IMPORTANT CHIPPENDALE SERPENTINE-FRONT BUREAU DESCENDED IN THE FAMILY OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR GENERAL BENJAMIN LINCOLN
Boston, Circa 1760-1780
In mahogany with white pine secondary woods. Classic Boston form. Two-piece top with good overhang. Four graduated full-width drawers with beaded edges and original hardware. Blocked ends. Flat bracket feet fitted with casters. Inverted "V" chalk mark on back of each drawer.
Height 31”. Width 36”. Depth 20.75”.
Provenance:
Descended in the family of Benjamin Lincoln until time of consignment.

Illustrated:
Harbor & Home: Furniture of Southeastern Massachusetts, 1710-1860 by Brock Jobe, Gary R. Sullivan and Jack O'Brien (Lebanon, N.H.: University Press of New England, 2009), p. 177-178, plate 60. According to the book, Lincoln may have kept this bureau in the East Front Chamber of his home in Hingham, Massachusetts, and it was valued at $15 in a period appraisal.

Notes:
Benjamin Lincoln (1733-1810), born to a wealthy and influential family of Hingham, Massachusetts, served as a major general during the Revolutionary War and was notably involved in three major surrenders: the Battle of Saratoga, the Siege of Charleston and at Yorktown.

He was involved in public service for most of his life, serving in his early adulthood as town constable and selectman and in the militia. As an elected member of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress in the 1770s, he sat on committees overseeing militia organization and supply, a uniquely beneficial experience once the Revolutionary War broke out. He was promoted to major general of the Massachusetts militia in 1776.

Lincoln served as second in command to Washington during the Yorktown campaign. British commanding officer General Cornwallis did not attend the surrender ceremony and thus British Brigadier General Charles O’Hara would surrender his sword. He first attempted to give it to George Washington, who declined and motioned to Lincoln, who accepted it.

Lincoln served as the first Secretary at War from 1781 to 1783, and in 1787 he was a member of the Massachusetts state convention that ratified the Constitution. He held various positions in state and federal government, including serving as Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts and Collector of the Port of Boston.

Despite the major role he played in the Revolutionary War and the fledgling United States, Lincoln is not as well-remembered as many of his contemporaries. However, several towns and counties are named in his honor, particularly throughout the south, and his lifelong home was declared a National Historic Landmark. He is buried in Hingham.

Splits to sides of case. Back third of top replaced, chip to molding on base, and one backboard missing. Period hardware. 4” sliver of wood missing from left side molding.