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1788 Rhode Island Lottery Petition to Close Down Signed by Secretary Henry Ward

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1788 Rhode Island Lottery Petition to Close Down Signed by Secretary Henry Ward
Post Revolution
1788 Rhode Island Lottery Petition Signed by Henry Ward the Secretary of State (1760-1797) to Close Down a Lottery
October 1788-Dated, Rhode Island Lottery Manuscript Document Petition Signed by Henry Ward (1732-1797), Secretary of State Rhode Island (1760-1797), Very Fine.
Unique Petition to the Rhode Island General Assembly from Caleb Harris, Nehemiah Knight and James Aldrich, 1 page, measuring 12.25” x 7.75” on fine quality laid period paper, Very Fine. Unusual content in which the Petitioners were wishing to settle out and close a Lottery previously held by William West circa 1785 as several of the “Winners” had failed or refused to come forward to claim their prizes, essentially forcing the Lottery to remain open. The Petitioners asked the State of Rhode Island to publish a notice in two newspapers, giving the Lottery Winners a final limit of four months to claim their prizes, or forfeit them thereafter. At the bottom of this Document there are notes that the Petition and Resolution was adopted. This Document signed as a period true copy, signed and witnessed by Henry Ward, as Secretary of Rhode Island. Henry Ward (1732-1797) of Newport, was Rhode Island's Secretary of State from 1760 to 1797. The text written in the bottom third of this Document reads:

“Resolved that this petition be & the same is hereby granted: That the said Directors of the Lottery aforesaid cause Advertisements immediately to be published in one of the Newport & one of the Providence Newspapers, giving Notice to all persons who are possessed of any fortunate Tickets, for Four Dollar prizes in the said Lottery that they apply to the Director who published the same for the Prize Money within Four Months from the Date of the Advertisement or the Possessor or Owner of such Prize Tickets shall be forever thereafter excluded from recovering or receiving the same. Any Law, Custom or Usage, to the contrary not withstanding.”

Still today, some winning Lottery tickets go unclaimed and tickets simply expire after a certain time period. However, without such a formal mechanism in place during the Colonial era, the lotteries at times were required to turn to the legislature or courts for help. Fascinating, historical and unique.
Henry Ward (1732-1797) of Newport was Rhode Island's Secretary of State from 1760 to 1797. Remarkably, when he became financially embarrassed in 1785, Ward also applied to the legislature, and was granted leave (permission) to carry on a public Lottery to dispose of some of his extensive property holdings. These holdings as prizes were scheduled as including: a farm of 200 acres at Point Judith, in South Kingston with 20 acres of salt marsh near; one farm in Killingly, Conn., in Thompson parish, containing 400 acres; also 200 acres of timber land in Killingly, Conn.; 300 acres in the town of Lyndon, Conn.; 380 acres in the town of Weston,Conn.; and 450 acres in the town of Foster, R.I. There were also 60 cows, 8 oxen, 5 horses, and 100 sheep listed. Lands in this Lottery did not include his home farm of some 500 acres, but show seven other tracts containing 1,950 acres.