Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Dawson, George, fl. 1771-1832 [Copy of a codirect and the last will and testament of George Dawson]

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC01450.610.06 Author/Creator: Dawson, George, fl. 1771-1832 Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Type: Manuscript document Date: 9 May 1832 Pagination: 4 p. : Height: 32.7 cm, Width: 39.4 cm Order a Copy

The codirect bequeaths his plates, furniture, and books to his wife Anna Maria Dawson and appoints his friend, George Ralston, his new executor (to replace his deceased son-in-law, James Coleman). The will leaves his property in England and America to his son-in-law, Washington Jackson (as well as the deceased Coleman), to invest for the benefit of his wife, children, and heirs. Detailed discussion of how the trust should be allocated under different circumstances. Codirect witnessed by John Riddle, J.P. Stackhouse, and Washington Jackson. Will witnessed by Jackson, William Clay, and J.B. Mahaney. Dawson, a former loyalist, had served as a captain in Tarlton's Light Dragoons (in the British Army) during the American Revolution.

Dawson, George, fl. 1771-1832

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources