From our Yearly Meeting held at Philadelphia, for Pennsylvania and New-Jersey, from the 22d Day of the Ninth Month, to the 28th of the same (inclusive) 1759. To the Quarterly and Monthly Meetings of Friends belonging to the said Yearly Meeting
Philadelphia: William Bradford, 1759. No Binding. 3p, [1]. Unbound. The drafting of this epistle is principally the work of John Woolman (1720-1772), who was an American merchant, tailor, journalist, Quaker preacher, and early abolitionist during the colonial era. Fiske in The Dutch and Quaker Colonies in America p314 writes In 1758 the Yearly Meeting enjoyed all Friends to set free their slaves, making a Christian provision for them. This epistle, published in the following year, address the suffering because of the French Indian wars. There have been some disputes regarding the printer. Hildeburn in his bibliography of printing in Pennsylvania #1627 attributes it to Benjamin Franklin. Evans #8350 provides the same attribution. Miller in his bibliography of Benjamin Franklin imprints B84 disagrees stating Removed from Franklin & Hall printing on the evidence of the non-Caslon double pica and English type which probably belonged to William Bradford. Original folding lead to a horizontal tear in the paper which has been professionally repaired, but with loss of some letters. Still a well-preserved copy of a very scarce pre-revolutionary imprint. Very Good. Item #008012
Folio - over 12 - 15" tall.
Price: $5,500.00