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Original 1805 handwritten business letter signed by London merchant Edward Simson.
Dated March 13, 1805, the note reads:
> Sir,
The above will balance our account to 25 of this Month.
Wishing you a speedy recovery, I remain
Yr. Mo. oble. servt.
E. Simson
K.C. Mar 13 1805.
Written in fine brown iron-gall ink on laid paper with a clear London watermark, this short commercial letter was likely sent from King’s Court, Lombard Street, one of London’s principal merchant courts in the early 19th century.
Edward Simson appears in London trade directories of the 1800–1810 period as a merchant and broker engaged in colonial and European goods. This piece exemplifies the polite formality of Georgian-era mercantile correspondence—ending with the customary “Your most obedient servant.”
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Details
Date: March 13, 1805
Place: London (King’s Court, Lombard Street)
Author: Edward Simson
Medium: Brown ink on laid paper
Size: Approx. 8 × 10 inches
Watermark: Clear “London” mark visible when held to light
Condition: Very Good +; light toning, center fold, strong signature
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Historical Context
Letters like this were used to acknowledge settled accounts between merchants and clients. “K.C.” almost certainly denotes King’s Court, confirming Simson’s London base. Surviving examples with watermarks and full signatures are scarce and sought by collectors of early 19th-century trade, postal, and British paper history.
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Collector Value
Fine, authentic example of Georgian-era British mercantile correspondence, ideal for framing or archival collection.
