OLIVER PRESCOTT (1731-1804). Chairman of the Groton, Massachusetts Town Committee that protested the British Stamp Act in 1765 and was Clerk of the Town's Committee of Correspondence in 1774; Served in the Militia before the American Revolution and at the start of the Revolutionary War became Brigadier General of the Middlesex County Militia; brother of William Prescott of Bunker Hill fame; Appointed the 3rd Major General of the Massachusetts State Militia in 1778; During the Siege of Boston set up checkpoints to stop British garrison and pro-British sympathizers communication; Served on the Massachusetts Supreme Executive Council from (1777-1780); May 10th, 1781 Appointed as 2nd Major General of the Commonwealth by Vote of the Senate & House, Approved by John Hancock, Governor.
May 10, 1781-Dated Revolutionary War Period, Manuscript Document Letter of Notice to the Appointment of Oliver Prescott as 2nd Major General in the Massachusetts Militia, Secretarially Signed (John Hancock) by the hand of and Signed, “John Avery” as Secretary, Choice Very Fine. This is an original True Copy as approved by Governor John Hancock; also This original 1781 Commonwealth of Massachusetts document sets forth the Senate's choice of three Major Generals in the Commonwealth, via Michael Farley, Oliver Prescott and Timothy Danielson, with the concurrence of the Senate, House of Representatives, and the final approval of John Hancock, Governor, also by Jeremiah Powell as President of the Senate, and Caleb Davis as Speaker of the House.

This is a "True Copy", measuring about 7.25” x 11”, written and attested by the hand and signature of “John Avery,” Secretary of the Commonwealth. John Avery, (1739-1806), a 1759 Harvard graduate who served as Deputy Secretary of the Mass. Council under Samuel Adams from (1776-1780), and defeated Adams to become the first Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth (1780-1806). This Official Letter of Notice is Oliver Prescott's personal copy, as noted in the docketing on the reverse reads, in full:

"Notice of election as 2nd Major General, May 8, 1781, Oliver Prescott."

Of note, this exact document was likely transmitted to Prescott along with his official Military Commission. Impressively handwritten by John Avery as Secretary, who also signs for John Hancock on this copy to Oliver Prescott. It is boldly penned in rich deep brown inl on clean high quality watermarked “GR” laid period paper having very light transmittal folds. Overall, a extremely attractive easily readable official document to this Revolutionary War Major General of the Massachusetts militia, the son of the Honorable Benjamin Prescott and younger brother of Colonel William Prescott, who famously commanded the redoubt at Bunker Hill.
PRESCOTT, OLIVER (1731-1804). American Revolutionary War Major General of Massachusetts militia, physician, and jurist. Born in Groton, Massachusetts, the son of Hon. Benjamin Prescott and Abigail Oliver, and younger brother of Colonel William Prescott, who commanded the redoubt at Bunker Hill.

Harvard, Class of 1750; apprenticed in medicine under Ebenezer Robie of Sudbury before establishing a large and respected practice in Groton, where he served as selectman (1761-1783); Town Clerk (1765-1777), and Clerk of the Groton Committee of Correspondence (1774).

An early and ardent Opponent of the British Stamp Act; he treated the wounded from the Battle of Lexington and Concord and again after Bunker Hill in 1775.

Chosen to the Massachusetts Board of War in February 1776; commissioned Colonel of Militia in 1775 and rose to Major General of the Massachusetts militia by 1778, in which capacity he later helped suppress Shays' Rebellion (1786-1787).

Appointed Judge of Probate for Middlesex County in 1779, an office he held until his death, and served as a Member of the Massachusetts Council (1777-1779). A founding incorporator of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and First President of the Middlesex Medical Society. Died at Groton, November 17, 1804; buried in the Old Burying Ground there.
[American Revolution, Revolutionary War, Massachusetts] [John Hancock, Oliver Prescott, Battle of Bunker Hill] [Manuscripts, Documents, Military Commissions, Autographs]