Secretary of the Naval Affairs Committee during the Revolutionary War who signed the Declaration of Independence, one of only three Quakers to do so (1730-1779). Rare Revolutionary war-dated manuscript DS, one page, 8.25 x 8.75, April 10, 1778. Legal document concerning a bail payment, in part: "Know all men by these presents that We John Williamson and Joseph Hews Esqr.…stand firmly Bound unto Evan Skinner high Sheriff…in the full and just sum of Two thousand pounds…The Condition of the above obligation is in such that if the above…John Williamson…make his personal appearance Before the Justices of our Superior Court." In fine condition. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from JSA.
Born in New Jersey, Hewes had settled down in North Carolina only five years earlier and was subsequently elected to the state legislature in 1763. When he was made Secretary of the Naval Affairs Committee in 1776, he found the fledgling American Navy in a poor state and, as a successful merchant, was able to provide his own extensive fleet of ships and outfit them for battle. He also selected the most capable men as commanders, including the great John Paul Jones. Afflicted with ailing health, Hewes had to return home shortly after signing the Declaration of Independence and passed away in 1779 at just 49 years old. Hewes’s untimely death has made his autograph especially scarce, and he is considered among the ‘very rare’ signers of the Declaration.
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