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1796 Newburyport, Massachusetts Manuscript Receipt – Charles Frazier, Joseph Poor – Revolutionary War Family Connections
Original 18th-century handwritten and signed financial receipt, dated March 17, 1796, from Newburyport, Massachusetts, documenting a seven-dollar payment made by Joseph Poor to Charles Frazier on behalf of his father, Moses Frazier (1741–1800).
This early American document is of particular genealogical and historical interest because the individuals appear to belong to established Essex County families whose lives spanned colonial Massachusetts, the American Revolution, and the early Federal period.
The receipt bears the original handwritten signature of Charles Frazer (also spelled Frazier), who, if identified correctly, was just 15 years old when he signed it and died only six years later, in 1802.
The payer is believed to be Joseph Poor (1770–1843), son of Captain and Deacon Joseph Poor (1737–1795), a Revolutionary War veteran of Rowley and Byfield, Massachusetts.
Original Manuscript Transcription
Newbury Port March 17 96
Recd of Mr Joseph Poor the
sum of seven Dollars on Acct
for my father
Charles Frazer
The reverse contains period handwritten docketing and numerical notations.
Historical BiographiesCharles Frazier (1781–1802) — Original Signatory
Charles Frazier was born March 3, 1781, in Newburyport, Massachusetts, the son of Moses Frazier and Elizabeth Ballantine.
He belonged to a family established in Essex County during the colonial period.
On March 17, 1796, just fourteen days after his fifteenth birthday, Charles apparently acknowledged receiving seven dollars from Joseph Poor on behalf of his father.
The receipt provides an intriguing glimpse into the participation of young family members in household financial affairs during the early American republic.
Charles died December 10, 1802, at only 21 years of age, and was buried in Newburyport.
If the genealogical identification is correct, this manuscript preserves an original signature written during his unusually short lifetime.
Moses Frazier (1741–1800) — Father and Probable Account Holder
Moses Frazier was born March 29, 1741, in Rowley, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
He was the son of Nathan Frazer and Jane Prime, members of an established colonial Massachusetts family.
On November 14, 1771, Moses married Elizabeth Ballantine in Newburyport. Together they had at least six children, including Charles Frazier.
Moses lived through several defining periods of early American history, including the French and Indian War era, the American Revolution, independence, the ratification of the United States Constitution, and the establishment of the federal government.
He was approximately 54 years old when the receipt was written.
The wording \"for my father\" suggests that Charles was accepting payment toward an account belonging to Moses, although the nature of the underlying debt or transaction is not specified.
Moses died April 20, 1800, in Newburyport, aged 59, and was buried in Old Hill Burying Ground.
Joseph Poor (1770–1843) — Payer
Joseph Poor was born in 1770 in Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, into a family with deep roots in the region.
He is identified genealogically as the son of Captain and Deacon Joseph Poor (1737–1795), a Revolutionary War veteran associated with Rowley and Byfield.
The younger Joseph Poor would have been approximately 25 or 26 years old when the seven-dollar payment was recorded.
He died July 10, 1843, and was buried in Byfield Parish Cemetery, Essex County, Massachusetts.
The receipt may document a financial interaction between two families established in the Newburyport region during the early republic.
Captain and Deacon Joseph Poor (1737–1795) — Revolutionary War Veteran
The elder Joseph Poor was born August 24, 1737, in Rowley, Massachusetts.
He was a captain associated with Revolutionary-era military service and also served as a deacon in his local religious community.
He died in February 1795, approximately one year before this receipt was issued, and was buried in South Byfield Cemetery, Georgetown, Massachusetts.
His gravestone commemorates him as \"DEA. JOSEPH POOR\" and includes the biblical sentiment:
\"The Righteous hath hope in his death.\"
Its concluding verse reads:
\"Sleep lovely Saint, and take thy rest;
Thy work is done, thy bed is blesst.\"
His military and religious associations place the Poor family within the history of Revolutionary-era Essex County.
Important distinction: The elder Captain Joseph Poor is not named in the manuscript. His historical connection is through the proposed identification of the younger Joseph Poor as his son.
Historical Significance
1. Original 1796 Newburyport Financial Document
Newburyport was one of Massachusetts\'s important maritime and commercial centers during the late eighteenth century. Original receipts such as this provide direct evidence of everyday financial exchanges in the early United States.
2. Possible Revolutionary War Family Connection
The proposed payer, Joseph Poor, was the son of a Revolutionary War captain. Although written after the Revolution, the receipt may preserve a transaction involving the next generation of a Revolutionary-era family.
3. Rare Early Signature of a Young Man Who Died at 21
Charles Frazier\'s apparent age of only fifteen at the time of signing, together with his death in 1802, makes the manuscript particularly interesting for genealogical research.
4. Colonial Massachusetts Family History
The Frazier and Poor families were associated with the Rowley, Newbury, Byfield, and Newburyport region, making this receipt a potentially useful primary source for Essex County genealogical collections.
5. Early American Currency and Commerce
The seven-dollar payment illustrates everyday accounting during the early Federal period, when the United States was developing its national financial institutions and monetary system.
Physical Description and Condition
Date: March 17, 1796
Origin: Newburyport, Essex County, Massachusetts
Document type: Original handwritten financial receipt
Amount: Seven dollars
Payer: Joseph Charles Frazer
Probable account holder: Moses Frazier
Material: Period manuscript paper
Writing: Brown manuscript ink
Reverse: Handwritten numerical and accounting notations
The document displays expected signs of age, including discoloration, handling wear, and irregularities associated with more than 230 years of preservation. Please examine all photographs carefully for condition.
Genealogical Attribution
The biographical identifications above are based on genealogical information concerning individuals of the corresponding names, dates, and geographic area. Although the relationships are chronologically and geographically consistent with the manuscript, the receipt itself does not independently establish the full identities of Joseph Poor, Charles Frazier, or Moses Frazier.
The document is offered as an original 1796 manuscript receipt with these historically plausible family associations, rather than as a definitively proven Revolutionary War family artifact.
Collector Interest
An appealing addition to collections relating to:
18th-century American manuscripts and ephemera
Newburyport and Essex County history
Massachusetts colonial and Federal-period families
Revolutionary War family genealogy
Early American commerce and financial records
Original antique signatures
Poor, Frazer, Frazier, and Ballantine family research
An original, dated 1796 Massachusetts manuscript preserving a financial transaction between two early Newburyport-area families, with a potentially significant Revolutionary War genealogical connection.
The original document pictured is the item offered for sale.
