Back to top

Pages


Thomas FitzSimons Papers, 1784-1811 (inclusive).
The Thomas FitzSimons Papers spans the period from 1784 to 1811, covering the years when he was closely involved in the bankruptcy proceedings of Robert Morris (1734-1806). The collection mainly holds documents relating to Morris's assets, particularly his land holdings, and their management., On deposit at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. For service, please contact the Historical Society at 215-732-6200 or http://www.hsp.org., Thomas FitzSimons, a merchant and a prominent member of Philadelphia's Irish-Catholic community, was born in Ireland in 1741, and immigrated to the United States with his family in the 1750s. FitzSimons entered politics after the American Revolution, representing Pennsylvania in the Continental Congresses of 1782 and 1783, and as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. After serving three terms in the Pennsylvania legislature, he was elected to the United States Congress in 1789 and remained there through 1795.

Thomas Leiper and family business records finding aid
The Thomas Leiper family business records include “Letterbooks;” “Estate records;” “Paper, lumber and wood business records;” “Quarry business records;” “Tobacco business records;” and “Miscellaneous and household accounts and receipts,” dating from 1771 to 1947. These volumes document the business efforts of Thomas Leiper and his descendants, including the businesses of Thomas Leiper and Sons, Tobacconists; several quarries; a lumber yard and stable; and the Caldwell and Crosby estates. In addition to his other businesses, Leiper bought and sold real estate.

Thomas Wilkey journal on board the U.S.S. Delaware finding aid
This collection consists of a single journal, written by Thomas Wilkey, that contains daily records of the U.S.S. Delaware's voyages in 1798, including weather conditions, courses set, latitude and longitude, daily activities, and encounters with other ships including privateers.

Watson & Paul Business Records, 1792-1807.
The Watson & Paul Business Records contains correspondence and financial documents relating to the firm's trade arrangements with a variety of local and national vendors and merchants, as well as those in Europe and the West and East Indies. The material describes business agreements, details of the goods and specifics of their transportation and value, and occasional news of the growing and harvesting conditions, states of the market, local politics, and weather., On deposit at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. For service, please contact the Historical Society at 215-732-6200 or http://www.hsp.org., Watson & Paul was a Philadelphia firm formed by two merchants and brothers-in-law, James Paul (1770-1839) and John Watson (died 1811). They were in business from 1797 to 1811.

William Trent Papers, 1763-1789 (inclusive).
The William Trent Papers describe some of Trent's land holdings and business dealings in Pennsylvania, upstate New York, Maryland, and the Ohio Valley, with several investors including John Swift, Joseph Morris, George Campbell, George Croghan, Joseph Simon, David Franks, and Thomas Smallman, among others. Among the documents is an undated “List of Books, Papers, &c being the contents of a Black Trunk, belonging to the estate of William Trent deceased” describing fifteen items and bundles of papers (none of which are contained in the McAllister Collection). Another undated document is Trent's copy of a list of twenty-eight parcels sold to Campbell, Mitchell, and Davis, which includes six tracts along Jennings Run in Maryland., On deposit at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. For service, please contact the Historical Society at 215-732-6200 or http://www.hsp.org., William Trent (1715-1787), soldier, Indian trader, and land speculator, was a prominent figure in the development of Western Pennsylvania during the second half of the eighteenth century.

William Whelan Papers, 1811-1841 (inclusive).
The William Whelan Papers hold correspondence and documents showing the involvement of a Philadelphia merchant in his business, Irish-American society, and local charitable organizations., On deposit at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. For service, please contact the Historical Society at 215-732-6200 or http://www.hsp.org., William Whelan was born in Ireland, and came to America as a boy. He was a grocer in Philadelphia from 1809 through 1842, and was active in charitable organizations including St. John's Orphan Asylum and the Association of the “Friends of Ireland” and Irishmen in the City and County of Philadelphia.

Young and Woodward Business Papers, 1789-1826 (inclusive).
The Young and Woodward Business Papers contain letters and documents relating to the printing, publishing, and bookselling efforts of both William Young, and William W. Woodward, to whom Young sold his business in 1802. Included are letters from authors, publishers, and other booksellers., On deposit at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. For service, please contact the Historical Society at 215-732-6200 or http://www.hsp.org., William Young (1755-1829), a bookseller, printer, and publisher, was born in Scotland. He arrived in Philadelphia in June 1784 and opened a book store and print shop on Chestnut Street. Young sold his retail and publishing operations to William W. Woodward in 1802, and moved to Delaware, where he opened a paper mill., William Wallis Woodward (1769?-1837) was listed as a bookseller in the Philadelphia city directories from 1794 through the 1830s. In the 1802 directory his description expanded to “printer, bookseller & stationer,” the result of his having purchased Young's business; he remained in the directories with that description for twenty years. Woodward's main focus was religious books, and he was one of the first American publishers known to have marketed them using a network of clergymen as sales agents.

Pages