An autograph document signed by Joseph Dudley (1647-1720), then Governor of both the Province of New Hampshire and the Province of Massachusetts Bay, as "J Dudley" at lower right. Written in Boston on February 11, 1711 on laid watermarked paper. Expected wear including light even toning and isolated stains and wrinkles near the edges. A former collector's pencil inscription at upper left can easily be erased. Else near fine. The document, sight size measuring 3.625" x 5.875," is tipped into a larger cream mount measuring 5.5" x 8.625."

Dudley served as the Governor of two separate provinces, Massachusetts Bay and New Hampshire, from 1702-1715. (From 1699-1741, the Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay often governed the neighboring Province of New Hampshire.) Governor Dudley directed Charles Story, Secretary of the Province of New Hampshire, to inform members of the General Assembly that the body was officially prorogued until March 25, 1711.

In full, with original spelling and usage:

"Boston 11. february
1711

I do hereby prorouge the General Assembly of her majestyes province of New Hampshire to twenty fift of March next being the fourth Tuesday of the said Month + direct the three Elder Councilors at Portsmouth with Mr Secretary Story to give Notice thereof accordingly

Given under my hand

J Dudley

To Mr Secretary Story
to be Communicated."

Evidence suggests that the General Assembly of the Province of New Hampshire did not meet in late March 1711 as scheduled. There is a five-month-long gap between the last record of the Fifteenth Session of the General Assembly, dated December 2, 1710, and the next record of the Sixteenth Session of the General Assembly, dated May 9, 1711. The General Assembly convened at Portsmouth between May 9 and May 15, 1711 where discussion was dominated by concerns stemming from the ongoing Queen Anne's War (1702-1713).

Born in Roxbury, Massachusetts and educated at Harvard College, Joseph Dudley gained political experience as a member of the Massachusetts General Court and as a commissioner of the New England Confederation (an alliance of colonies including Connecticut's Saybrook and New Haven, along with Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay.) Dudley served as the interim president of the short-lived Dominion of New England immediately preceding Sir Edmund Andros. Dudley returned to New England after serving as Lieutenant-Governor of the Isle of Wight in the 1690s. His governorship of the Provinces of Massachusetts Bay and New Hampshire respectively represented his last major political appointments.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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