1803 Laws of Pennsylvania Thomas McKean Helmbold Lancaster Orig Wrappers RARE
$ 15.84
Description
1803 Laws of Pennsylvania Thomas McKean Helmbold Lancaster Orig Wrappers RARE. Printed by George Helmbold, Junior — Lancaster, PA — 1803. • Thomas McKean / Declaration signer collectors. Original session laws from the early 1800s printed at Lancaster are genuinely scarce on the market, particularly in original wrappers. ACTS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA Passed at the Session Begun December 7, 1802 Printed by George Helmbold, Junior — Lancaster, PA — 1803 A scarce and historically significant piece of early American legal printing, offered here in its original paper wrappers with period manuscript annotations. This is an original 1803 printing of the Pennsylvania session laws passed during the General Assembly session that convened on December 7, 1802 — the 27th year of American Independence. Printed in Lancaster (then the capital of Pennsylvania) by George Helmbold, Jr., an important early PA printer known for both English and German-language imprints. KEY HISTORICAL FIGURES APPEARING THROUGHOUT: • THOMAS McKEAN — Signer of the Declaration of Independence, former Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, and 2nd Governor of the Commonwealth. His approval and signature appears on every act in this volume. • SAMUEL MACLAY — Speaker of the Pennsylvania Senate, later U.S. Senator (1803–1809), and brother of William Maclay, one of America’s first two U.S. Senators. • ISAAC WEAVER, JR. — Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. • T. M. THOMPSON — Secretary of the Commonwealth, whose certification appears at the front of the volume. CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS: The volume contains dozens of acts covering election districts, local infrastructure, turnpikes and toll roads, county formation, township boundaries, and civil administration. Acts include named references to specific early Pennsylvania residents across multiple counties — Allegheny, Cumberland, Beaver, and others — making this an exceptional resource for genealogists and local historians researching early 19th-century Pennsylvania ancestors. Examples of named residents appearing in the text include John Little (Plumb Township, Allegheny County) and Nicholas Kritzer (East-Pennsborough Township, Cumberland County), among many others. CONDITION & PROVENANCE: • Original blue/gray paper wrappers — uncommon to survive intact on volumes of this age, as most were rebound into leather • Period manuscript annotations on front cover in contemporary iron-gall ink — the original owner created a working index of acts of personal interest, including notations referencing “An Act to prevent Judges & Inspectors from Receiving Daily Wages” and “Toll getting” among others, with cross-references to subsequent 1804 legislation • Text block intact with title page, governor’s certification page, and chapter text all present and legible • Paper shows age-toning and foxing consistent with 220+ years; typical wear to wrappers with some loss at corners and spine • Clean, crisp typography throughout the interior • Spine weakened — should be stored flat and handled carefully • No modern repairs, tape, or restoration — presented in honest, original, unrestored condition The manuscript annotations appear to be those of a working legal professional of the era — likely a judge, justice of the peace, or attorney — tracking acts of professional relevance and cross-referencing later amendments. This working provenance adds significant historical interest. WHY THIS MATTERS: Original session laws from the early 1800s printed at Lancaster are genuinely scarce on the market, particularly in original wrappers. Most surviving copies were long ago rebound into composite leather volumes spanning multiple years, destroying the original binding evidence. A copy in its first-issue paper wrappers with period manuscript provenance represents exactly the kind of primary-source artifact that early American legal historians, Pennsylvania imprint collectors, and genealogists actively seek. IDEAL FOR: • Collectors of early American legal history and Americana • Pennsylvania imprint specialists • County historical societies (Allegheny, Cumberland, Beaver, Lancaster, Franklin) • Genealogical researchers • Thomas McKean / Declaration signer collectors • Early American printing enthusiasts • Museum and institutional collections SHIPPING: Carefully packaged in archival materials, double-boxed, and shipped with tracking and insurance. International buyers welcome
