Books and Manuscripts

No place (likely Carrollton Manor), January 19, 1798. Single sheet, 8 1/4 x 7 3/4 in. (209 x 196 mm) (sight). Manuscript document, signed by Signer of the Declaration of Independence from Maryland, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, authorizing Richard Eaton as his proxy on any matters related to stock in the Baltimore Insurance Company; counter-signed by his son, Charles Carroll, Jr., as witness. Creasing from old folds; light ink soil from docket on verso. Unexamined out of frame, 14 x 14 1/2 in. (355 x 368 mm).

Charles Carroll (1737-1832) was the only Catholic signer of the Declaration, and was known as the "First Citizen" of the colonies due to his early support for independence, including influential articles he wrote under that name in the Maryland Gazette. At the time of the Revolution, Carroll was reportedly one of the wealthiest men in America, owning thousands of acres of land.