​c. 1794-1807 North Haven CT Tax Collector Document Signed Joseph Pierpont Clerk For Sale

In this document, North Haven Town Clerk Joseph Pierpont officially notifies Connecticut State Treasurer Andrew Kingsbury that Lyman Todd has been appointed to collect the town’s State Tax “the year ensuing.”

The manuscript is signed by Pierpont in his official capacity and retains its original address panel and docketing, providing a tangible record of the workings of local and state government in the early American republic.

By this conveyance I would inform the Treasurer, that
Lyman Todd is appointed, by the town of North Haven,
to collect the State Tax, the year ensuing —
Certified by Joseph Pierpont Town Clerk.

Address:

Andrew Kingsbury Esquire
State Treasurer
Hartford

Docket / Endorsement:

North Haven
Joseph Pierpont Clerk
Lyman Todd Collector

The manuscript itself does not contain an exact year. It can, however, be dated from the overlapping terms of the officials named.

Andrew Kingsbury served as Connecticut State Treasurer from 1794 to 1818, a 24-year tenure documented in Connecticut’s official historical roster.

If Joseph Pierpont’s service as North Haven Town Clerk ended in 1807, the overlapping period places this document approximately 1794–1807.

The wording “the year ensuing” reflects the annual nature of Todd’s appointment and shows that this was an official municipal certification notifying the state treasury who was responsible for collecting North Haven’s state tax.

Joseph Pierpont was a prominent early citizen of North Haven and a member of one of colonial Connecticut’s distinguished families.

A 1751 graduate of Yale College, Pierpont became a farmer, trader, militia officer, and public servant. He held the rank of Captain in the Connecticut militia and played a significant role in the civic and religious affairs of North Haven.

Following North Haven’s separation from New Haven and incorporation as an independent town in 1786, Pierpont became one of its leading municipal officials. He served as Town Clerk, was North Haven’s first representative to the Connecticut General Assembly, and reportedly served as parish clerk for decades.

Pierpont also belonged to the prominent family associated with early Yale history. His grandfather, Rev. James Pierpont, was one of the principal ministers involved in the founding of the Collegiate School that became Yale College.

The signature on this document is therefore that of a Yale-educated Connecticut civic leader active during the Revolutionary and early Federal periods.

Lyman Todd was a resident of North Haven and an active figure in the community’s early civic and religious history.

He is identified in the manuscript as the man formally appointed by North Haven to serve as collector of the State Tax for the ensuing year.

Todd is also associated with the early Baptist movement in North Haven. Local historical accounts identify him as among the earliest North Haven residents to embrace the Baptist faith, with religious meetings reportedly being held at his home and visiting Baptist ministers invited to preach there.

His appointment as tax collector demonstrates that his activities extended beyond religious life into the practical administration of town government.

The recipient, Andrew Kingsbury, was a Revolutionary War veteran and one of Connecticut’s most important early financial officials.

Born in Connecticut in 1759, Kingsbury entered military service during the American Revolution. Biographical sources record his enlistment in 1776 and subsequent service connected with the Continental Army’s administrative and quartermaster operations.

After the Revolution, he entered Connecticut state government. He served as Connecticut Comptroller from 1791 to 1793 before becoming State Treasurer in 1794. He remained Treasurer until 1818, giving him an unusually long 24-year tenure in the office.

Kingsbury died in Hartford on October 6, 1837.

The document was therefore sent directly from a local Connecticut town official to one of the state’s highest-ranking financial officers.

Measures approximately 7.5 x 4.25 inches in its present folded format.

Good antique condition for a manuscript more than two centuries old. Exhibits expected age toning, original fold lines, staining, and handling wear.

There is noticeable irregular paper loss along the left edge, including a larger missing section, but this does not affect the principal body text, Joseph Pierpont’s certification, the Andrew Kingsbury address, or the identification of Lyman Todd.

Ink remains dark, attractive, and highly legible.

Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.

A desirable piece of early Connecticut manuscript history with connections to:

North Haven • Connecticut State Government • Early American Taxation • Yale College • Pierpont Family • Revolutionary War Era • Federal Period • Municipal Government • Autographs • Early Baptist History

An excellent original primary-source document from the first decades of the United States.