1748 French Letter Bearing the Seal of the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem

On offer is an interesting French letter of introduction bearing the seal of the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, one of the great military orders of Europe.

The letter introduces a M. Nicolas Louis de Puithereau. Our informal research has confirmed the existence of this family and possibly this individual in the Seine-Maritime department of France. Throughout the letter there are references to several other individuals as well. The letter ends with three flourished signatures.

The handwriting is a very neat but tight and fine copperplate. Of particular interest is the seal on the upper left corner of the letter – that of the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (also known as the Knights of Malta and the Knights of St. John). The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem is a medieval military order established in Jerusalem in 1099 following the First Crusade.

A powerful military and hospitaller order, it continued in unbroken line until 1798 when it was dispersed by Napoleon. However, various groups of knights reconstituted themselves in various parts of Europe and the order continues to this day. It remains a powerful charitable organization and provides millions of dollars in medical and refugee assistance to the poor, sick and those displaced by war and natural disasters.

For a historian, this document provides a direct link to one of the fabled military orders of the middle ages.

The document is a 4-page letter. It measures 10 inches by 7.5 inches and was created by simply folding a 15 inch page in half. The pages are in good condition. The name of the addressee has been excised from the letter. There is some staining from age but it does not interfere with the contents.