1840 Massachusetts Tax Collection Warrant — Original Manuscript & Printed Document — Three Signatures — Bellingham

1840 Massachusetts Tax Collection Warrant — Original Manuscript & Printed Document — Three Signatures — Bellingham

$150.00
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1840 Massachusetts Tax Collection Warrant — Original Manuscript & Printed Document — Three Signatures — Bellingham
  • 1840 Massachusetts Tax Collection Warrant — Original Manuscript & Printed Document — Three Signatures — Bellingham
  • 1840 Massachusetts Tax Collection Warrant — Original Manuscript & Printed Document — Three Signatures — Bellingham
  • 1840 Massachusetts Tax Collection Warrant — Original Manuscript & Printed Document — Three Signatures — Bellingham
  • 1840 Massachusetts Tax Collection Warrant — Original Manuscript & Printed Document — Three Signatures — Bellingham
  • 1840 Massachusetts Tax Collection Warrant — Original Manuscript & Printed Document — Three Signatures — Bellingham
  • 1840 Massachusetts Tax Collection Warrant — Original Manuscript & Printed Document — Three Signatures — Bellingham
  • 1840 Massachusetts Tax Collection Warrant — Original Manuscript & Printed Document — Three Signatures — Bellingham
  • 1840 Massachusetts Tax Collection Warrant — Original Manuscript & Printed Document — Three Signatures — Bellingham
  • 1840 Massachusetts Tax Collection Warrant — Original Manuscript & Printed Document — Three Signatures — Bellingham
  • 1840 Massachusetts Tax Collection Warrant — Original Manuscript & Printed Document — Three Signatures — Bellingham
1840 Massachusetts Tax Collection Warrant — Original Manuscript & Printed Document — Three Signatures — Bellingham

1840 Massachusetts Tax Collection Warrant — Original Manuscript & Printed Document — Three Signatures — Bellingham

$150.00

Bellingham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts | June 6, 1840

An impressive original nineteenth-century Massachusetts tax collection warrant, issued by the assessors of the Town of Bellingham and addressed to the town's tax collector.

Dating to June 6, 1840, this substantial document combines extensive period manuscript writing with a printed legal form and bears the original signatures of three Bellingham town assessors.

The warrant directs the collection of taxes assessed against residents of Bellingham, including funds raised for public schooling and other municipal obligations. The handwritten portion records the sums to be collected and establishes deadlines for payment to the county and town treasurers.

A fascinating feature is its detailed description of tax enforcement in early America.

The printed provisions authorize the seizure of personal property from delinquent taxpayers, the sale of seized goods at public auction, and, under specified circumstances, imprisonment in the county jail until outstanding assessments were satisfied.

The document provides a revealing look at the responsibilities of local government and the legal mechanisms used to finance public services in Massachusetts during the decades preceding the Civil War.

Historical Highlights

  • Original document dated June 6, 1840.

  • Issued in Bellingham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts.

  • Extensive original manuscript text.

  • Three contemporary assessor signatures.

  • Printed legal provisions governing tax collection and enforcement.

  • Contemporary handwritten corrections and alterations.

  • Embossed paper manufacturer's mark.

  • Original docketing on the reverse.

Condition: Good antique condition with expected age toning, original folds, minor edge wear, small fold separations, and scattered discoloration. The manuscript remains substantially legible, with portions of the writing faded. Please examine the accompanying photographs.

An attractive and historically revealing original document for collectors of early American manuscripts, Massachusetts history, taxation, legal history, and nineteenth-century Americana.

An original piece of American municipal history, more than 185 years old.