Manuel Myers (1727-99). Document Signed.

Auction 92 | Thursday, February 18th, 2021 at 1:00pm

Fine Judaica: Rare Printed Books, Manuscripts, Autograph Letters & Graphic Arts

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Lot 149

(AMERICAN-JUDAICA).

Manuel Myers (1727-99). Document Signed.

Myers certifies on behalf of John Marston that a mortgage from Joshua Levy taken in 1781 is paid in full. This document also requests that a record of this be made in the Clerk’s Office of the City and County of New York. The certification is signed by Manuel Myers, and a witness, James Smith, in whose hand the document is written. At bottom is a note from Smith asserting that Myers’ certification took place in the presence of Richard Varick (1753-1831), mayor of New York. Varick’s signature appears beneath this. One page. Torn. Folio.

New York: 15th September 1791

Est: $600 - $900

Manuel Myers was a shopkeeper in New York, active in the Jewish community as the minute books from Shearith Israel attest. He was selected Hatan Torah in 1761, as well as a yaheed and parnas over the years. An interesting tidbit as to his personal history is to be found in the Naturalization Roll of Jews of New York (1740-59). From 1740, Jews in Colonial America were granted the privilege of attaining citizenship by the king after fulfilling a requirement of seven years of residence. Myers’ signature appears on this document, utilizing the name ‘Mendel’ in Hebrew letters. The clerk added ‘his mark’ and ‘Manuel Myers,’ an anglicized version perhaps of Mendel. Little is known of John Marston, although a record shows that Myers brought property from him in July of 1791. Joshua Levy was a fellow New Yorker. He too appears in the Shearith Israel minute book - his turn for Hatan Torah came in 1763. See Menasseh Vaxer, Naturalization Roll of Jews of New York (1740-1759), PAJHS No. 37 (1947) p. 373.