Details:

Address to the Assessors of the Town of Buckland manuscript religious attendance certificate, dated May 27, 1789, completed on a single 8 x 5.5" sheet. The document certifies that several named individuals "Do usually and Frequently Attend Religious Worship with us According to the Baptist order." Among those listed are Josiah Drake, Aaron Lyon Jr., Enos Smith, Benjamin Cross, Archabeld Lyindfry, and John H. Blackmer. The certificate is attested by Chileab Smith and Enos Smith, identified as elders of a Baptist church in Ashfield, and includes a contemporary postscript noting that Ephraim Jenings "is a Baptist by Profession and Sometimes Attends worship with us."

Created just weeks after George Washington's inauguration as the nation's first president, the document reflects the system in late eighteenth-century Massachusetts whereby members of Baptist and other dissenting congregations could certify their religious affiliation to local assessors. Such certificates were commonly used to obtain relief from taxes that otherwise supported the established Congregational church, providing an important record of both early religious liberty and community organization in post-Revolutionary New England.

Very good condition overall with expected age toning, scattered staining, old fold lines, edge wear, and minor losses along the margins.

Authentication:
Includes a full letter of authenticity from JG Autographs, Inc.

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Reference sku: 11615 1417453-1