John Adams Autograph Document Signed. One partially printed page, 8 1/4 x 6 3/4 inches, Boston; September 8, 1766. A ...
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Consign your material to be auctioned alongside these items on Thursday, February 26, 2026 in Dallas, TX. Consignment Deadline for this auction is Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
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Description
John Adams Autograph Document Signed. One partially printed page, 8 1/4 x 6 3/4 inches, Boston; September 8, 1766. A writ engrossed in Adams' hand and signed on the verso, "Adams." Additionally signed by loyalist merchant Ezekiel Goldthwait as clerk. It reads, in part:"To the sheriff of Our County of Suffolk...We command you to Attach the Goods or Estate of Joseph Tirrell of Dorchester in our County of Suffolk, Trader to the value of Five Pounds, and for want thereof to take the Body of the said Joseph (if he may be found in your Precinct) and him safely keep, so that you have him before Our Justices of Our Inferiour Court of Common Pleas..."
Adams tried at least two cases involving the Tirrells in the early years of his law career. In a 1790 letter to his son, John Quincy, Adams wrote that "it was Joseph Tirrell the Horse Jockey who first raised me to fame...At Plymouth Court he had a sister, who had a popular Cause depending. He advised her to engage me in it: and I had the good fortune to conduct it in such a manner that from that time forward I was engaged in all the Causes in the County."
Condition: Age-toned with a few light stains. Flattened folds, with a few separations thereat and some wear to the edges. A few small instances of loss, affecting text. Docketed on the verso.
Reference: Massachusetts Historical Society: John Adams Letter to John Quincy Adams, December 13, 1790. In Adams Papers Digital Edition, vol. 9.
Auction Info
2026 February 26 Historical Manuscripts Signature® Auction #6328 (go to Auction Home page)
Bidding Begins Approx.
January
26th
Monday
Auction Dates
February
26th
Thursday
Proxy Bidding Begins Approx.
37 Days
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: N/A
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 49
Auction Type
Signature®: Heritage Live®:After Internet bidding closes, live bidding will take place through www.HA.com/Live. Your secret maximum bid placed prior to the live event will compete against the live bids. To maximize your chances of winning, enter realistic secret maximum bids on our site. Many of our proxy bidders are successful at winning lots in these auctions, and usually below their secret maximum. You can also place last minute bids directly with us by e-mailing Bid@HA.com or calling 1-866-835-3243. (Important note: Due to software and Internet latency, live bids may not register in time, so enter realistic proxy bids.)
Signature® Floor Sessions
Proxy bidding ends ten minutes prior to the session start time. Live Proxy bidding on Heritage Live now starts within 2 hours of when the auction opens for proxy bidding and continues through the live session. During the live auction event, bidding in person is encouraged, and Heritage Live includes streaming audio and often video during the event.
Signature®: Heritage Live®:After Internet bidding closes, live bidding will take place through www.HA.com/Live. Your secret maximum bid placed prior to the live event will compete against the live bids. To maximize your chances of winning, enter realistic secret maximum bids on our site. Many of our proxy bidders are successful at winning lots in these auctions, and usually below their secret maximum. You can also place last minute bids directly with us by e-mailing Bid@HA.com or calling 1-866-835-3243. (Important note: Due to software and Internet latency, live bids may not register in time, so enter realistic proxy bids.)
Signature® Floor Sessions
Proxy bidding ends ten minutes prior to the session start time. Live Proxy bidding on Heritage Live now starts within 2 hours of when the auction opens for proxy bidding and continues through the live session. During the live auction event, bidding in person is encouraged, and Heritage Live includes streaming audio and often video during the event.
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