Lot 51
Thornton, Matthew (1714-1803) Signer of the Declaration of Independence from New Hampshire. Brief Autograph Document Signed as Justice of the Peace, one page, 11¾ x 8 in., Province of New Hampshire, Dec. 17, 1754. On the lower portion of the partly-printed document, which is a deed whereby Eleazer Wells sells land to Thomas Gorge, Thornton fills in some 14 words, that Eleazer Wells appeared before him on Dec. 17, 1754 and acknowledged that he had received the money ("two hundred pounds old Tenure) from Thomas Gorge and that he had signed the deed of his own free will. The document is inlaid; overall toning, some soiling and a stain in upper portion.
Thornton was elected to the Continental Congress after the vote for independence. He arrived in Philadelphia in November 1776 and signed the Declaration for New Hampshire, some three months after most of the delegates had signed on August 2. Matthew Thornton is rare.
Estimated Value $1,500 - 2,000.
Purchased from Robert Batchelder in 1982.
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| Realized $1,033 |
