Correspondence of Boston and Newport merchants
Item
Country
US
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
eng
Contact information: postal address
Soldiers Field, Boston, MA 02163
Contact information: phone number
001 1617 495 6040
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
infoservices@hbs.edu (general)
specialcollectionsref@hbs.edu (special collections)
Title (official language of the state)
Correspondence of Boston and Newport merchants
Language of title
eng
Creator / accumulator
Baker Library
Date(s)
1732/1790
Language(s)
eng
Extent
4 volumes
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
This collection consists of four volumes of collected and bound correspondence of merchants engaged in trading commodities such as spermaceti and whale oil, rum, and molasses in Boston, Massachusetts, and Newport, Rhode Island, dated from 1732 to 1790. The bulk of the letters are addressed to the Newport merchants Aaron Lopez (1731-1782) and Christopher Champlin (1731-1805), from the Boston merchants Henry Lloyd (1705-1795), John Powell, and others. Letters mainly discuss current prices and details regarding cargo shipment between Boston and Newport, Europe, the West Indies, and Virginia. Other topics include business disputes, privateering, and the impact of the American Revolutionary War on commerce and currency in the colonies. Three of the four volumes that compose this collection contain numerous letters sent to Aaron Lopez:
Volume 1, Correspondence, 1732-1766: Letters from Henry Lloyd to Aaron Lopez in 1755 and 1756 regarding the pricing, sale, and shipment of head matter, spermaceti, and whale oil, often acquired through the Nantucket and New Bedford, Massachusetts, merchant William Rotch (1734-1828). Lloyd and Lopez also traded in dry goods, rum, and molasses. Lloyd comments on current prices in Boston and markets for specific commodities in different cities.
Volume 2, Correspondence, 1767-1780: Letters addressed to Aaron Lopez by Samuel Osborne (1767), Jeremiah Osborne (1767), Henry Lloyd (1768-1772), Joseph Rotch & Son (1769), Henry Smith (1770), Leo Jarvis (1774, 1779), Thomas Cartwight (1774), Nathaniel Jarvis (1775), Andre Carente (1778), Jarvis & Russell (1779), Josiah Blakely (1779), David Lopez (1779), Paschal N. Smith (1779), Benjamin Goldthwait (1779) and Samuel Brown (1780). Also, letters to Joseph Lopez by Theodore Hopkins (1778), Paschal N. Smith (1779) and Jarvis & Russell (1779). The correspondence mainly regards current prices and the trade of cotton, pork, butter, tea, sugar, and textiles; ship arrivals from Europe carrying cargo; insurance and lost cargo; and business disputes and concerns.
Volume 4, Correspondence, 1780-1790: letters addressed to Aaron Lopez by his nephew David Lopez, Jr. (1781), Jonathan Hastings (1780), Jarvis & Russell (1780) and Job Prince (1780). Letters from David Lopez to his uncle, informing him about ship arrivals from foreign ports like Amsterdam, Bilbao and Cadiz (Spain), carrying his purchases. He also discusses current prices and the trade of flour, rum, salt, tobacco, and other commodities with merchants, including Stephen Higginson (1743-1828). Other topics of letters include the interception of American ships engaged in coastwise trade by British naval vessels during the American Revolutionary War, depreciation of continental money, and pricing fluctuations.
Volume 1, Correspondence, 1732-1766: Letters from Henry Lloyd to Aaron Lopez in 1755 and 1756 regarding the pricing, sale, and shipment of head matter, spermaceti, and whale oil, often acquired through the Nantucket and New Bedford, Massachusetts, merchant William Rotch (1734-1828). Lloyd and Lopez also traded in dry goods, rum, and molasses. Lloyd comments on current prices in Boston and markets for specific commodities in different cities.
Volume 2, Correspondence, 1767-1780: Letters addressed to Aaron Lopez by Samuel Osborne (1767), Jeremiah Osborne (1767), Henry Lloyd (1768-1772), Joseph Rotch & Son (1769), Henry Smith (1770), Leo Jarvis (1774, 1779), Thomas Cartwight (1774), Nathaniel Jarvis (1775), Andre Carente (1778), Jarvis & Russell (1779), Josiah Blakely (1779), David Lopez (1779), Paschal N. Smith (1779), Benjamin Goldthwait (1779) and Samuel Brown (1780). Also, letters to Joseph Lopez by Theodore Hopkins (1778), Paschal N. Smith (1779) and Jarvis & Russell (1779). The correspondence mainly regards current prices and the trade of cotton, pork, butter, tea, sugar, and textiles; ship arrivals from Europe carrying cargo; insurance and lost cargo; and business disputes and concerns.
Volume 4, Correspondence, 1780-1790: letters addressed to Aaron Lopez by his nephew David Lopez, Jr. (1781), Jonathan Hastings (1780), Jarvis & Russell (1780) and Job Prince (1780). Letters from David Lopez to his uncle, informing him about ship arrivals from foreign ports like Amsterdam, Bilbao and Cadiz (Spain), carrying his purchases. He also discusses current prices and the trade of flour, rum, salt, tobacco, and other commodities with merchants, including Stephen Higginson (1743-1828). Other topics of letters include the interception of American ships engaged in coastwise trade by British naval vessels during the American Revolutionary War, depreciation of continental money, and pricing fluctuations.
Archival history
This collection came from Boston Public Library to the Baker Library in 1930.
Administrative / Biographical history
Harvard Business School was established in March 1908 as the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration. A thousand-dollar gift provided the initial funds to acquire a small library collection housed in an alcove of Gore Hall (the predecessor to Widener Library). The library was designated a "special library" in 1911, and Charles C. Eaton was appointed the first full-time librarian in 1919. The present campus on Soldiers Field in Boston was dedicated in 1927, with Baker Library named after George F. Baker, who donated five million dollars to build the entire HBS campus.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
Each volume contains a 20th-century typed index of correspondents. Records are arranged chronologically.
Access, restrictions
Digital copies of the four volumes are available for consultation on:
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2022
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Baker Library, Harvard Business School, Harvard University | Collections (official language of the state) |