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Collection

Cushing family collection, 1790-1934 (majority within 1828-1928)

1 linear foot

The Cushing family collection is made up of correspondence, financial records, and other items pertaining to the family and descendants of Boston merchant Hayward P. Cushing.

The Cushing Family collection is made up of correspondence, financial records, and other items pertaining to the family and descendants of Boston merchant Hayward P. Cushing, including his son, Hayward W. Cushing.

The Correspondence series (124 items) is primarily made up of incoming letters to Hayward P. Cushing, Maria Peirce Cushing, and Hayward W. Cushing. The first item is a letter to Betsy Barber in Epping, New Hampshire (May 9, 1790).

Hayward P. Cushing received personal and professional letters from family members and business acquaintances from 1828-1870. His brother Nathaniel wrote of his life in Brooklyn and Grand Island, New York, in the 1830s and 1840s; one letter concerns his journey to Grand Island on the Erie Canal (August 9, 1835). Jane Cushing, Hayward and Nathaniel's sister, discussed her life in Scituate, Massachusetts, in the mid-19th century. Sophia Cushing, Hayward's cousin and his most frequent correspondent, reported on her financial difficulties, thanked him for his assistance, and shared news from Uxbridge, Massachusetts. Hayward P. Cushing received letters from his wife Maria while she vacationed in Maine, and from his daughter Florence. His business correspondence includes a letter about the sale of the brig Ann Tyler (January 23, 1858).

Maria Peirce Cushing's earliest incoming letters are courtship letters from Hayward P. Cushing, her future husband. After the mid-1850s, he wrote to her from Boston, Massachusetts, while she vacationed in Scituate, Massachusetts, and Frankfort, Maine. He provided news about his life and their children. Maria's sister Caroline discussed her life in Bridgeport, Maine, and a cousin named Abby described her life in Boston. In the mid-1870s, the Cushings' daughters Florence and Jenny wrote to their mother about their courses, textbooks, and experiences at Vassar College.

The final group of dated correspondence consists of incoming letters to Hayward Warren Cushing, including news from Massachusetts medical organizations operating in the 1880s and a series of 10 letters by his wife Martha, who described her trip to Europe in 1928. She discussed her transatlantic voyage and Mediterranean cruise on the Canadian Pacific ship SS Empress of Scotland, as well as her experiences in countries including Portugal, Spain, Cyprus, Turkey, Italy, Israel, Egypt, Monaco, France, and England. She enclosed a postcard from Naples, Italy, in one of her letters.

Undated correspondence includes additional letters to members of the Cushing family, as well as picture postcards showing French surgeons, statues, and buildings.

The Journals and Notebooks series consists of 2 items. Florence M. Cushing kept a diary while visiting London from January 2, 1880-January 18, 1880. Her sightseeing excursions included trips to the British Museum, National Gallery, Windsor Castle, and Westminster Abbey. The notebook contains recipes, instructions, and scientific notes compiled by Hayward W. Cushing. Entries about building animal traps and tying knots are accompanied by explanatory illustrations. Other topics include medicinal formulas and chemistry, instructions for making types of ink (including invisible inks), and lists of items used on camping trips.

The Financial papers series is comprised of account books, receipts, and other records related to members of the Cushing and Peirce families.

The Account Books consist of 5 items:
  • An appraisal of Hayward Peirce's estate in Scituate, Massachusetts, recorded in March 1827, with two sections listing the value of his personal property and transactions involving his land.
  • H. M. Peirce's record of purchases, primarily of school supplies, from May 1834-April 1835. A printed notice about the estate of Silas Peirce is laid into the volume (May 21, 1920).
  • Nathaniel Cushing's account book, pertaining to transactions with Nathan Cushing, from whom he primarily purchased groceries between October 1853 and August 1861.
  • Hayward P. Cushing's account book concerns shares that he and Jane Cushing owned in railroad companies and banks (July 1849-July 1855). Additional financial notes relate to the settlement of related financial accounts.
  • Account book recording Maria P. Cushing's investments and dividends (October 1870-January 1894); she received income from the estate of Silas Peirce, Sr., among other sources.

The Receipts, Checks, and Accounts (over 300 items) are arranged by person and company; each group of items is arranged chronologically. Nathaniel Cushing materials pertain to board, taxation, food, and other miscellaneous expenses. The Cushing, Hall, and Peirce documents concern financial affairs, including stock and bond investments. The group of items related to Hayward W. Cushing includes a large number of personal checks from many different banks, as well as additional accounts and documents. Among the financial papers related to Hayward P. Cushing is a receipt for Jane Cushing's board at the McLean Asylum for the Insane (December 31, 1869). The series contains additional accounts and financial records.

The Documents series (20 items) is made up of legal and financial contracts related to business partnerships, estates, and land ownership. The final item is an "Apple Pest Survey in Worcester County" for 1929-1931 (April 15, 1932).

The Drawings (3 items) are architectural drawings of methods for dropping masts (February 25, 1888), several floor plans (1919-1931), and an overhead view of an orchard (undated).

The Printed Items and Ephemera series includes 3 newspapers (1800-1864), 2 annual reports of the Boston Lyceum (1838 and 1840); a lecture by Benjamin Scott about the Pilgrims (1866); a reprinted love letter from John Kelly to an unidentified recipient (original 1817; printed in 1892); a group of check tickets from the Pullman Company; a printed calendar for 1870; a facsimile of The New-England Courant from February 1723; calling cards and invitations; and an embroidered piece of cloth.

The Genealogy series (14 items) consists of pamphlets, bulletins, newspaper clippings, and other items related to various members of the Cushing family from the 19th century into the early 20th century.

Collection

Ebenezer Jackson, Jr. papers, 1672, 1814-1863 (majority within 1814-1863)

11 items

This collection contains letters and documents related to the family of Congressman Ebenezer Jackson, Jr., of Savannah, Georgia, and Middletown, Connecticut. Jackson and his father wrote and received personal letters about contemporary political issues. The letters offer commentary on the Missouri Compromise, the 1860 United States presidential election, secession, and the Civil War. Jackson also wrote about his travels in Boston, Massachusetts, and offered advice to his brother Amasa, who attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in the mid-1820s.

This collection contains 9 letters and 2 documents related to the family of Ebenezer Jackson, Jr., of Savannah, Georgia, and Middletown, Connecticut. Jackson and his father wrote and received personal letters about contemporary political issues such as the Missouri Compromise, the 1860 United States Presidential election, secession, and the Civil War. Jackson also wrote to his father about his travels in Boston, Massachusetts, and offered advice to his brother Amasa, who attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in the mid-1820s.

Ebenezer Jackson, Jr., authored 4 letters in this collection. He wrote 2 letters to his father in which he discussed his impressions of Boston, a publication in support of the War of 1812 (March 13, 1814), and his Pennsylvania to Connecticut travel plans (July 5, 1825). Jackson's mother, Charlotte Fenwick Jackson, contributed to his first letter, urging her husband to keep "Harriette" in school. Ebenezer Jackson sent 2 letters to his brother Amasa, who attended the Cheshire Academy in Cheshire, Connecticut, in 1820, and the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1823; he offered educational advice and congratulated him on his academic achievements.

Ebenezer Jackson, Jr., received 4 political letters from acquaintances. A committee in Middletown, Connecticut, strongly urged Jackson to accept his nomination for a United States Senate seat in 1834 and explained the reasons why he would be a strong candidate (March 13, 1834). Hezekiah Huntington wrote about political parties and the 1860 presidential election (August 21, 1860); former Florida governor Richard K. Call strenuously voiced his opposition to secession (January 19, 1861); and United States Senator Lafayette Sabine Foster affirmed his support for the Union's military efforts against the Confederacy, as well as his disdain for the peace efforts of Horace Greeley and others (January 27, 1863).

Ebenezer Jackson, Sr., sent 1 letter to William Van Deusen, in which he shared his opinions about the Missouri Compromise (March 25, 1820). He anticipated continued conflicts between the North and South over slavery, and mentioned the possible effects those conflicts might have on British opinion about the United States.

The collection's documents are an undated copy of a 1672 deed between John Stows and John Willcoke for land in Middletown, Connecticut, and an 1836 memorandum of the estate of Ebenezer Jackson, Sr., addressed to Mary C. Oliver of Boston, Massachusetts.

Collection

James Hamilton papers, 1784-1866 (majority within 1784-1816)

0.5 linear feet

This collection contains financial documents and business correspondence concerning the affairs of James Hamilton, a shipping merchant based in Charleston, South Carolina, between 1784 and 1818. The collection also includes legal documents related to Hamilton's estate after his death in April 1829.

This collection contains financial documents and business correspondence concerning the affairs of James Hamilton, a shipping merchant based in Charleston, South Carolina, between 1784 and 1818. The collection also includes legal documents related to Hamilton's estate after his death in April 1829.

The first 2 items in the Correspondence and Documents series are copies of letters addressed to Blanchard & Lewis, a firm in London, England. The bulk of the material consists of receipts, bills of lading, business letters, accounts, wage agreements, and other financial records concerning James Hamilton's business affairs. The earliest items relate to gloves, blankets, and similar items that Hamilton sold; later material documents Hamilton's interests in several merchant vessels, including the Commerce. Hamilton conducted business with individuals and firms in the United States, the Caribbean, and Europe. Some documents dated around 1796 are addressed to George Forrest, one of Hamilton's business partners. Most items predate the War of 1812, and at least one letter refers to federal legislation regarding international shipping in 1811.

The collection also includes receipts for Hamilton's pew at a Presbyterian church, as well as personal letters from his daughter Agnes and his niece, Margery Bethune (March 1812). Most of the remaining items are legal documents concerning the administration of Hamilton's estate. The documents mention individuals such as Edward S. Ingraham, Benjamin Chew, and James Hamilton Couper (or Cowper), the son of Hamilton's acquaintance John Couper. Some of the documents also mention Francis P. Corbin, Hamilton's son-in-law.

Printed Items are a copy of the London Gazette (November 6-9, 1784); a copy of "An Act concerning the registering and recording of ships and vessels" (1804); and a legal opinion regarding Corbin v. Wilson, a case about James Hamilton's disputed will (June 5, 1838).

Collection

Samuel Harvey papers, 1784-1888 (majority within 1800-1849)

1.75 linear feet

This collection is made up of correspondence, financial records, legal documents, and other materials related to Philadelphia merchant and banker Samuel Harvey. The materials pertain to Harvey's personal finances, business matters, his firm Harvey & Worth, the Bank of Germantown, administration of decedents' estates, and real property in Pennsylvania.

This collection is made up of correspondence, financial records, legal documents, and other materials related to Samuel Harvey, a merchant from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The materials pertain to Harvey's personal finances, his business affairs, the firm Harvey & Worth, the Bank of Germantown, administration of decedents' estates, and real property in Pennsylvania.

The Samuel Harvey papers include Harvey's incoming correspondence, but are primarily comprised of legal and financial documents related to:

  • Decedents' estates (approximately 140 items, 1775-1836)
  • Real estate (45 items, 1784-1883)
  • Mercantile and personal matters (approximately 560 items, 1796-1888)
  • The Bank of Germantown (approximately 570 items, 1813-1865)

The collection includes around 80 incoming letters to Samuel Harvey, largely concerning his business affairs, finances, and management of estates. The remaining items, written and received by a variety of individuals, include letters about religion, family news, and real property, among other subjects.

The materials pertaining to estate administration regard the estates of Mark Freeman (23 items, 1775-1806), George Roberts (26 items, 1800-1803), John Thompson (65 items, 1813-1836), Isaiah Bell (22 items, 1819-1833), and Benjamin Rowland (9 items, 1824-1828). The documents include accounts, indentures, and correspondence regarding the men's finances during their lifetimes and finances connected with their respective estates. The Mark Freeman records contain items related to the firm Forbes & Paton and to William Sitgreaves. The George Roberts records contain items pertaining to William Roberts and to Samuel Harvey, who was at one time an administrator of the estate. The John Thompson materials largely pertain to Samuel Harvey's guardianship over Thompson's minor children, including Mary, Robert, Elizabeth, Matthew, William, and Isabella. Several items are signed by John Thompson's widow, Ann E. Thompson, and reflect payments that she received from Harvey.

Items related to real estate include surveyors' records, deeds, indentures, agreements, accounts, and maps related to land in Philadelphia. Most items dated prior to 1847 pertain directly or indirectly to Samuel Harvey.

The mercantile and personal papers of Samuel Harvey largely consist of accounts and receipts related to Harvey's finances and purchases, the firm Harvey & Worth, the management of estates, the Pennsylvania Seamen's Friend Society, and lawsuits..

The Bank of Germantown papers include reports on the bank's vaults, the destruction of banknotes, and the bank's relationships with customers. Many items in the series are personal accounts and receipts concerning Samuel Harvey's purchases of goods and labor.

The collection includes one book: A Century of the National Bank of Germantown (Philadelphia: Innes & Sons, [1914]).