George Wythe and Benjamin Harrison Document Signed April 8, 1783

Item Details

A partly-printed appointment document signed by American Revolutionary Patriots George Wythe and Benjamin Harrison. Law professor and judge George Wythe (1726-1806) and planter Benjamin Harrison (1726-1791) both represented Virginia in the Continental Congress and each signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. By 1783, Harrison was serving as Governor of Virginia as Wythe was teaching law at William and Mary College, and in these capacities both signed this appointment of Samuel Hanway to the position of Surveyor, with a nullification provision in case ‘the present Surveyor, who is supposed to be killed by the Indians, shall be alive & return.’ The document is presented in a black mat with a typewritten explanatory note, under glass in a black wooden frame with a gold-toned trim and a wire hanger to the verso. April 8, 1783. DS 1 page, legal folio. The piece is accompanied by a Letter of Authenticity from James Spence Authentication.

Provenance: ex Paul C. Richards Autographs

• The autograph(s) on this item were visually inspected by a third-party authenticator and have received a “pass” in their pass/fail visual inspection test. An Auction Letter of Authenticity (ALOA) will be mailed to the winning bidder following the sale.

Condition

- discoloration to document consistent with age; slight scuffs to frame.

Dimensions

- measures the frame; visible image dimension: 7.75" W x 12" H.

Item #

18ATL034-152