John Carter Brown Library Collection
Item
Country
US
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
eng
Contact information: postal address
3101 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45220
Contact information: phone number
01 513 487 3000
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
Reference number
MS-453
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (official language of the state)
John Carter Brown Library Collection
Language of title
eng
Creator / accumulator
The Brown Family
Date(s)
1759/1816
Language(s)
eng
Extent
4 boxes
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The John Carter Brown Library collection of the American Jewish Archives comprises photocopies of letters and other documents held by the John Carter Brown Library in Providence, Rhode Island, exchanged between the Brown family (namely Nicholas Brown, Obadiah Brown, John Brown, and the firms Nicholas Brown & Co. and Obadiah Brown & Co.) and Jewish merchants living in Colonial America. Among them, there are three Sephardic merchants from Newport, namely Aaron Lopez, Jacob Rodriguez Rivera, Moses Seixas, James Lucena and his son John Charles Lucena:
- Letters from Aaron Lopez: box 1, folder 5; box 2, folder 10; box 3, folder 4; box 4, folder 10.
- Letters to Aaron Lopez: box 2, folders 2, 3 and 4; box 3, folders 1, 2 and 3; box 4, folder 4.
- Letters from James and John Lucena: box 1, folder 6.
- Letters from Jacob Rodrigues Rivera: box 1, folder 12; box 2, folder 14; box 4, folder 14.
- Letters to Jacob Rodriguez Rivera: box 2, folder 5; box 4, folder 7.
- Letters to Moses Seixas: box 2, folder 8; box 2, folder 15.
- Letters from Aaron Lopez: box 1, folder 5; box 2, folder 10; box 3, folder 4; box 4, folder 10.
- Letters to Aaron Lopez: box 2, folders 2, 3 and 4; box 3, folders 1, 2 and 3; box 4, folder 4.
- Letters from James and John Lucena: box 1, folder 6.
- Letters from Jacob Rodrigues Rivera: box 1, folder 12; box 2, folder 14; box 4, folder 14.
- Letters to Jacob Rodriguez Rivera: box 2, folder 5; box 4, folder 7.
- Letters to Moses Seixas: box 2, folder 8; box 2, folder 15.
Administrative / Biographical history
Descending from one of the founders of Providence, the Brown family rose to prominence in the mid-18th century, primarily through the business success of the four surviving sons of Captain James Brown: Nicholas, John, Joseph, and Moses. Initially, in partnership with their uncle Obadiah Brown, the brothers expanded upon their father’s mercantile and maritime endeavours, building a network of family companies that came to dominate local trade, manufacturing, and investment. As eminent community members, the Browns also wielded considerable political and social influence, and the collection documents the family’s participation in Revolutionary politics, state agencies, and the establishment and development of Brown University.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The records are organised according to the sender or recipient of the letters.
Links to finding aids
Existence and location of originals
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2022
Published primary sources
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Lopez Papers | Existence and location of copies |
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives | Collections (official language of the state) | |
| The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives | Collections (official language of the state) |