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Smith-Waln family papers
James Somers Smith was a Philadelphia lawyer. His son, Richard Rundle Smith was also a lawyer who served as a delegate to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. James Somers Smith's correspondence, 1804-1841, deals with his financial agency for Talbot Hamilton, Philadelphia; Sarah Bunner,...
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| Collection: | Smith-Waln Family Papers |
| Collection Number: | 1628 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects and Genres: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
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| LEADER | 04289ntc a2200229 u 4500 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | ead-1628 | ||
| 008 | 131002i xx eng d | ||
| 040 | |e dacs | ||
| 041 | 0 | |a eng | |
| 099 | |a 1628 | ||
| 100 | 3 | |a Smith-Waln family |e creator | |
| 245 | 1 | |a Smith-Waln family papers |f 1722-1891 | |
| 300 | |a 12.5 Linear feet |f 24 boxes, 21 volumes, 18 flat files | ||
| 520 | |a James Somers Smith was a Philadelphia lawyer. His son, Richard Rundle Smith was also a lawyer who served as a delegate to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. James Somers Smith's correspondence, 1804-1841, deals with his financial agency for Talbot Hamilton, Philadelphia; Sarah Bunner, New York City; Francis Gurney and his estate coming from John Fine, Ogdensburgh, N.Y.; and Thomas Burnside, Lewistown. Also James S. Smith receipt books, 1803-1840, for business and taxes; Francis Gurney estate receipt book, 1815-1820. Richard Rundle Smith's correspondence, 1841-1879, is primarily on law office business, but also includes letters, 1848-1849, reporting on his activities as a delegate to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. In addition there are letters, 1850-1878, of Gideon J. Ball to Smith on the subject of railroad expansion, especially the Sunbury and Erie Railroad and the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad. R. Rundle Smith receipt books, 1839-1891, concern legal services and rents. Robert Waln was at one time a prosperous Philadelphia merchant with interests in a cotton mill and iron works. However, in 1819, Waln was forced to make an assignment of his property to Benjamin Rawle Morgan and John C. Smith. Many of the papers, 1819-1836, relate to Waln's financial affairs following the assignment, including correspondence with Morgan as well as Morgan's own correspondence. There is also Waln's correspondence with Gideon H. Wells, his brother-in-law and partner in the Eagle Factory at Trenton, N.J., on the cotton mill. Robert Waln's active support of protectionism is evident in correspondence, 1832, with Charles J. Ingersoll and Benjamin B. Howell on new tariff laws being considered in Congress. There are Robert Waln account books; receipt books, 1785-1800, 1810-1819, for taxes and personal expenses, and assignee's accounts, 1819-1830. Lewis Waln, Robert Waln's son, was also affected by his father's financial reverses. Much of the Lewis Waln material, 1819-1863, refers to efforts to collect accounts due to the merchant firm Large and Waln which dissolved in 1819. The major correspondent is D.E. Wilson, Waln's agent in Lexington, Ky. Other agents are Benjamin Gratz (Lexington, Ky.), Robert Hall (Sunbury), Joseph Taylor (Cynthia, Ky.), and more. There are also letters to Lewis Waln from John King, Ceres, and William Bache, Wellsborough, concerning family lands in Potter and Tioga counties, and from William Rawle [Jr.] on family estate questions. Lewis Waln's letterbook, 1820-1849, contains letters mostly to Gideon H. and Charles M. Wells concerning the cotton mill operation in which Lewis also had an interest; some later letters concern mercantile matters and Potter County lands. Lewis Waln account books include: account books, 1837-1858; D.E. Wilson (for Large and Waln) pocket ledgers, 1817-1821. There is a large group of bonds, bills, accounts, and legal papers relating to the Waln's business, estate, and personal transactions. Third party account books are here presumably because of family or estate connections: Samuel Richards receipt book, 1783-1793, for personal expenses; merchant Benjamin Fuller receipt book, 1786-1794, cash and expense book, 1787-1789, both containing business with some personal transactions; Thomas Longhead receipt book, 1824, continued by Samuel Broom & Co., 1825-1828, for confectionery business. | ||
| 541 | 1 | |a Gift of James Somers Smith.; 1950 acquired | |
| 555 | |a Finding Aid Available Online: | ||
| 650 | 7 | |a China--Commerce |2 Local sources | |
| 650 | 7 | |a Cotton mills--19th century |2 Local sources | |
| 650 | 7 | |a Railroad History--Pennsylvania. |2 Local sources | |
| 650 | 7 | |a Tariffs--19th century |2 Local sources | |
| 852 | |a The Historical Society of Pennsylvania |b Smith-Waln Family Papers |l 1628 | ||
| 856 | 4 | 2 | |y Link to finding aid |u http://hsp.org/sites/default/files/legacy_files/migrated/findingaid1628smithwaln.pdf |