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1735 legal document found down back of sofa in New Zealand
NZ & Oz

1735 legal document found down back of sofa in New Zealand

So of course it must be from England, right?

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Richard Seager
Apr 01, 2024
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1735 legal document found down back of sofa in New Zealand
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  • The 300-year-old document was found down the back of a couch in Masterton.

  • Signed in 1735, it’s believed it was rediscovered around 1947.

  • Its owner now wants to return it to its ‘rightful place’.

It was found in New Zealand. Maybe it’s a New Zealand document and maybe its rightful place is where it is now. But of course that goes against the story that we have that Europeans only arrived here after Captain Cook visited from 1769.

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Parchment signed by Matthew East & between Matthew East and James Tillyer

We do have a James Tillyar who fits the dates.

Birthdate:1678 Birthplace:England

Death:1752 Calhoun County, South Carolina, United States

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