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- Title
- McAllister Small Manuscript Collections, 1781-1857 (inclusive)
- Description
- McAllister Small Manuscript Collections consists of sixteen small groups of papers that were isolated from the McAllister Miscellaneous Manuscripts because of their cohesive content. Most of the material is the papers of merchants and businessmen in Philadelphia, but also included are letters related to the theatre, law, politics, religion, and literary publishing. The collection, too, holds a small group of early nineteenth century requests for water service in the city of Philadelphia., 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., John A. McAllister (1822-1896) was an antiquarian collector in Philadelphia. During his lifetime, he acquired all sorts of Americana, ranging from printed books and pamphlets to ephemera and manuscripts. The latter material includes substantial records groups such as family papers and business records, as well as the smaller groups of papers as found here: they are each not extensive enough to stand alone as a collection, yet are too cohesive in content to remain filed within the McAllister Miscellaneous Manuscripts.
- Creator
- McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
- Date
- 1781
- Location
- Library Company of Philadelphia | MSS McA MSS 002, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A64728#page/1/mode/1up
- Title
- Gratz-Franks-Simon Papers, 1752-1831 (inclusive)
- Description
- The Gratz-Franks-Simon Papers contains correspondence and documents concerning the lives of two generations of three families of merchants living and working in eastern Pennsylvania. The material is primarily related to their business transactions, with some personal and family topics also present. Among the correspondents are Levy Andrew Levy, who worked with Joseph Simon in Lancaster, the trader and speculator George Croghan, and the Gratz's cousins Jacob and Solomon Henry., The Edwin Wolf 2nd Collection of Jewish Historical Documents at the Library Company holds many letters by and to members of the Gratz, Franks, and Simon families., Barnard Gratz (1738-1801) and his brother Michael (1740-1811) immigrated to Philadelphia in the 1750s. They were merchants active during the Revolutionary period, and who formed partnerships with the merchants David Franks (1720-1794) of New York and Philadelphia, and Joseph Simon (ca. 1712-1804) of Lancaster, PA. Michael Gratz's two sons, Simon (1773-1839) and Hyman (1776-1857), inherited their father's business.
- Creator
- McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
- Date
- 1752
- Location
- Library Company of Philadelphia | MSS McA MSS 011, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A64563#page/1/mode/1up
- Title
- William Whelan Papers, 1811-1841 (inclusive)
- Description
- 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.
- Creator
- Whelan, William, d. 1863
- Date
- 1811
- Location
- Library Company of Philadelphia | MSS McA MSS 021, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A64413#page/1/mode/1up
- Title
- Charles Bird Papers, 1800-1837 (inclusive)
- Description
- The Charles Bird Papers holds the business records of a successful hardware importer and merchant, and includes correspondence and records of financial transactions with merchants in England, cities along the American east coast, and Cuba., 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., Charles Bird was a hardware merchant in Philadelphia from 1802 to 1833, importing merchandise from England, and selling it to customers in the United States and the Caribbean. He was also involved in partnerships with his sons Henry, John, and Joseph, as well as with James Clemson and the brothers George, Robert, and Thomas Earp. Bird made extensive investments in real estate, and was active in community affairs and charitable organizations in Philadelphia.
- Creator
- Bird, Charles, d. 1849
- Date
- 1800
- Location
- Library Company of Philadelphia | MSS McA MSS 010, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A64433#page/1/mode/1up
- Title
- Watson & Paul Business Records, 1792-1807
- Description
- 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.
- Creator
- Watson & Paul
- Date
- 1792
- Location
- Library Company of Philadelphia | MSS McA MSS 004, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A64760#page/1/mode/1up
- Title
- David Lewis Papers, 1793-1839 (inclusive)
- Description
- The David Lewis Papers span Lewis's career, and document some of his activities with his firm Wharton & Lewis, with the Phoenix Insurance Company of Philadelphia, and as a merchant., 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., David Lewis (1766-1840) was a Philadelphia merchant in business with Isaac Wharton (1745-1808) for twenty years. Wharton and Lewis were two of the founders of the Phoenix Insurance Company of Philadelphia, which was organized in 1803. Wharton was elected the company's first president and Lewis its vice president, offices they held until Wharton resigned in November 1805. At that point, Lewis became president, and retained the position until his death in 1840.
- Creator
- Lewis, David, 1766-1840
- Date
- 1793
- Location
- Library Company of Philadelphia | MSS McA MSS 015, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A64985#page/1/mode/1up
- Title
- Thomas FitzSimons Papers, 1784-1811 (inclusive)
- Description
- 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.
- Creator
- FitzSimons, Thomas, 1741-1811
- Date
- 1793
- Location
- Library Company of Philadelphia | MSS McA MSS 020, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A64544#page/1/mode/1up