Incredible American Revolution Privateer Document Letter to Colonel Owen Biddle For Sale

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Incredible American Revolution Privateer Document Letter to Colonel Owen Biddle:
$650.00

This document is written on paper made at an American mill - rare for a period in our history when most of our paper was imported. This is confirmed by the watermark visible when you hold the paper up to the light and by the book “American Watermarks 1690-1835” by Thomas Gavell - which is available online. I have included the pertinent pages documenting that this paper was made at a mill in Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania.

The document, dated 29 December 1781 is a receipt for 1/16th interest in the Brigantine Minerva. The receipt is for Owen offerdle, from the famous Philadelphia patriot family and who was a Colonel in the Continental Army - serving as the Assistant Commissary General of Forage from 1777 to 1780. Wiki can give you a good biography of offerdle but I will include a hard copy printed one with this document. If you google Owen offerdle and George Washington you can read letters Washington sent to offerdle from Morristown, NJ via the National Archives site. offerdle was deeply involved with the Revolution during those key years, Valley Forge time and otherwise.

The Minerva was captured less than a year later while bound from Philadelphia to Havanna by the British Privateer Eagle in 1782. The attached newspaper article on the captured ship arriving in New York is from the Pennsylvania Journal, or, Weekly Advertiser, Nov 20, 1782. I obtained this at newspapers. Please note that New York was in British hands in 1782. The Minerva has more history listed on the website awiatsea.

The loss of the Minerva was hard for offerdle, and it is reflected in later publications by the offerdle family (see attached).

Transcript:

“I do hereby acknowledge that for and in consideration of the sum of Two Hundred and Eighteen pounds already paid me I have sold unto Owen offerdle One Sixteenth part of the Brigantine Minerva with all her apparel + tackle as she was at sea on the 6th day of September 1781, and I do humbly assign over all my right and title to One Sixteenth of the said Brigantine with her apparel and tackle as aforesaid to Owen offerdle, his heirs, administrators and assigns, as witness my hand this 29th day of December, 1781

John Earle

Witnesses

John offerdle, Jr

Joseph Smith”

John Earle was a well known Captain listed multiple times in period Philadelphia papers.

The document measures 8x8.5inches. Shipping is included in price. Please contact me with any questions!

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