Colonial Era Physician, Judge, Revolutionary War Participant Signs Guardianship For Sale

7 x 11 ¾ Document Signed by OLIVER PRESCOTT (1731 – 1804), an important early New England physician and Revolutionary War participant, granting the right of guardianship to Cyrus Baldwin of Dunstable, Middlesex County, “to be guardian unto Revel, Ruth, James & Josiah Baldwin, minors under fourteen years old...dated at Cambridge the third day of April...1783.”

PRESCOTT may have first fought for the Crown and later for the Patriots. Research indicates he was first appointed by the King, but later appointments were made by the Patriots.

PRESCOTT was a colonial era physician, soldier and judge. He was born in Groton, MA, and graduated from Harvard in 1750. He was one of the original members of the Massachusetts Medical Society. During the Revolutionary War, Prescott received many important appointments, including being appointed as a major by the King, then lieutenant and colonel. In 1776, he was appointed brigadier general for Middlesex County by the executive council of Mass Bay. He was also chosen a member of the board of war. In 1777, he was elected a member of the Supreme Executive Council and in 1778, he was appointed the third major general of the militia throughout the Commonwealth. In 1781, Prescott received from the government a commission to “cause to be arrested and committed to jail, any person whom he should deem the safety of the Commonwealth required to be retained of his personal liberty, or whose enlargement within the Commonwealth is dangerous thereto.”

Signed twice by Prescott.

Toning. Horizonal fold break repaired with archival tape. Two small holes at the fold resulting in minor paper loss. Very fine wafer seal intact.

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