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Original 1895 Boston Board of Police licensing document fragment, apparently from a liquor or similar municipal license authorizing alcohol sales or consumption “ON THE PREMISES.”
The surviving portion retains part of the large printed wording, formal penalty language, decorative border elements, the printed designation “Board of Police,” and the three original handwritten signatures of the Boston Police Board members serving together at the time.
The reverse is penciled “1895,” and the paper itself bears an “OLD BERKSHIRE MILL 1894” watermark, providing an excellent physical dating detail. The 1894 watermark is fully consistent with the document having been issued the following year.
The three signatures are:
Augustus P. Martin (1835–1902)
The large and highly decorative top signature is that of Augustus Pearl Martin, one of the most historically significant figures represented on the document.
Martin was a distinguished Civil War artillery officer who served with the 3rd Massachusetts Light Artillery and took part in major campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, including Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and Petersburg. He was later brevetted for gallant service.
After the war, Martin became a prominent Boston civic and political figure. He served as Mayor of Boston in 1884 and was appointed to the Boston Board of Police in 1894, serving until 1899.
His autograph gives this otherwise utilitarian municipal license fragment substantial additional interest for collectors of Civil War, Gettysburg, Boston political, and mayoral autographs.
Albert T. Whiting
The middle signature is that of Albert T. Whiting, a long-serving member of the Boston Board of Police. Whiting had served on the Board since the 1880s and remained in office only until May 1895.
His presence is particularly useful for dating the document. Because Martin joined the Board in 1894 and Whiting left in May 1895, the combination of these signatures strongly indicates that this license was issued in early 1895.
Robert F. Clark (1838–1912)
The lower signature, written “Rob’t F. Clark,” belongs to Robert Farley Clark, another notable Boston civic figure and Civil War veteran.
Clark served during the Civil War with the 24th Massachusetts Infantry and participated in several important engagements. He later became active in Boston business and civic affairs, serving for years on the Boston Board of Police and eventually becoming its chairman.
Clark was also an important figure in Boston sporting history and was associated with the Boston Athletic Association, adding another layer of historical interest to the piece.
Historical Context:
During this period, the Boston Board of Police exercised authority over policing and a variety of municipal licensing matters, including licenses connected with the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages.
The surviving printed phrase “ON THE PREMISES” and the associated penalty language strongly suggest that this was part of a license regulating the sale or consumption of liquor at a specific Boston establishment.
The signatures of Martin, Whiting, and Clark together, combined with the penciled 1895 date and Old Berkshire Mill 1894 watermark, make the dating especially compelling.
The paper bears the watermark:
“OLD BERKSHIRE MILL 1894”
This is a notable and useful feature. Watermarks are often valuable for confirming the period manufacture of historic documents, and in this case the 1894 paper date fits perfectly with the apparent 1895 issuance.
The watermark also adds interest for collectors of historic American paper, watermarks, municipal ephemera, and 19th-century printing.
This is a fragment only, not a complete license.
There is substantial loss along the left side and upper edge, with additional edge wear, tears, folds, toning, spotting/foxing, stains, surface wear, and general signs of age and handling. The reverse shows additional age toning and the handwritten “1895” notation.
Despite the losses, the most historically important portion survives: the three original signatures, the Board of Police designation, portions of the license text, and the 1894 Old Berkshire Mill watermark.
Please review all photographs carefully, as they are an important part of the condition description.
An unusual surviving piece of 1890s Boston liquor-control and municipal history, made especially collectible by the signatures of former Boston Mayor and Gettysburg veteran Augustus P. Martin, Albert T. Whiting, and Robert F. Clark, along with the dated Old Berkshire Mill 1894 watermark.
