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Waln family papers
The Walns were a family of prominent Quaker merchants in Philadelphia. In 1774, Richard Waln, moved the family to Crosswicks, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, where he purchased "Walnford" and established a flour mill. The Waln family papers document primarily the family's business act...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Collection: | Waln Family Papers |
| Collection Number: | 1651 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects and Genres: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
| Tags: | Add Tag |
| Item Description: |
Processing Information: This finding aid was produced from an original collection summary provided by Elizabeth P. McLean, 1993.
The creation of the electronic guide for this collection was made possible through generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources’ “Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives” Project from 2009 to 2011.
Finding aid entered into the Archivists' Toolkit by Garrett Boos. |
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| Physical Description: |
5.6 Linear feet ; 14 boxes |
| Access: |
This collection is open for research use. |
| Summary: |
The Walns were a family of prominent Quaker merchants in Philadelphia. In 1774, Richard Waln, moved the family to Crosswicks, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, where he purchased "Walnford" and established a flour mill. The Waln family papers document primarily the family's business activities. Richard Waln (1737-1808) who was engaged in the milling business in Walnford, New Jersey, also was involved with financial concerns in Philadelphia. His nephew Robert (1765-1836) was the director of the Philadelphia Insurance Company from 1804 to 1813. Robert a successful merchant, joined into a partnership with his cousin Jesse, and traded with England and the West Indies, and later with East India and China. The collection consists largely of correspondence and financial records. The Waln family papers document primarily the family's business activities. Richard Waln (1737-1808) who was engaged in the milling business in Walnford, New Jersey, also was involved with financial concerns in Philadelphia. His nephew Robert (1765-1836) was the director of the Philadelphia Insurance Company from 1804 to 1813. Robert a successful merchant, joined into a partnership with his cousin Jesse, and traded with England and the West Indies, and later with East India and China. The collection is divided into two series, "I. Correspondence," and "II. Financial records." The "Correspondence" series, 1759 to 1889, chronologically arranged, records primarily the family's business concerns. Foreign correspondence, dating from 1759 to 1790 and 1814 to 1820, contains mostly business letters to and from concerns in London, Jamaica and Barbados. Some of the London correspondents are David Barclay & Sons, Harford & Powell, and Crafton & Colson. Others include Anthony Golley, Thomasin Peters, William Welch, and George Nurse. There is also correspondence regarding the Brig Rebecca from 1762 to 1764 and of the Sloop Enterprise from 1814 to 1820. Domestic correspondence, 1762 to 1889, includes mainly letters of Richard Waln until circa 1795. Thereafter, there are letters of Robert W. Waln until circa 1826, Lewis W. Waln until circa 1859, and R. Rundle Smith. Included are the letterbooks of Nicholas Waln from 1762 to 1794, and of Lewis Waln from 1820 to 1849, with an index. Major correspondents include Mary Mitchell, James S. Smith, Gideon H. Wells, Charles J. Ingersoll, and William Bache. The "Financial records" series, dating from 1752 to 1889, consists of domestic account books, mostly from Walnford, 1764 to 1889; foreign account books, 1759 to 1768; journals, 1761-1775; ledgers, 1761-1792; invoice books, 1762-1828; receipt books, 1783-1849; bills, 1776-1889; checkbooks of Lewis Waln, 1837-1858; stock account books; and miscellaneous books of accounts, invoices, etc., 1752-1889. |