Milford, NH 03055

Description:

Ever since John Mack emigrated from Londonderry, Ireland to Londonderry, New Hampshire in 1732, the Mack Family has been an essential part of the history and culture of the town—most famously as proprietors of Moose Hill Orchards, aka Mack's Apples. Long the oldest continuously family-run farm in New Hampshire—eight generations—the farm was sold in 2021 and continues to operate under new ownership. Even with the sale of the orchard, the sprawling white farmhouse on Mammoth Road remained in the family until 2025. In the wake of last year's auction of the homestead's contents, we now present a singular, never-before-offered trove of long-unseen historic treasures from the Mack home—an unparalleled written and printed record of the histories of Londonderry, the State of New Hampshire, and the United States, including documents, books, ephemera, and more. A collective time capsule on paper, the nearly 200 offerings range from a rare 15th-century book produced by Martin Luther's own printer to a voucher for a delegate's travel to the convention at which New Hampshire ratified the U.S. Constitution. Items of note include documents signed by Matthew Thornton, who later signed the Declaration of Independence; Nicholas Gilman, who signed the U.S. Constitution; and Thomas Melvill, who participated in the Boston Tea Party. Hometown hero George Reid, who fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill and later reached the rank of brigadier general, is represented by hundreds of documents (offered in lots) he signed as a town official. Londonderry looms large throughout the entire auction, including documents directly related to the founding of Pinkerton Academy and Adams Female Academy. A lesser-known aspect of Londonderry history—households with slaves—is revealed in rare early manuscript tax rolls, while one document plays an important part in the extraordinary story of Pompey Sherburne, a black man in Londonderry hired as a substitute soldier in the Revolutionary War. Love is in the air with an early-18th-century devotional book signed by a very special pair: John and Annis Wallis, original Londonderry settlers and the first couple married in the town. Everyday life in Londonderry in the 18th and early 19th century colorfully comes into view with an extensive trove of documents that provide one snapshot after another of the town's culture and customs—including a little-remembered social "safety net" through which individual residents directly took care of the town's poor. Early ledgers document the tradition of blacksmithing in the Mack family, whose customers for horse-shoeing and hardware included Matthew Thornton (see above). Greater New Hampshire is represented with very early documents from New Castle and Portsmouth; a letter written by Jonathan Moulton, the "Yankee Faust" and founder of Moultonborough; and signed items from a number of other important and familiar names in colonial New Hampshire, including Wentworth, Waldron, Gilman, and Weare. Other highlights include items related to the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, and World Wars I and II; for those with a sweet tooth for oddities, a preserved piece of wedding cake from 1910; an inscribed copy of Robert Frost's New Hampshire poems; a one-of-a-kind archive of financial documents tracing the progress of the 1929 stock market crash; books and documents items from World War II hero Rear Admiral Andrew R. Mack; photos and postcards; and a wide range of other ephemera and collectibles.

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Estate Sales & Estate Auctions - EstateSales.org

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Sale Source:

Estate Sales & Estate Auctions - EstateSales.org