Historic letters to be auctioned in Amesbury next week

Jul. 29—AMESBURY — A ship's passport signed by John Adams and a group of letters written by William Lloyd Garrison will available to the highest bidder when John McInnis Auctioneers hosts a three-day auction, beginning with a collection of historic papers from the estate of Jacques "Jack" and Grace Weil next week.

John McInnis Auctioneers hosted an auction of items from the Weil collection last summer and is now moving on to its collection of historic letters, documents and correspondence. The auction will be live at 76 Main St. beginning at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 4.

"We have items from World War I and the USS Constitution, it's just a treasure trove of historical papers," McInnis said.

Jacques "Jack" and Grace Weil were considered to be among the most successful, mid-20th century antique dealers in Greater Boston.

The husband-and-wife duo operated Jacques H. Weil Antiques Shop in Marblehead in the mid-20th century and also became known as experts in Americana.

The Weils closed their store in the 1970s and wound up storing their personal antique collection, which included documents signed by King Louis XVII of France and abolitionist poet John Greenleaf Whittier, in their Marblehead home.

Grace Weil outlived her husband and passed away in 2019. John McInnis Auctioneers owner John McInnis said Weil's dying wish was to see her collection of ephemera cataloged and sold to those who would appreciate its historic importance.

"She was the sweetest, sweetest lady and was so thrilled to see all of these things being made ready to bring to auction to give the public a chance to reacquire things for their own collections," he said.

The auction will include online and phone bidding as well and will be the first day in a three-day "Summer Antiques and Estates Extravaganza" that will run until Saturday, Aug. 6.

"We've got everything that you could imagine. We've got Civil War things and furniture from the 18th, 19th and 20th century. We also have paintings from the 17th and 18th century and there are all kinds of things," McInnis said.

Among the Weil collection is a group of letters written by Garrison and addressed to David Johnson of Lynn in 1893 and 1894, and an 1800 letter expecting the arrival of the USS Constitution, after some upkeep and maintenance was performed, written by George Higginson of Newburyport.

"Basically, it's a receipt. They kept receipts for everything and this is a chance for someone to own this privately and it not to be in a museum," McInnis said.

McInnis added that a passport for the schooner William and Mary signed by President John Adams in 1797, (not part of the Weil collection), will be auctioned off next week as well.

"They signed passports in order for the ships to pass through our waters back then and this is one of them," he said.

Each day of the three-day auction extravaganza will begin at 10 a.m. and the Main Street auction house will be open for previews on Saturday, July 30, and Sunday, July 31, from noon to 5 p.m.

For more information, go to: www.mcinnisauctions.com/antique-auctions/auction.php?auctionid=519.

Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Newburyport for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.

Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Newburyport for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.