1787 Dumfries VA Merchant Order Merryman Payne Signed Royal Arms Watermark For Sale

Offered here is an original handwritten merchant order dated December 13, 1787, written and signed by Merryman Payne and addressed to Mr. Read in Dumfries, Virginia. The note requests a series of household and textile goods to be sent by courier Mr. Charles Ashton.

Documents of this type provide a rare window into everyday commerce in early post-Revolutionary America, showing how residents ordered textiles, paper, and household supplies from local merchants.

The document is written on eighteenth century laid paper bearing a visible British Royal Arms watermark, a common mark found on imported English paper used throughout the American colonies and early United States during the late 1700s.

Sir, Please to send me by Mr Charles Ashton one Bedcord, one pare of sheep shooes, one quire paper, one yard of Muslin, two yards of white Linen, two yards of peckled lace and you will much oblige your humble servant

Merryman Payne

December 13th 1787

To Mr Read
During the eighteenth century Dumfries, Virginia was one of the most important commercial ports in the colony, serving as a tobacco inspection port and regional trade center. Local residents frequently sent handwritten orders to merchants in the town requesting imported textiles, tools, and other goods.

The items listed here reflect typical domestic purchases of the period including muslin, linen, lace, writing paper, footwear, and bedcord used in rope-supported bed frames.

Merryman Payne (1763–1815) was born in Lancaster County, Virginia, the son of William Payne and Lucy Stephen. He married Frances Johnson on February 26, 1786, just one year before this document was written. At the time of this order in December 1787 Payne would have been approximately 24 years old, newly married and establishing his household.

Records indicate Payne lived in Virginia throughout his life and died in 1815. Signed documents from ordinary Virginians of the early Federal era are relatively scarce and provide valuable insight into the everyday economic life of the period.

The courier mentioned in the letter, Charles Ashton, appears in Prince William County tax lists and court records during the 1780s and 1790s. He was likely a local resident who carried letters and small goods between rural residents and merchants in Dumfries.

The paper displays a partial watermark of the British Royal Arms with crown and shield, a style widely used by English papermakers during the eighteenth century. Such paper was commonly imported into the American colonies and continued to be used in the United States after independence.

The presence of this watermark supports the authenticity and period of the document.

Original laid paper with fold lines, edge wear, and small losses consistent with age and handling. Writing remains legible and the watermark is visible when backlit. Please review photos for full condition.

Approximately 9 x 7 inches.

Early American merchant correspondence from the 1780s, especially tied to historic Virginia ports such as Dumfries, is increasingly scarce. Documents combining a clear signature, named courier, itemized goods, and visible eighteenth century watermark are particularly desirable for collectors of early American manuscripts and Virginia history.