Guide to the Samuel Gilford Papers
1753-1951 (bulk 1753-1828)
MS 249
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024
Phone: (212) 873-3400
@ 2011 New-York Historical Society
Collection processed by Processed by Matthew Murphy
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit
on October 25, 2011
Description is in
English.
Descriptive Summary
| Title: | Samuel Gilford Papers |
|---|---|
| Dates: | 1753-1951 (bulk 1753-1828) |
| Abstract: | The Samuel Gilford Papers consist of documentation of the business dealings and personal life of sea captain and shipping merchant Samuel Gilford, of New York, as well as his son, Samuel Gilford Jr., and various other members of the Gilford family. Included in this collection are loose papers related to the firm of Thomas Buchanan and Son, as well as personal papers of the Buchanan family. This collection also contains papers and ephemera from the late 19th and early 20th centuries related to the Anna Riker and members of the Riker family. |
| Quantity: | 3.0 Linear feet (4 boxes, 8 bound volumes) |
| Location note: | Manuscript cage |
| Call Phrase: | MS 249 |
Biographical Note
Samuel Gilford was a sea captain and shipping merchant who lived and worked in New York City from the mid-eighteenth century to the early 19th century. Little is currently known about his birthplace or early life. Samuel Gilford married Penelope Codwise on December 13th, 1759, and together they had three known sons: Samuel Gilford Jr., Thomas B. Gilford, and Jacob T. Gilford. They also had a daughter named Mary, and it is possible that they also had other children. In 1773 Samuel Gilford bought the old house at 122 William Street, which was also known as the "Golden Hill Inn." He resided there until he was forced to leave New York because of the Revolution, and did not return to the house until 1783. After the Revolution, the Gilfords built another home next door, 124 William Street. Samuel Gilford lived at 122 William Street until his death in 1821. The Gilford family also owned at least two slaves in the 1760's, a woman named Cuba and a boy named Prince.
Samuel Gilford's shipping firm primarily did business in the United States, Great Britain, Jamaica, and the West Indies. Gilford shipped, purchased and sold all manner of goods, including sugar, rum, and other spirits. When he was old enough, Samuel Gilford Jr. joined his father in the business and they formed the firm Samuel Gilford and Son. Their offices were located at 61 Front Street.
Samuel Gilford Jr. eventually married Elizabeth Buchanan, daughter of merchant Thomas Buchanan. Thomas Buchanan ran a prominent firm from 1792 until 1809, when his son George Buchanan joined him to form the merchant firm Thomas Buchanan and Son. After Thomas Buchanan died, George ran the firm until 1824.
Scope and Content Note
The Samuel Gilford Papers serve as historical records for not only the Gilford Family, but for the merchant class of early New York as a whole. It also gives a glimpse into the way business was conducted in Colonial New York and the early American Republic.
Aside from the records relating to the Gilford family, there are items related to the Buchanan family, another merchant family from the time period, and the Riker family from the late 19th and early 20th century.
The collection's greatest strength is its myriad of financial records, documenting many aspects of the shipping trade in pre- and post-Revolutionary New York. The collection also has several ships logs, which describe in meticulous detail the weather and the experiences of a crew at sea.
Notable items include receipts of purchase of two slaves by the Gilford family, receipts for Samuel Jr.'s education, passenger lists documenting trans-atlantic migration, as well as countless other unique documents.
The collection is physically divided between manuscripts and bound volumes. The manuscript boxes can be located with the call phrase Samuel Gilford Papers, the bound volumes with the call phrase BV Gilford. It should be noted that smaller bound volumes have been placed with the boxed materials, and are primarily ship's logs and account books. They are located in the business records subseries of the Gilford Family series. Four of the bound volumes are also available on microfilm, two of which are account books attributed to the Cornelia, one account book from the William & Mary, and a general account book.
Arrangement
The records are organized into three series:
- Series I. Gilford Family, 1753-1843, undated
- Series II. Buchanan Family, 1787-1820, undated
- Series III. Riker Family, 1889-1951, undated
All materials are arranged chronologically.
Access Points
Subject Names
- Barney, James
- Brown, William, of Albany, N.Y.
- Buchanan, George
- Buchanan, Thomas --1744-1815
- Gilford, Samuel Jr.
- Marvin, Alexander
- Marvin, John, merchant of Albany, N.Y.
- Marvin, William, merchant of Albany, N.Y.
- Schuyler, Stephen P.
Document Type
- Account books
- Accounts
- Bills of exchange
- Bills of lading
- Clippings
- Correspondence
- Daybooks
- Insurance Policies
- Invoices
- Ledgers
- Manifests
- Photographic prints
- Postcards
- Programs
- Promissory notes
- Receipts
- Ship's Logs
- Ship's Manifests
- Slave bill of sale
Subject Organizations
- Chance (Brig)
- Cornelia (Brig)
- Franchot & Van Rensselaer
- Henry Van Vleck & Co.
- John Rogers & Co.
- Samuel Gilford and Son
- Thomas Buchanan and Son (Firm)
- Van Wyck & Son
- Whiting & Clark
- William & Mary (Sloop)
Subject Topics
- Insurance, Marine --New York (State) --New York
- Rum Industry
- Rum industry --New York (State) --New York
- Shipping
- Shipping --New York (State) --New York
- Ships --Cargo
- Ships --Maintenance and Repair
- Slavery --New York (State) --New York
- Sugar Trade
- Sugar trade --New York (State) --New York
- Tea Trade
- Wages --Sailors
- Wharves --New York (State) --New York
- Wine Industry
Subject Places
- Jamaica --Commerce
- New York (N.Y.) --Commerce
- West Indies --Commerce
Family Name(s)
- Buchanan Family
- Gilford Family
- Ricker Family
Administrative Information
Provenance
Donation, ca. 1950's
Access Restrictions
Open to qualified researchers.
Portions of the collection that have been microfilmed will be brought to the researcher in that format and can be made available by Interlibrary loan.
Photocopying undertaken by staff only. Limited to twenty exposures of stable, unbound material per day. (Researchers may not accrue unused copy amounts from previous days.)
Use Restrictions
Permission to quote from this collection in a publication must be requested and granted
in writing. Send permission requests, citing the name of the collection from which
you wish to quote, to
Manuscripts Curator
The New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as Samuel Gilford Papers, The New-York Historical Society.
Container List
Series I: Gilford Family, 1753-1909, undated
Scope and Contents noteThis series contains business and personal papers related to the Gilford family from the mid 18th century up until the early 20th century, with the bulk being the mid eighteenth century to the mid 19th century. The papers concern subjects related to the shipping business of Samuel Gilford, as well as family bills and material related to the Gilford family's home and estate. |
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Subseries I: Correspondence, 1762-1828
Scope and Contents noteThis subseries contains both personal and business correspondence. |
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| Container 1 | Container 2 | Title | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box: 1 | Folder : 1 | Correspondence |
1762, 1789 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 2 | Correspondence |
1790-1798 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 3 | Correspondence |
1802-1809 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 4 | Correspondence |
1815-1828 | |
Subseries II: Business Records, 1753-1842, undated
|
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| Container 1 | Container 2 | Title | Date | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 5 | Accounts, Bills, Receipts |
1753-1759 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 6 | Accounts, Bills, Receipts |
1760-1765 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 7 | Accounts, Bills, Receipts |
1766-1769 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 8 | Accounts, Bills, Receipts |
1770-1779 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 9 | Accounts, Bills, Receipts |
1782-1789 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 10 | Accounts, Bills, Receipts |
1790-1799 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 11 | Accounts, Bills, Receipts |
1800-1804 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 12 | Accounts, Bills, Receipts |
1805-1812 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 13 | Accounts, Bills, Receipts |
1815-1818 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 14 | Accounts, Bills, Receipts |
1820-1824 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 15 | Accounts, Bills, Receipts |
1836-1843 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 16 | Accounts, Bills, Receipts |
undated | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 1 | Ship's Account Book,
William & Mary |
1759-1763 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 2 | Ship's Account Book,
Cornelia |
1763-1774 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 3 | Ship's Account Book, [
Cornelia?] |
1765-1767 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 4 | Ship's Account Book, [
Cornelia?] |
1768-1769 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 5 | Daybook |
1784-1785 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 6 | Daybook |
1785-1786 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 7 | Bills of Lading |
1753-1762 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 8 | Bills of Lading |
1763-1769 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 9 | Bills of Lading |
1770-1811 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 10 | Bills of Lading |
undated | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 11 | Freight Lists |
1755-1768 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 12 | Freight Lists |
1800-1805 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 13 | Freight Lists |
1806 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 14 | Freight Lists |
1807-1811 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 15 | Passenger Lists |
1805-1807 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 1 | Portage Bills, Seaman's Wages |
1755, undated | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 2 | Warfage Book |
1789-1790 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 3 | Ship's Log,
William & Mary |
1762 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 4 | Ship's Log,
Cornelia |
1766-1768 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 5 | Ship's Log, [
Cornelia?] |
1768-1770 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 6 | Ship's Log, [Unknown] |
undated | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 7 | Marine Insurance Policies |
1759-1769 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 8 | Marine Insurance Policies |
1770-1774 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 9 | Legal Documents |
1753-1815 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 10 | Bills of Exchange |
1774, 1802-1816 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 11 | Cashier's Checks |
1795-1812 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 12 | Currency |
1817-1826 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 13 | Promissory Notes |
1793-1800 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 14 | Promissory Notes |
1801-1819 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 15 | Miscellaneous Documents |
undated | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 16 | Index Book |
undated | |
| Volume: 1 | Folder : | General Account Book |
1772-1777 | |
| Volume: 2 | Folder : | Daybook |
1784-1785 | |
| Volume: 3 | Folder : | Daybook |
1796-1801 | |
| Volume: 4 | Folder : | Daybook |
1801-1807 | |
| Volume: 5 | Folder : | Ledger |
1808-1821 | |
| Volume: 6 | Folder : | Notes Made and Accepted |
1817-1822 | |
| Volume: 7 | Folder : | Receipt Book |
1794-1804 | |
| Volume: 8 | Folder : | Receipt Book |
1822-1827 | |
Subseries III: Family Financial Records, 1756-1843, undated
|
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| Container 1 | Container 2 | Title | Date | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 17 | Slavery Documents |
1760, 1763 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 18 | Accounts, Bills, Receipts |
1756-1774 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 19 | Accounts, Bills, Receipts |
1782-1789 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 20 | Accounts, Bills, Receipts |
1790-1798 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 21 | Accounts, Bills, Receipts |
1802-1827 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 22 | Accounts, Bills, Receipts |
undated | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 23 | New-York Marine Society Membership Dues |
1788-1809 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 24 | Newspaper Subscription Receipts |
1790-1843 | |
Subseries IV: Property and Estate Records, 1783-1909, undated
|
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| Container 1 | Container 2 | Title | Date | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 25 | Home Insurance Policies for 122 William St. |
1798, 1812, 1843 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 26 | Rent Receipts |
1821 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 27 | Property Assessments |
1793-1840 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 28 | Estate of John Finglays |
1783, 1805 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 29 | Estate of Jacob Tabele |
1831 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 30 | Photographs and Clippings of 122 William Street |
1889, 1909, undated | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 31 | Miscellaneous Property and Estate Documents |
1827, 1868 | |
|
|
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Series II: Buchanan Family, 1787-1820, undated
Scope and Contents noteThis series contains business and personal papers related to Thomas Buchanan, his son George Buchanan, and their firm of Thomas Buchanan and Son. Included are correspondence and business papers, as well as materials related to the estate of Thomas Buchanan. |
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| Container 1 | Container 2 | Title | Date | |
| Box: 4 | Folder : 1 | Correspondence |
1787-1808 | |
| Box: 4 | Folder : 2 | Correspondence |
1810-1814 | |
| Box: 4 | Folder : 3 | Correspondence |
1815-1820 | |
| Box: 4 | Folder : 4 | Correspondence |
undated | |
| Box: 4 | Folder : 5 | Accounts, Bills, Receipts and Prices Current |
1805-1819 | |
| Box: 4 | Folder : 6 | Bills of Lading |
1809, 1817 | |
| Box: 4 | Folder : 7 | Passenger Lists |
1807, 1810 | |
| Box: 4 | Folder : 8 | Bills of Exchange, Currency, Promissory Notes |
1810-1815 | |
| Box: 4 | Folder : 9 | Business Legal Documents |
1807, 1811 | |
| Box: 4 | Folder : 10 | Personal, Property and Estate Records |
1812-1823, 1845, undated | |
|
|
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Series III: Riker Family, 1889-1951, undated
Scope and Contents noteThis series consists of personal material related to various members of the Riker family, but primarly to Anna Riker. Included are all manner of personal ephemera, photographs, letters, and printed material. |
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| Container 1 | Container 2 | Title | Date | |
| Box: 4 | Folder : 11 | Correspondence |
1889-1902 | |
| Box: 4 | Folder : 12 | Personal Ephemera and Photographs |
1891-1911, undated | |
| Box: 4 | Folder : 13 | Postcards |
[1912] undated | |
| Box: 4 | Folder : 14 | Printed Material |
1891-1893, 1941, undated | |
| Box: 4 | Folder : 15 | Daily Planner Belonging to a Member of the Riker Family |
1951 | |
| Box: 4 | Folder : 16 | Newspaper Clippings |
undated | |
|
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