Description:

Samuel Adams Appoints a Justice of the Peace. Superb!

17 3/8” x 11 1/8“  Single Page Manuscript boldly signed “Samuel Adams”, Governor in the upper left margin below the seal, and countersigned by John Avery at foot, with the wafer seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts affixed to the upper right margin. Dated March 2, 1797, Adams appoints Oliver Prescott (1731-1804), the physician and militia leader, as a Justice of the Peace for a seven-year period.

Small separations without paper loss at the intersection of folds, minor toning, offset from the seal.

Oliver Prescott was a colonial-era physician, soldier and judge who graduated from Harvard in 1750, and returned in 1753 to get his MA. In 1776, Prescott was appointed Brigadier General for Middlesex County and became a member of the Board of War. In 1777 he was elected as a member of the Supreme Executive Council, in 1778 he became a 3rd major general of the Militia, and finally in 1779 he was appointed to the office of the Judge of Probate for Middlesex County. Prescott’s general success and distinguished professional acquirements; his prompt and unremitted attention to the sick; his tender and pleasant demeanor while treating the sick in their distress; his moderate charges and forbearance to the poor, together with the general success which attended his practice, rendered him one of the most popular, most eminent and useful physicians in the Commonwealth for 50 years.

Samuel Adams was the 4th Governor of Massachusetts, an American statesman, political philosopher, declaration signer, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. He was a leader of the movement that would become the American Revolution, and one of the architects of the principles of American republicanism, which would shape the political culture of the United States.

In 1765, Adams and the “Loyal Nine” organized direct action against the British including the Stamp Act Riots. Adams also played a leading role in the events leading up to the Boston Tea Party. In response to the Boston Tea Party, Britain passed the Intolerable Acts, which closed the port of Boston and required all colonists to provide accommodation for British troops. Once again, Adams would lead the opposition in Massachusetts.

In the fall of 1774, Samuel Adams was one of four Massachusetts representatives to the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Adams called for independence, and the Congress agreed to boycott British goods until the repeal of the Intolerable Acts. Adams’ agitation made him a marked man. Back in Massachusetts where he was serving in the House of Representatives and beginning to arm a military, Adams and Hancock fled from Boston to the safety of nearby Concord. It’s believed that the first shots of the American revolution, fired at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, may have been part of a British effort to find the two patriots.

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

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, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

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.

November 10, 2021 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