Charter Fragment Recovered (Partial / Unsigned)

 

This week, while rearranging the North Wing filing annex, I recovered a previously undocumented fragment of the original Maplebridge Town Charter. The document was discovered sealed behind a warped filing cabinet labeled “UNFILED / UNFIT,” resting among festival flyers and a handwritten list of undesirable bell pitches.

The fragment appears scorched along the lower third. While no explicit cause is documented, the burn pattern suggests either lantern flame exposure or deliberate redaction.

Signatures from the six recognized founding families are present. Notably, a seventh line is visible beneath the others, faint but etched. The space for the seventh signature is blackened and partially illegible. Attempts to enhance the remaining ink have failed, as the parchment resists all digital scanning and conventional transcription.

Due to the ambiguous nature of this fragment, the Historical Society has elected to store it in the restricted archive until seasonal review.

If you recall witnessing this document before, please submit a memory affidavit. All testimonies must be notarized by someone you trust and someone you don’t.

—Filed irregularly
The Archivist