MARTIN VAN BUREN SIGNED WHALING DOCUMENT (SHIPS PAPERS) OCT. 1840 BEDFORD
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PLEASED TO PRESENT THIS RARE DOCUMENT ~ SIGNED BY 8TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (1782-1862) AND COUNTERSIGNED BY SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN FORSYTH ~ WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL SEAL AND NOTARY (SEAL EMBOSSED) ~ VAN BUREN WAS THE FIRST PRESIDENT TO BE BORN AS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN ~ SIGNATURE MEASURES ABOUT 3 INCHES ~ THIS IS A FOUR LANGUAGE DOCUMENT ENGLISH, FRENCH, DUTCH & SPANISH ~ MEASURES ABOUT 22 X 17 INCHES ~ GRANTS PERMISSION (LIKE A NAUTICAL PASSPORT) AND LEAVE TO... MASTER CORNELIUS HOWLAND (ANOTHER FAMOUS NEW BEDFORD NAME) ON THE BARQUE LAFAYETTE BOUND FOR THE PACIFIC OCEAN LADEN WITH PROVISIONS STORES AND UTENSILS FOR A WHALING VOYAGE OCT. 21 1840 ~ (RETURNED JUNE 1844 WITH 1792 BARRELS OF SPERM OIL) NOW FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT MAKES THIS DATE SIGNIFICANT IS ITS SAME TIME FRAME THAT MELVILLE WENT DOWN TO NEW BEDFORD AND FAIRHAVEN TO SAIL OUT ON HIS FIRST WHALING VOYAGE ON THE ACUSHNET FROM WHICH HE WROTE HIS WORLD FAMOUS "MOBY DICK" ~ I BELIEVE THIS MAKES IT A MORE INTERESTING AND SIGNIFICANT DOCUMENT...ALSO MELVILLE'S BROTHER WAS A LEADING SUPPORTER OF VAN BUREN AND THE FAMILY HAD ASSOCIATIONS WHICH MAKES IT EVEN MORE INTERESTING WITHIN ITS TIME FRAMESSOME YELLOW TONE AND AT ONE TIME IT WAS FOLDED AND SHOWS FADED DOCUMENT TAPE OF SOME SORT ON CREASES BUT TAPE SEEMS REMOVED ~ IM SURE DOCUMENT IS FRAGILE I DID NOT TAKE IT OUT OF FRAME ~ GREAT WHALING ERA HISTORY AND FAMOUS ASSOCIATIONS MAKE THIS A GREAT PIECE. LAST ONES I KNOW OF SOLD AT HERITAGE AUCTIONS FOR OVER 1300 DOLLARS...ANY QUESTION PLEASE ASK ~ WILL BE SHIPPED INSURED....
