Hartford, Connecticut, 1779. Handwritten promissory note issued to Joshua Elderkin for the sum of 600 Pounds, and to charge the state, Black handwriting with some toning. Signed by Pay-Table members David Church and Fenn Wadsworth, with Jedediah (or Jedidiah) Huntington's signature across. Also signed by Connecticut Treasurer John Lawrence at bottom left corner. Promissory Notes like this were issued by the State of Connecticut to help finance the Revolutionary War. Military finances in the state of Connecticut were managed by the Pay-Table which was also known as the Committee of Four during the Revolutionary War. Fenn Wadsworth (1750/51-1785) was a brigade major to General James Wadsworth from 1776 to 1779. He fought in many battles during that time, but his failing health forced him to leave active service. Wadsworth stayed in Connecticut's government, as shown by his membership to the Pay-Table Committee. Jedediah Huntington (4 August 1743 - 25 September 1818), was an American general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. After the war, he served in numerous civilian posts. John Lawrence (1719-1802) served as treasurer of the Connecticut colony, and later as the Connecticut State Treasurer from 1769 to 1789, spanning the crucial period of colonial rule, through the American revolution, and into the early years of the United States. During the Revolutionary War, Lawrence was commissioner of loans for the new nation. Joshua Elderkin, who the promissory note is issued to, was a younger brother of Colonel Jedediah Elderkin, and both men were ardent Patriots. VF condition and an interesting piece of history.
Estimate: $110-180