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An exceptional original manuscript Connecticut Civil List payment order, dated November 30, 1791, issued at New Haven, Connecticut, authorizing payment to Mr. Levi Lewis of nine shillings and sixpence [£0.9.6] from Civil List tax revenues.
The order specifically states that the money was being allowed to Lewis for “Physick to Jeremiah Williams”—an early term for medicines or medical treatment. The document therefore provides a fascinating glimpse into the financial and medical administration of the young State of Connecticut only fifteen years after American independence.
The reverse contains important original governmental endorsements, including Order No. 7405, registration in the Comptroller's Office on May 17, 1792, and the subsequent notation:
“Paid by Sheriff Woodward on New Haven Taxes.”
A Possible Revolutionary War / Bunker Hill Connection
Of particular interest is the identification of the recipient of the medical treatment as Jeremiah Williams. Historical genealogical research identifies a Jeremiah Williams of the Connecticut Williams family as having participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775.
While the present document does not by itself establish that the Jeremiah Williams named here was the same man who participated at Bunker Hill, the chronological and Connecticut connection makes this an intriguing possibility worthy of further research.
If the identification is confirmed, this otherwise obscure Civil List payment becomes a direct documentary reference to the later life of a Revolutionary War participant, making it substantially more significant to collectors of Revolutionary War and early American material.
The document's original folds, manuscript entries, governmental endorsements, Comptroller registration and tax-payment notation remain intact.
Date: November 30, 1791
Place: New Haven, Connecticut
Payee: Levi Lewis
For: “Physick to Jeremiah Williams”
Amount: £0.9.6
Order No.: 7405
Registered: Connecticut Comptroller's Office, May 17, 1792
Paid: By Sheriff Woodward on New Haven taxes
Condition: Good original condition, with expected age toning, folds, minor staining and edge wear.
A particularly intriguing early Connecticut governmental document with a possible connection to a Revolutionary War veteran of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Further research into the identity of Jeremiah Williams may establish an even more significant historical association.
