1773 1774 Stampless Ship Cover + Signed Letter, Dirk Vanderheyden to Evert Bancker, Transatlantic Revolutionary War, London-New York City

Cover marked ICT, ship marking named in letter as Captain Smith of the Little Susan. Written by Dirk Van der Heyden in London October 21, 1773 to Evert Banker, "Merchant at New York." 

Mention also made that a letter also was sent to Jacob C. Ten Eyck in Albany requesting proper registration documents.  January, 1774 docketing indicates this letter arrived in NY between the December, 1774 Boston Tea Party and the undisguised April, 1774 New York Tea Party.  The Coercive/Intolerable Acts were passed by Parliament in May, 1775, which radically changed transatlantic shipping commerce.

Dirck Van Der Heyden (variant Dirck Vanderheyden), Letter writer:  Unable to locate an English Dirk that might be part of the English political & merchant family. but the eldest son of prominent Albany merchant and judge David Vanderheyden who died in 1771 was named Dirk Van der Heyden and could fit this timeline, if he were an American colonial acting as a consigning agent in London at this time.

Evert Bancker , Addressee: Along with his cousin Gerard Bancker, he ran a mercantile business in New York City and from 1769 until the opening of the American Revolution furnished a large part of the supplies for the British troops. Also served as of Barrack Master for the city of New York. At the beginning of the Revolution, Evert was chosen to be one of the Committee of One Hundred.  He was elected a deputy to the second, third and fourth New York Provincial Congresses, was one of a Special Committee of Twelve appointed by the Committee of Safety in 1776, was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1777 to 1783 and was the Speaker of the New York State Assembly from August 1779 through March 1783. His grandfather of the same name, Evert Bancker (1665-1734), was the 3rd Mayor of Albany.

Jacob C. Ten Eyck of Albany, referenced as copied in letter.  Jacob Coenraedt Ten Eyck (1705-1793), was one of Albany's wealthiest businessmen when this letter was written. His main occupation was silversmith and engraver.  He also served as an early Albany mayor, alderman, constable and sheriff of Albany County, as well as Commissioner of Indian Affairs. During the Revolutionary War, he was a member of Albany’s Committee of Safety. In April, 1788 he was the top signatory of Albany's Anti-Federalist statement against the ratification of the Constitution.