Description:

Samuel Holten
various, ca. 1741-1815
Samuel Holten, 102 Items, 246 pp. - Great Content on Shays' Rebellion, Near War with Great Britain, Art. of Confed. Signer, Mass. Congressman
Archive

SAMUEL HOLTEN, Archive of Correspondence and Other Materials, 1741-1815. 102 documents, 246 pp. General toning, edge tears, separations on folds, consistent with age.

This extensive archive of papers from Massachusetts Congressman Samuel Holten contains rich correspondence from Massachusetts when he served in both the Confederation Congress and the 3rd Congress of the United States. In addition to much material concerning family news and local politics, the correspondence references Shays's Rebellion; tensions with Great Britain that were partially lessened by the Jay Treaty, though that treaty exacerbated internal divisions within the United States; imprisonment for debt and the Insolvent Act; import duties; and the 1793 Philadelphia Yellow Fever epidemic.

Other papers include receipts for Holten's payment of the carriage tax, documents related to his service as a probate judge, and an extensive account of his work as probate judge from 1807 to 1811.

Highlights and Excerpts
-- Correspondence, legal documents, sermon outline, 1741-1798. 78 documents, 94 pp.
Samuel Holten, Autograph Letter Signed, to son-in-law John Kettell, June 6, 1785, Brooklyn, New York.
"the reason of my putting a seal of wax to my letters is on account of the place I have the honor to be in & that my letters may appear alike, otherwise a wafer would be quite as good. You will direct your letters to me as you have done altho' no doubt you have heard of my removal to Long Island opposite to the city, where I find my health is better."
John Kettell (1754-1801) married Lydia Holten (1759-1789) in 1771.

Samuel Webster, Autograph Letter Signed, to Samuel Holten, June 13, 1785, Salisbury, Massachusetts.
"I am sensible you need the divine direction in this critical time; and I pray God you may have it, & yt we may be extricated out of our various perplexities."
At the time, Holten was serving in the Fifth Confederation Congress, meeting in New York City.

Lake Webster, Autograph Letter Signed, to Samuel Holten, March 1, 1786, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
"the multiplicity of misfortings I have had to encounter & wich still Continue for all kind of Business is quite stagnated of Every kind so that hundreds of Merchants in this City have broak within fifteen months so that the goal [jail] is full of Debtors almost as I am a witness to as I make one of the Number & have for about two months been confined for a small debt wich is the reason I have not wrote before as I had Nothing but bad News.... a number of Persons that are Confind heare have begd the favour of some Friend to Lie an Execution on them in order that they may take the benefit of the Insolvent Act...."
"No person in the situation I was in when I came heare for the first seven months did better or had a better Prospect but all my hopes were blasted I may say almost in a moment For Fish ware the best article for me to Trade in as I was well acquainted with it But the English have stopt us Entirely from sending fish to their Ilands. And the French have laid a Duty of one Dollar pr Quintal on all sent to their Ilands from the thirteen states so that there is not any Demand for them here at all. Neither for anything hardly that Comes from New England, wich was what I Depended on in particular."
In 1781, Lake Webster (1755-1800) married Sarah Holten (1763-1808), a daughter of Samuel Holten.

Israel Hutchinson, Autograph Letter Signed, to Samuel Holten, October 1, 1786, n.p. 1 p.
"there has Ben very great Disturbances at Springfield the Last weake a[t] Court Eight hundred militia and about that number of the mob party Bin under armes But no Damag done on thursday."
In September 1786, farmers led by Daniel Shays and other "Regulators" forced the Massachusetts Supreme Court in Springfield to adjourn, which temporarily halted foreclosures and debt proceedings. The event was an important early stage of Shays's Rebellion of 1786-1787.

John Kettell, Autograph Letter Signed, to father-in-law Samuel Holten, December 16, 1793, Danvers, Massachusetts.
"I...hope you will not endanger your health by entering the City of Philadelphia."
Between August 1 and November 9, 1793, more than 5,000 people died in Philadelphia in one of the most severe yellow fever epidemics in American history.

Israel Hutchinson, Autograph Letter Signed, to Samuel Holten, February 20, 1794, Boston, Massachusetts.
"I...am very sorry to heare that the war in europ may indanger us in amarica But I hope and trust the wisdom of your wise Body will Be able to Prevent our goodly Cuntry from Being one more engaged in war. I find you Contemplating an aDisonal [additional] Duty on sundry articales Imported from forran Powers am sorry to find the article of Lineit oyle [linseed oil?] is not included for since that Duty Has Bin taken of[f] the Seade is carry of[f] to London manufactured into oyle and [sent?] back mutch to the Damage of our manifactry of that article and If not Prevented will Completely put an End to our Carrying on the Bisiness we have been at the Expence of Bilding mills and can make all the sead and as good oyle as they and If we have more then is wanted for the Cuntry can ship it to them I don't meane to Direct But onely mention this matter as one mutch talkt on as a greavance among the Peopel."

Samuel Webster, Autograph Letter Signed, to Samuel Holten, March 11, 1794, Salisbury, Massachusetts.
"Our present situation is very gloomy. I wish you may have more light than appears to us. And hope God will give wisdom to our wise men in this critical day. We have this instant a rumor of war with Brittain, expected very soon. It is said to come in Letter from the West-Indies."
"It is said Newbury-Port have now more than 60 sail of Vessels abroad, for which they are anxious. My son Jonathan has 3 or 4 hundred pounds afloat: which is in hazzard. May God have mercy on the land & on the whole earth, & still its tumults."

Lake Webster, Autograph Letter Signed, to father-in-law Samuel Holten, April 7, 1794, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. 2 pp.
"I have verrey lately by the help of a friend found out the true English Method of plateing Copper or Brass with silver in a mode unknown to all in this Country Except 2 or three—if it answers our Expectations it will be a verry Lucrative Business in any part of this Country as we Expect we shall be able to afford work for one fourth of what it is Made for in the Common way in this Country."
"You mentioned sir in your Letter of the 17th Aprill that we were not Ready for a war. I am verrey well Convincd we are not, but wether we should be in a better Situation ten or twelve years hence I am not Certain as Now almost all that was out last war & that were Officers & are Now alive are able to take the Field as first Commanders, wich in a few years would not if Alive & on good Offices under Providence I take it our success greatly Depends."

Mary Holten, Autograph Letter Signed, to her husband Samuel Holten, April 16, 1794, Danvers, Massachusetts. 1 p.
"I am glad your health is so much better. When do you expect to return home. By a letter to Mr Kettell from you, I perceive you mene to return as soon as you can, for you mention that your health will not admit of your tarryen so long as Congress will sit. Therefore I wold have you return before the warm weather comes on; for I am concerned for your health."

Samuel Holten, Autograph Copy of Letter, to Samuel Webster, May 30, 1794, Danvers, Massachusetts.
"if Congress should be obliged to declare war, many things might be proper to be done, in consequence thereof, that there would be no propriety in before, or in other words it would be doing that we consider in others a violation of the Law of Nations. If negotiations should fail, which I much fear, War I think will be inevitable. Congress are not such a divided body as you seem to apprehend, the accounts you have of our divisions, in many instances, arises from people that would wish to involve us in war before Congress are ready."
In 1794, tensions between Great Britain and the United States were high because of the British seizure of American ships, as the United States attempted to maintain a strict neutrality in the war between Great Britain and France that began in 1793. The Jay Treaty of 1794 resolved some of the issues but led to greater internal divisions in American public opinion and encouraged the growth of American political parties.

William Vans, Autograph Document Signed, Receipt for Chaise Tax, September 24, 1794, Salem, Massachusetts. 1 p.
"Recd of the Hone Mr. Holton of Danvers Ten shillings in full for his Chaise tax due in May 1794—Salem 24 Sept 1794"
In 1794, Congress enacted an annual federal luxury excise tax on carriages ranging from $2 to $10 based on the type of vehicle, but it excluded agricultural wagons.

-- Accounts, February–April 1807, January 1808–June 1809, August 1809–March 1810, May–November 1810, January, March–July, October, December 1811. 122 pp., 7" x 8".

-- Receipts and Correspondence, 1800-1815. 23 documents, 30 pp.
Most of the correspondence regards probate matters, when Holten was Judge of the Probate Court.
J. Treadwell, Autograph Letter Signed, to Samuel Holten, October 18, 1800, Salem, Massachusetts.
"It is at the instance of some leading gentlemen of this Town, on the affair of the approaching Election. These gentlemen with the whole Body of Federalists here, are now thoroughly awake & zealously engag'd to carry the election of Doct. Mead. Your sentiments & wishes respecting a steady fedl administration of Govt we know are in unison with ours—we know also your influence in the Town of Danvers & what may be done by it. We therefore earnestly request such an employment of that influence as your patriotism on this occasion may inspire.
Samuel Holten Webster, Autograph Letter Signed, to Samuel Holten, February 10, 1811, Edinburgh, Scotland.
"All commerce with the Continent appears Gloomy at the present moment. Perhaps I may go to Lisbon."

Samuel Holten (1738-1816) was born in Danvers, Massachusetts. He studied medicine, was licensed as a doctor, and established a practice in Gloucester. He served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1787), Massachusetts Senate (1780-1782, 1784, 1786, 1789-1790), and the Governor's Council (1780-1782, 1784, 1786, 1789-1792, 1795-1796). In 1779, he was a member of the Massachusetts state constitutional convention. He also served in the Provincial Congress (1774-1775) and the Continental Congress (1778-1780, 1783-1785, 1787). As a delegate to the Continental Congress, he signed the Articles of Confederation in 1781. In 1793, he was elected as an Anti-Administration candidate to the Third Congress (1793-1795). From 1796 to 1815, he served as judge of the probate court for Essex County. In 1758, He married Mary Prince Warner (1737-1813), and they had at least three children.

Please see our terms and conditions of sale regarding lots of 5 items or more.

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: Various
  • Medium: Archive

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, 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.

May 6, 2026 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