1868 New London Cemetery Lot Certificate John D McHenry 5c Revenue Stamp PA For Sale

Offered is an original June 19, 1868 New London Cemetery lot certificate issued to John D. McHenry for Lots 29 and 30, Section 1, in New London Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

The certificate records a purchase price of $21.00 and is numbered Certificate No. 28.

This is an attractive large-format 19th-century document featuring an ornate engraved border, cemetery and monument vignette, original manuscript entries, signatures, embossed corporate seal and an original 5¢ U.S. Internal Revenue “Certificate” revenue stamp.

The revenue stamp remains attached to the document and bears a period manuscript cancellation.

Research into the certificate and related family material strongly indicates that the John D. McHenry named on the certificate was John Duncan McHenry (1839–1911) of the Chester County/New London-area McHenry family.

Also included is the original period envelope in which this certificate was preserved.

Of particular interest, the reverse of the envelope bears a faint handwritten pencil heading that appears to read:

“Cemetery Lots”

Below it is a handwritten group of McHenry family names beginning with John D. McHenry and including members of the extended McHenry family.

The envelope also contains faint marginal annotations that appear to identify family relationships and child burials.

Research into several of the names has found corresponding members of the McHenry family associated with New London Presbyterian Church Cemetery, providing interesting genealogical context for the handwritten annotations.

Because portions of the pencil writing are faint, buyers should examine the photographs and make their own assessment of the complete handwritten notation.

The certificate was issued during the Reconstruction era, only three years after the conclusion of the Civil War.

Its attached 5¢ Internal Revenue Certificate stamp is part of the federal documentary revenue system created during the Civil War. The stamp itself is not particularly rare, but its survival on the original 1868 document with its period cancellation adds considerably to the historical and visual interest of the piece.

The certificate also provides an interesting example of 19th-century cemetery ownership and family burial practices in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

1. Original June 19, 1868 New London Cemetery Certificate No. 28 issued to John D. McHenry for Lots 29 & 30, Section 1

2. Original period envelope bearing handwritten McHenry family / “Cemetery Lots” annotations

Please enlarge and examine all photographs carefully. Photographs form an important part of the description and show the exact documents and condition being offered.

An appealing original 19th-century Pennsylvania document for collectors of Chester County history, New London history, cemetery ephemera, genealogy, McHenry family history, U.S. revenue stamps, Reconstruction-era documents and antique legal certificates.