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Henry Family papers
William Henry (1729-1786) was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, but lived most of his life in Lancaster County, where he raised a family and led successful business and military ventures. Before the Revolutionary War, he ran a hardware business from 1759 to 1773, and he was a dealer in supplies...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Collection: | Henry Family Papers |
| Collection Number: | 0280 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects and Genres: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
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| LEADER | 07034ntc a2200337 u 4500 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | ead-0280 | ||
| 008 | 140107i xx eng d | ||
| 040 | |e dacs | ||
| 041 | 0 | |a eng | |
| 099 | |a 0280 | ||
| 100 | 3 | |a Henry family. |e creator | |
| 245 | 1 | |a Henry Family papers |f 1759-1914 | |
| 300 | |a 1.25 Linear feet |f ; 9 volumes | ||
| 506 | |a The collection is open for research. | ||
| 520 | |a William Henry (1729-1786) was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, but lived most of his life in Lancaster County, where he raised a family and led successful business and military ventures. Before the Revolutionary War, he ran a hardware business from 1759 to 1773, and he was a dealer in supplies to Indian traders. During the war, Henry was a strong proponent of independence and was appointed to many public offices. He served on the board of war, was named the superintendent of arms and accoutrements, and held the office of assistant commissary general to the Continental Army to help supply arms. In Lancaster, he was also the fiscal agent of Pennsylvania and the United States and later served nine years as county treasurer. After his death in 1786, his wife, Ann Wood Henry took over in his position as Lancaster County treasurer, making her the first woman in the state of Pennsylvania to hold public office. The Henry family papers contain correspondence and other documents primarily relating to William Henry's political interests in Lancaster County and his activities during the Revolution. Everything, including loose papers, is housed in volumes. In addition to two volumes of personal and business papers, there is also a ledger, 1777-1779; a record of the "disbursements of the Hide Department," 1779-1783; Lancaster County docket, 1774-1781; J. J. Henry's journal of the campaign against Quebec, 1775; his notes on Indian names of rivers and streams and other Indian vocabulary; and notes for a history of the Indian nations, with maps of Pennsylvania counties. | ||
| 520 | |a The Henry family papers are comprised of nine volumes that contain numerous documents of the family dating from 1759 to 1914. Volumes 1 and 2 contain the bulk of the family-oriented and business papers, with a mix of personal letters, household financial records, and papers highlighting Henry's military involvement. Additional records of Henry's work during the Revolutionary War can be found in Volume 4, while later family correspondence from the early nineteenth century is house in Volume 5. Volume 3, "John Joseph Henry’s Journal of Campaign against Quebec" details John's experience as a prisoner of war in Quebec in 1775. Volumes 6, 7 and 8 were reportedly compiled by Matthew Shropp Henry (1790-1862), William Henry's grandson, and contain extensive details on the names given to rivers, creeks, stream, and other places and landmarks by local Indian tribes. The final volume in the collection, Volume 8, is a portfolio that contains prints of Ann Wood Henry. | ||
| 524 | 8 | |a Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], Henry family papers (Collection 280), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania | |
| 535 | 1 | |a Sixteen letters dating from 1777 and 1783 written to William Henry were published in Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 22 (1898): 103-113. | |
| 541 | 1 | |a Gift of John W. Jordan, 1889. | |
| 545 | |a William Henry (1729-1786) was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the oldest son among four children, one brother and three sisters, to John and Elizabeth Henry. Wanting his children to have sufficient training, in 1744 John Henry sent William, aged fifteen, to Lancaster County to apprentice under Matthew Roesser, a leading gunmaker. After his apprenticeship, in 1756, Henry married Ann Wood, and the couple eventually had six children. Henry pursued many business ventures before the start of the Revolutionary War, including partnering with Joseph Simons to run a hardware business from 1759 to 1773. In addition to this business, Henry was a dealer in supplies to Indian traders. While he was involved in many activities and politics in Lancaster County, Henry was also interested in science and engineering. In 1761, Henry traveled to England in order to meet with engineer and inventor James Watt. During his time there, Henry witnesses Watt's steam engine in action, and this fueled his curiosity. Upon returning to Lancaster, he began his own experiments with steam power. He is credited with being among the first inventors to place a steam engine on a boat. Henry also had an active military career. He participated in expeditions led by British military officers Edward Braddock (1755) and John Forbes (1758) to capture Fort Duquesne from the French. During one of the expeditions, he saved the life of an Indian chief, Killbuck, and the two remained close friends. During the Revolutionary War, Henry was a strong proponent of independence and was appointed to many public offices. He served on the board of war, was named the superintendent of arms and accoutrements, and held the office of assistant commissary general to the Continental Army to help supply arms. In Lancaster, he was also the fiscal agent of Pennsylvania and the United States and later served nine years as county treasurer. While participating in a congress in New York in 1785, Henry developed lung disease and was forced to return home. He died from the illness on December 15, 1786, and is buried at the Moravian Graveyard in Lancaster. After his death, his wife Ann carried on in the position of Lancaster Country treasurer. Ann was a diligent housewife and mother, and she had watched over her family’s and William’s affairs while he was away during the Revolutionary War. Her familiarity with household business and William’s work made her an ideal candidate to take over the office. When she did, she became the first woman in Pennsylvania to serve as a public official. Not much is known about William and Ann's children save for one of their sons, John Joseph, who enlisted in the army without his father's knowledge. He served under Captain Matthew Smith, and his company accompanied Benedict Arnold’s expedition to Quebec, where John Joseph was captured. He was later released and eventually became a circuit judge in Harrisburg. | ||
| 555 | |a Finding Aid Available Online: | ||
| 600 | 1 | 7 | |a Henry, Ann Wood. |2 Accessions DB |
| 650 | 7 | |a Indians--18th century. |2 Local sources | |
| 650 | 7 | |a Pennsylvania--Lancaster County--18th century. |2 Local sources | |
| 650 | 7 | |a Pennsylvania--Maps--18th century. |2 Local sources | |
| 650 | 7 | |a United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Battle of Quebec. |2 Local sources | |
| 650 | 7 | |a United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783. |2 Local sources | |
| 700 | 1 | |a Henry, Matthew Schropp |d 1790-1862. |e creator | |
| 700 | 1 | |a Henry, William |d 1729-1786. |e creator | |
| 852 | |a The Historical Society of Pennsylvania |b Henry Family Papers |l 0280 | ||
| 856 | 4 | 2 | |y Link to finding aid |u http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/h/Henry0280.html |