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Wharton family papers
Thomas Wharton, the patriarch of Philadelphia's Wharton family, emigrated from England to Philadelphia, probably sometime during the 1680s. Wharton, a Quaker merchant, was a member of Philadelphia's Common Council. He and his wife, Rachel Thomas, had eight children, a number of whom became...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Collection: | Wharton Family Papers |
| Collection Number: | 0708A |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects and Genres: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
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| Physical Description: |
10.0 Linear feet 9 boxes, 37 volumes, 6 flat files |
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| Summary: |
Thomas Wharton, the patriarch of Philadelphia's Wharton family, emigrated from England to Philadelphia, probably sometime during the 1680s. Wharton, a Quaker merchant, was a member of Philadelphia's Common Council. He and his wife, Rachel Thomas, had eight children, a number of whom became prominent in the city's mercantile affairs. This tradition was continued through subsequent generations as well.
The Wharton family papers contains correspondence, ledgers, account statements and indentures created and collected by members of the Wharton family over more than 200 years. Items in the collection primarily concern Thomas Wharton and his brothers Samuel, Joseph, William, Charles, and Isaac, as well as cousin Thomas Wharton Jr. This collection includes materials relating to their mercantile business dealings in Pennsylvania as well as with businesses and agents in London, Nantucket, Newfoundland, Halifax and Quebec. The collection largely concerns professional interests and contains little in the way of personal information. The Steel family of Pennsylvania is also represented in the collection with correspondence, land and estate papers.
James Wharton came finally to concentrate in ship chandlery and the manufacture and sale of rope. Wharton joined various partners in his several undertakings of whom Enoch Story was one. For James Wharton there are accounts relate to the chandlery and rope walk businesses, but Wharton's interests in shipping ventures occasionally surface. The records include: daybooks, 1759-1777; journal, 1756-1761, 1768; sail loft journal, 1765-1768 with Robert Smith; ship chandlery ledgers, 1753-1758, 1761-1764; general ledger, 1761-1764, 1771, mostly chandlery and rope accounts; Quebec ledger, 1760-1761; account book of invoices and sales, 1752-1756, with [?]Usher; invoice book, 1756-1760, of ship chandlery to Philadelphia from London; receipt book, 1763-1776; cashbook, 1772, 1775. There is some loose material of incoming correspondence and accounts, 1756-1781, and receipted bills of Thomas Wharton, Jr., estate, 1776-1784.
The papers for Joseph, William and Charles include: Joseph Wharton ledger book, 1736-1793; William Wharton ledger, 1761-1803; Charles Wharton cashbooks, 1765-1771, 1771-1780; daybooks, 1768-1772, 1775-1785; invoice and memorandum book, 1774-1792; Charles Wharton account with William Wharton estate, 1805-1811; and letter book of the firm of Baynton and Wharton, 1761.
There is also a receipt book for James C. Fisher. |