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The George S. Brown papers consist of incoming correspondence and documents related to the merchant's business interests in Rhode Island, Georgia, and New York, though much of the correspondence originates from St. Marys, Georgia. Brown and his partners dealt in timber, foodstuffs, and cotton.

The George S. Brown papers (45 items) consist of incoming correspondence and documents related to the merchant's business interests in Rhode Island, Georgia, and New York.

Much of Brown's early incoming Correspondence is from Samuel Clarke, his business partner until 1824, concerning their financial and business affairs near St. Marys, Georgia, and in New York City. Later, Brown's associates Alfred Doolittle and David Seabury wrote of the timber and cotton industries in Georgia and northern Florida. They occasionally mentioned the purchase of slaves (September 16, 1826, et al.). Seabury, Brown's business partner after 1824, frequently discussed the state of various markets in New York and often alluded to the local fear of a cholera epidemic, and Doolittle noted the effects of the nullification crisis on the citizens of St. Marys (September 15, 1832). Brown managed a cotton plantation near Pigeon Creek, in Georgia, and a textile factory in Potowomut, Rhode Island. The final letter, addressed to Mary S. Brown, concerns taxes for land near Pigeon Creek, Georgia. Two Documents are Samuel Clarke and George S. Brown's agreement to purchase the brig Lark (December 18, 1823), and a document dissolving the pair's business partnership (November 10, 1824).

The John A. Winston and Company papers consist of incoming business correspondence pertaining to Winston's cotton-growing operation in Alabama.

The John A. Winston and Company papers consist of incoming business correspondence pertaining to Winston's cotton-growing operation in Alabama. Letters were written to John A. Winston and Company in both Mobile, Alabama, and Gainesville, Alabama, and primarily concerned the trade of cotton. Correspondents in the collection represented a number of different business interests throughout the South, and often requested payment for or shipment of the raw materials. Occasionally, the clients discussed the success or failure of a certain crop, and asked for reasonable adjustments to be made to the financial agreements. The company's correspondents represented a number of business interests throughout the South, mainly in Alabama, Tennessee, and Louisiana. In 1854, S. O. Nelson & Co. and Rich[ard] Reynolds wrote five letters, on unused printed leaves of the New Orleans Price-Current. Commercial Intellingencer and Merchants' Transcript. This publication listed the amount of goods shipped to international and domestic ports, wholesale prices in New Orleans, and current rates of exchange for specie. Also, each copy included an additional prose-based newsletter printed on the reverse side of the financial charts.

The letters contain a few topics not related to the cotton business. Of note is a letter from J. Binns, written on April 13, 1852, wherein Binns reported, "The Negro Boy Sam I succee'd [sic] in getting on Tuesday morning- he believes that I own Him & is satisfied I have put him to work at Mr. Littles, untill [sic] I come down- at which time I will bring him as requested- should he get intimation of the Hoax played on him I assure you that you will be troubled to get him again. Sam is a shrewd rascal & has white friends." The collection also contains two post-Civil War items: a brief business note from G. Watson & Co. and a bill of lading for bales of cotton shipped aboard the Lotus on February 2, 1871.

This collection is made up of correspondence, financial records, and other items related to the Parsons, Gerrish, and Lewis families of York County, Maine. Most of the material directly relates to Edwin Parsons; his first cousin, Abigail Lewis; and her husband, Benjamin H. Gerrish.

This collection is made up of correspondence, financial records, and other items related to the Parsons, Gerrish, and Lewis families of York County, Maine. Most of the material directly relates to Edwin Parsons; his first cousin, Abigail Lewis; and her husband, Benjamin H. Gerrish.

The Correspondence series (around 400 items) comprises the bulk of the collection; most items are incoming and outgoing letters of Edwin Parsons and Abigail Lewis Gerrish. Both Parsons and Gerrish received personal letters from their uncle, Usher Parsons of Providence, Rhode Island. Many of the earliest items are incoming business letters to Edwin Parsons and Edward's letters to his parents about life in Savannah, Georgia. Isaac Scott wrote to Parsons about cotton sales and specific business matters pertaining to the firm J. D. Carhart & Scott. He also mentioned his desire to purchase a male slave (January 15, 1846) and a house in Macon, Georgia. One of Edwin Parsons's letters refers to a woman's fear that her children would begin speaking in an African American dialect after living in Savannah (May 26, 1844). Around 1850, Abigail Lewis Gerrish began to receive personal letters from female friends and family members (often from Charlestown, Massachusetts). Her correspondents included her brother, William Lewis, who also occasionally wrote to her husband, Benjamin H. Gerrish. Though many correspondents wrote to Gerrish during the Civil War, few directly referred to fighting.

The Documents series (15 items) is comprised of indentures and other documents of Benjamin H. Gerrish and Oliver Parsons. Many of the items concern real and personal property; two pertain to the estates of Elizabeth Gerrish and Samuel Hill. One indenture binds Charles Tucker to Benjamin H. Gerrish to learn the art of farming.

Most of the Financial Papers and Receipts (around 130 items, 1785-1889) relate to the financial affairs of Benjamin H. Gerrish of South Berwick, Maine. Items include partially printed and manuscript account books, receipts, and other documents. Other individuals represented are Miriam Gerrish, Betsey Gerrish, Elizabeth F. Gerrish, Daniel Lewis, John Lewis, and members of the Parsons family. The materials relate to goods and services, surveying, railroads, and estate administration. The 7 account books belonged to Joseph U. Parsons, E[dwin] Parsons, and unidentified individuals. Accounts primarily relate to personal expenses, mostly in Savannah, Georgia. A book belonging to Benjamin H. Gerrish concerns land in South Berwick, Maine.

The Fragments and Miscellaneous series (26 items) is made up of manuscript, printed, and ephemeral items, including notes, calling and visiting cards, recipes, two lists of property on "Fairbanks Farm" in Holliston, Massachusetts, a blank form from the Maine Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and a copy of the Eastern Star newspaper (February 7, 1879). Thirteen items are fragments of letters, financial records, or other items.