One page, 7 3/4 x 12 3/4 in., old folds, some discoloration and wear to edges and fold intersections. Docketed verso.

Partly printed writ issued by Cheswill (sometimes spelled "Cheswell") to the Rockingham County Sheriff to collect a debt owed by Joseph Purinton of Epping, New Hampshire.

Wentworth Cheswill was born in 1746 in Newmarket, New Hampshire, where his grandfather, formerly enslaved, became the first black person to own land in 1717. Wentworth was born to a free biracial father and white mother, and went on to fight in the Revolutionary War. He served his town as a constable (elected in 1768), teacher, assessor, justice of the peace, and selectman throughout his life. He is said to be the first African American elected official in the United States.