[COLONIAL AMERICA]. BELCHER, Jonathan (1681-1757), Governor of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. LS to an unidentified recipient, Boston, 12 December 1730. 3 pp, 4to, minor stains at edges. Lengthy letter announcing his arrival in Boston to assume governorship. -- BELCHER. ALS to Secretary Waldron, Boston, 2 April 1734. 2 pp, 4to, original envelope with free frank affixed. Discusses the handling of an unnamed "young rascal," piously observing "Solomon Sayes, he that governs his Spirit is greater than he that rules a City." Belcher was a key supporter of the College of New Jersey (Princeton). -- DUNMORE, John Murray (1732-1809), Governor of NY, Virginia. LS as NY Governor to the Mayor and Aldermen of Albany; Fort George, 22 November 1770. 1 p, 4to. Formal thanks to the mayor, aldermen, and "commonality" of the city of Albany "for their congratulations on my arrival" as newly appointed Royal Governor. Named governor of Virginia in 1771, he presided over the disastrous Indian war--Dunmore's War--that helped bring down royal authority in the colony. Rare. -- COLDEN, Cadwallader (1688-1776). LS as Lt. Governor to N. Coffin, New York, 28 April 1774. 1 p, 4to, integral blank. Directing Coffin to remit half the salary of Governor William Tryon, who had sailed to England to confer with the home government. -- MONTGOMERIE, John. Partly printed DS as NY Governor, Fort George, 8 April 1731. 1 p, oblong 4to. Montgomerie, "Captain General and Governor in Chief of the Provinces of New York, New Jersey," commissions G. Bancker an ensign in the Albany county militia. -- JONES, Thomas. ALS as Justice to Governor William Tryon, 31 July 1775. 2 pp, small 4to, integral blank, inlaid. Seeking pardons for prisoners, one accused of passing a counterfeit note, explaining that the complainant, Mary Clark, was "a person of a notorious bad character" who "keeps a house of ill repute (in which the money was past)." Docket records granting of the pardons. --[LOUISBOURG CAMPAIGN] MASON, John Tufton, Captain, Provincial army. ALS to his wife, Louisbourg, 26 June 1748. 2pp, 4to, minor mend. Bitter indictment of his commander, Sir William Pepperell, governor of Massachusetts: "If he knew what people here think of him he would not act as he Does. It will not be long before he is convinced of his many errors & that he cannot deale with the army as with his Kittery Slaves." -- ADDINGTON, Joseph. ADS, 29 August 1666. 1 page, oblong. Certified transcript of resolution of Dorchester General Town Meeting, 7 December 1657, granting land to Lt. Roger Clap, Maj. Allerton, Ensign Hoster and William Sumner -- MONCRIEFFE, Thomas. ALS to Sir William [Tryon?], New York, 16 February 1771. 2 pp, folio, integral blank (detached). Delightful, somewhat bawdy account of "the Princesses of America," asserting that "the finest race of Young Women I ever saw are at Present in New York." He enumerates Polly Watts, Phila Delancey, and Juley Vanbourne, vowing that "if I was Two and Twenty I would not wish for more than her, and five thousand Bottles of her Father's Old Wine" -- BUTTON, Mathias. DS, with his mark, 26 June 1671. 1 p, 4to. Power of attorney to his wife to act in his defense in an action brought by John Godfry in the "Salime Court." --[STAMP ACT]. HILL, Will. Viscount HILLSBOROUGH. ALS probably to Sir William Hamilton (1730-1800), Rome, 3 March 1766. 4 pp, 4to, second leaf inlaid. Hill thanks Hamilton, British envoy to Naples, for his hospitality during a visit, then gives a lengthy account of Parliamentary debates over the Stamp Act involving Pitt and Grenville: "It is thought after the American Business is over, there will be a new ministry, but everything here is factions to the last degree...[A] resolution for repealing the Stamp Duty past the Commons 275 against 167 & will pass by a small Majority in the House of Lords." -- CROGHAN, George (ca.1720-1782). ALS to Major Jelles Fonda, 13 March 1770. 2 pp, 4to, integral blank inlaid. Croghan, a trader and key intermediary to the Iroquis, asks Fonda to furnish him various goods and livestock. Together 12 items. (12)