mass. Governor William Shirley Signs 1749 Pay Order to William Pitt for Hero of King George's War

In this pay order, Provincial Governor William Shirley of Massachusetts orders Paymaster William Pitt to pay Colonel Joseph Dwight for paying his troops before discharging them when Parliament made provisions for such payments.

WILLIAM SHIRLEY, Manuscript Document Signed, Pay Order for Joseph Dwight to Paymaster William Pitt, September 8, 1749, Boston, Massachusetts. 2 pp., 9.25" x 7.5". Expected folds; small tear on one fold, affecting one word; very good.

Complete Transcript
1 Exchange for £198..2/ Sterling Boston September 8, 1749
N1971 No 69 When the Parliament of Great Britain shall make Provision for paying the Troops, raised for the late intended Expedition against Canada, Be pleased to order payment of this my first of Exchange (my second and third of the same Tenor and Date not being paid) to Joseph Dwight Esqr or order One hundred and Ninety Eight pounds two shillings Sterling; Value of him received, on Account of the Pay for Discharging the Non-commission Officers & Private men of the late Regiment under the command of Colo Joseph Dwight, raised for the aforesaid service.
W Shirley
To the Right Honourable William Pitt Esq Paymaster General of his Majesty's Land Forces; Or to the paymaster General for the Time being.

[Endorsements on verso:]
Please to pay the contents to Slingsby Bethel Esq. or Order for Accot of
Your most Obt hum Servt
Joseph Dwight

Received 15 Novr 1750 of John Thomlinson Esqr One hundred Ninety Eight pounds two Shillings in Full for the Within mentioned bill of Exchange
⅌ S. Bethell
Witness / John Miller

Historical Background
The fortress of Louisbourg was the capital of the French province of Ile-Royale (modern Cape Breton Island) during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) or in North America, King George's War (1744-1748). Louisbourg was the base for French and Native American attacks on the northern New England colonies and British fisheries in the north Atlantic Ocean.

In 1745, Massachusetts provincial governor William Shirley narrowly secured the support of the Massachusetts legislature for an attack on Louisbourg. While Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut provided troops, Rhode Island sent a ship, New York ten cannons, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey funds for the expedition. William Pepperrell of Kittery, Massachusetts (now Maine) led the force of 4,200 soldiers and sailors aboard 90 ships.

In late March, British naval forces blockaded Louisbourg, and by early May, Pepperrell's forces had taken Port Toulouse (modern St. Peter's Nova Scotia) and moved toward Louisbourg.

Throughout May and June, the British forces captured a series of batteries around the fortress, forcing its surrender by June 28. The British lost approximately 100 soldiers killed and wounded but another 900 from disease. French casualties totaled 130 killed and wounded, 300 dead of disease, and 1,400 captured.

In 1746, the British government subsequently made plans to launch a follow-up expedition to seize Quebec, but the expedition was aborted. A similar proposal was considered for the 1747 campaign season but also failed to take place. This pay order may refer to Dwight's service in the Louisbourg campaign or subsequent service in one of the later planned campaigns.

Ultimately, Louisbourg was returned, over the protests of the British North Americans, in the Treaty of Aix-la-Chappelle of October 1748, which ended the war, in exchange for French concessions in India.

William Shirley (1694-1771) was born in England, educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and read law in the Inner Temple in London. He was called to the bar in 1720 and arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1731. He raised troops in New England for the War of Jenkins' Ear, and in April 1741, the Privy Council approved Shirley's commission as governor of Massachusetts Bay. He orchestrated the capture of Louisburg from the French during King George's War (War of the Austrian Succession) and managed military affairs during the French and Indian War. After the death of General Edward Braddock, Shirley became commander-in-chief of British forces in North America. He served as governor of Massachusetts Bay from 1741 to 1749 and again from 1753 to 1756. While he was absent in England from 1749 to 1753, Spencer Phips served as acting governor. Because of political disputes with New York politicians, Shirley was recalled in 1757 as both commander-in-chief and governor. He served as governor of the Bahamas from 1760 to 1768, before returning to Massachusetts, where he died.

Joseph Dwight (1703-1765) was born in Massachusetts and graduated from Harvard College in 1722. He was admitted to the bar in Worcester in 1733. He served eleven times as a member of the Massachusetts Colonial Council between 1731 and 1751 and was its speaker from 1748 to 1749. He also served as a colonel in the militia. Promoted to brigadier general in February 1745, he was the second in command in the successful capture of Louisburg in French Canada during King George's War (1744-1748). General William Pepperrell commended Dwight for his courage and skill. In 1756, he also led a militia brigade at Lake Champlain during the French and Indian War. In 1752, he moved to Stockbridge in western Massachusetts, where he served as trustee of the "Indian Schools" there and served as Chief Justice of the Berkshire County Court of Common Pleas from 1761 until his death.

William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham / William Pitt the Elder (1708-1778) was born in Westminster, England, and educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Oxford, but left without finishing his degree. After studying at Utrecht University in the Dutch Republic, he joined the British army as a cornet. He entered Parliament in 1735 as one of several army officers in the House of Commons, where he joined a faction of Whigs known as the Patriots. His criticism of the government of Robert Walpole earned him a dismissal from the army in 1736, which increased opposition to the Walpole government. His opposition to subsidies to Hanover earned him the lifelong hatred of King George II. His oratorical skills in opposition helped lead to the downfall of the Walpole government in 1742. In May 1746, King George II reluctantly appointed him as paymaster-general, which gave Pitt a place in the Privy Council. His refusal to profit personally from the position, beyond its salary, impressed the king and the country with his honesty and public spirit. Pitt continued as Paymaster of the Forces until 1755. In December 1756, Pitt became Secretary of State for the Southern Department and Leader of the House of Commons. His popularity with the public gave him the nickname "The Great Commoner." Though he was dismissed in April 1757, public outrage led to a new coalition government with the Duke of Newcastle as the nominal head but Putt in actual control, and Pitt orchestrated substantial British advances in the Seven Years' War with France. Pitt resigned in October 1761 but did not oppose the succeeding Rockingham government, and in 1766, King George III requested Pitt to form a new government as prime minister, though he was physically incapacitated by gout and isolated himself from his colleagues. He resigned in October 1768 due to ill health. He did not resume his seat in the House of Lords until 1770. He proposed concessions to the American colonists and when war erupted warned that America could not be conquered but his peers ignored his warnings. His son William Pitt the Younger (1759-1806) served as prime minister from 1783 to 1801 and from 1804 to 1806.

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.

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