1777 American Manuscript — Two Signed Receipts for Borrowed Iron Pots & Wooden Tableware

October 2, 1777.

An engaging Revolutionary War–era manuscript containing two separately signed acknowledgments for borrowed cooking and serving utensils, both dated October 2, 1777, and signed “James Roberts.”

The first receipt records three iron pots, carefully identifying them by weight. Roberts promises to return the pots or pay their full value “at the End of one month.” The second acknowledgment records a wooden platter, two trays, and a wooden dish, assigning monetary values and repeating the obligation to return the articles or compensate their owner.

The lender’s name appears to read Israel Boice; the precise surname remains subject to confirmation. No place of execution is stated.

These practical agreements offer a tangible glimpse of everyday material life in 1777, showing the care taken to account for useful household goods and protect their owner against loss. Although contemporary with the American Revolution, the receipts do not expressly identify a military purpose.

Condition: Age toning and surface soiling, pronounced folds with short separations, small edge tears and losses, and irregular margins. The principal text and both signatures remain readily legible. Reverse apparently blank.

An appealing early American manuscript for collectors of Revolutionary-era documents, domestic history, hearth cooking, and material culture.