Partly printed document completed in manuscript. Signed by Thomas Heyward. Charleston, South Carolina, 13 June 1788. 1 page. With original seal. Docketed to verso. 12 3/4 x 7 3/4 in.

An arrest warrant signed by Founding Father Thomas Heyward, Jr. (1746-1809) in his capacity as a judge in Charleston, South Carolina. The document commands the sheriff to "attach the Body of John Griggs" in order to resolve a dispute with "Sampson Dickinson, John Bold, and John Rhodes otherwise called Messers Bold Rhodes and Company" in a suit where they sought 73 pounds, 10 shillings, and 8 pence sterling money. The verso, signed by William Mason alongside other docketing, notes that the defendant was given "special Bail" on 10 July 1788.

Heyward was a lawyer and jurist deeply involved in Revolutionary-era politics. He represented South Carolina as a member of the Continental Congress and signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. During the Siege of Charleston, he was taken prisoner by the British, and his property, including 130 enslaved individuals, was seized. He was detained in St. Augustine, Florida, for nearly a year before his exchange.

A nice, bold example of Heyward's signature.

[Manuscripts, Documents, Letters, Ephemera, Signatures, Autographs] [American Revolutionary War, American Revolution, Founding Fathers, Declaration of Independence, Colonial America]