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John Rutherfurd Papers

Call Number

MS 533

Date

1726-1835 (bulk 1775-1835), inclusive

Creator

Extent

2.5 Linear feet (5 boxes)

Language of Materials

The documents in the collection are in English.

Abstract

The John Rutherfurd Papers is one of four discrete but closely related collections, known together as the Alexander - Stuyvesant - Rutherfurd Collections. The John Rutherfurd Papers consist principally of material relating to or created by John Rutherfurd (1760 - 1840), and his father, Walter Rutherfurd (1724 - 1804). Principal subseries for John and Walter Rutherfurd are Correspondence; Accounts, Bills, Receipts; Legal Papers; and Court Papers. Correspondence includes letters to John or Walter Rutherfurd, and drafts of their replies.

Biographical Note

Biographical Note for the Alexander - Stuyvesant - Rutherfurd Collections

Missing Title

1691 James Alexander born in Scotland, May 27
1693 Mary Spratt born in New York, April 17
1711 Mary Spratt marries Samuel Provoost, October 15
1715 James Alexander arrives in New York
[1719] Samuel Provoost dies
1721 Mary Spratt Provoost marries James Alexander, June 5
1721 Mary Alexander II born
1722 Susanna Alexander born
1726 William Alexander born
1729 Catherine Alexander born
17?? Elizabeth Alexander born
17?? Walter Rutherfurd born in [Edgerston, Roxburghshire] Scotland
1739 Mary Alexander II marries Peter Van Brugh Livingston
1748 William Alexander marries Sarah Livingston
17?? Elizabeth Alexander marries John Stevens
1756 James Alexander dies
1756 Walter Rutherfurd arrives in America. Serves in the Royal American Regiment
1758 Catherine Alexander marries Walter Rutherfurd
1760 Mary Alexander dies, April 18
1760 John Rutherfurd born September 20
1767 Mary Alexander Livingston dies
1782 John Rutherfurd marries Helena Morris October 30. Walter Rutherfurd presents John Rutherfurd with Tranquillity (sic) estate in Allamuchy, Warren County, New Jersey
1783 William Alexander dies, January 15
1788 Robert Walter Rutherfurd born in May
1800 Elizabeth Alexander Stevens dies
1801 Catherine Alexander Rutherfurd dies
1804 Walter Rutherfurd dies January 10
1807 Gen. John Reid dies February 6, at the age of 86
1808 John Rutherfurd moves to Edgerston on the Passaic River
1809 Robert Walter Rutherfurd marries Sabina Morris
1809 Helena Rutherfurd marries Peter Gerard Stuyvesant
1816 Lewis Morris Rutherfurd born November 25 to Robert Walter Rutherfurd and Sabina Morris Rutherfurd
1841 Lewis Morris Rutherfurd marries Margaret Chanler July 22
1842 Stuyvesant Rutherfurd born to Lewis Morris Rutherfurd and Margaret Chanler Rutherfurd
1847 Peter Gerard Stuyvesant dies August 16
[1847] In accordance with a provision of Peter Gerard Stuyvesant's will, Stuyvesant Rutherfurd changes his name to Rutherfurd Stuyvesant
1854 Margaret Rutherfurd born
1859 Louisa Morris Rutherfurd born March 31
ca. 1860 Lewis Morris Rutherfurd Jr. born
1862 Winthrop Rutherfurd born
1863 Rutherfurd Stuyvesant marries Mary Pierrepont
1870 Robert Walter Rutherfurd dies
1873 Helena Rutherfurd Stuyvesant dies
1879 Mary Pierrepont Stuyvesant dies
1879 Margaret Rutherfurd marries Henry White, December 3
1892 Louisa M. Rutherfurd dies
1902 Rutherfurd Stuyvesant marries Countess Matilde E. de Wassanaer (nee Matilde Lowenguth), June 16
1903 Lewis Rutherfurd Stuyvesant born
1906 Alain Stuyvesant born
1907 Stuyvesant Rutherfurd dies July 4
1916 Margaret Rutherfurd White dies
1925 Lewis Rutherfurd Stuyvesant marries Rosalie Pillot
1927 Henry White dies at the age of 77
19?? Lewis Morris Rutherfurd Jr. dies
1944 Winthrop Rutherfurd dies
1944 Lewis Rutherfurd Stuyvesant dies, September 7
1948 Matilde Lowenguth Stuyvesant (in 1948, Princess Alexandre de Caraman Chimay) dies, July 10
1954 Alain Stuyvesant dies, Februrary 9

For more information on some of the persons represented in these collections consult:

Biographical Dictionaries

Dictionary of American Biography- James and William Alexander, Lewis Morris Rutherfurd

American National Biography- James, Mary, and William Alexander, Lewis Morris Rutherfurd, Henry White

Dictionary of National Biography- John Reid

Books

Rutherfurd, Livingston Family Records and Events New York, De Vinne Press, 1894

Valentine, Alan Chester Lord Stirling New York, Oxford University Press, 1969

Arrangement

The John Rutherfurd Papers are organized into the following eight series:

Missing Title

  1. Series I: John Rutherfurd
  2. Series II: Walter Rutherfurd
  3. Series III: Other Persons
  4. Series IV: Corporation for the Relief of Widows and Children of CLergymen
  5. Series V: Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures
  6. Series VI: Abstracts of Legislation re New Jersey -- New York Boundary
  7. Series VII: [Map of Turnpike Route]
  8. Series VIII: Fragments

Scope and Content Notes

Scope and Content for the Alexander - Stuyvesant - Rutherfurd Collections

The John Rutherfurd Papers is one of four discrete but closely related collections. The largest and the smallest of the four collections, the Alexander Papers and the John Rutherfurd Papers, were originally a single donation, made in the late 19th Century. The remaining two collections, the Rutherfurd Family Papers and the Stuyvesant-Rutherfurd Papers, were donated separately in the 1970's.

Together, these collections chronicle seven generations of an extended family in New York an d New Jersey over the course of two centuries. The founders of the family were James and Mary Alexander, who married in 1721. James Alexander had merchant business, but was primarily active as an attorney and government official in New York and New Jersey. Most of the material in the Alexander Papers derives from James Alexander's legal practice in both colonies, and from his tenures as Surveyor General of New Jersey, and Attorney General of New York. Other material in the Alexander Papers documents Mary Alexander's merchant business in New York, and the business activities and pre-Revolutionary military service of their son, William Alexander (Lord Stirling).

While the daughters of James and Mary Alexander are underrepresented in these collections, their husbands are represented to a greater or lesser extent in each of the collections described below. The Alexanders' four daughters married men who were or would become leading figures in New York and New Jersey. Mary married Peter Van Brugh Livingston, Susanna married John Reid, and Elizabeth married John Stevens. Catherine Alexander married Walter Rutherfurd.

The marriage of Catherine and Walter Rutherfurd also produced a son, John Rutherfurd, who evidently inherited the bulk of his father's and grandfather's papers. In 1847, Stuyvesant Rutherfurd (a grandson John Rutherfurd and nephew of Peter Gerard Stuyvesant), changed his name to Rutherfurd Stuyvesant in accordance with a provision of Peter Gerard Stuyvesant's will. Rutherfurd Stuyvesant evidently inherited at least some of the papers of his uncle. The Rutherfurd collections contain material created by or pertaining to the Alexander family, and the Stuyvesant-Rutherfurd Papers contain material created by or pertaining to the Alexanders and the Stuyvesants.

The material the Rutherfurd collections relates primarily to the landholdings and business undertakings of a wealthy and socially prominent family. The Stuyvesant-Rutherfurd Papers documents the activities of later generations of that family. By the mid-nineteenth century, the family had become more occupied in strictly leisure activities.

Various descendants of John Rutherfurd donated the collections described in these finding aids to the New-York Historical Society, and the collections extensively document the business dealings, professional activities, and family relationships of the Alexanders during the 18th Century, and the Rutherfurds from the 18th until the early 20th centuries.

For finding aids to the other three collections, click on the following links:

The Alexander Papers

The Rutherfurd Family Papers

The Stuyvesant-Rutherfurd Papers

Scope and Content for the John Rutherfurd Papers

This collection consists principally of material relating to or created by John Rutherfurd (1760 - 1840), and his father, Walter Rutherfurd (1724 - 1804). The inclusive dates of the collection are 1775 - 1835. The collection also contains small amounts of business-related material concerning persons who were associated with or related to John and Walter Rutherfurd. These include John Duncan, Alexander Hamilton, Gen. John Reid, and Alexander McDonald. Two institutions with which John Rutherfurd was affiliated, the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures, and the Corporation for the Relief of Widows and Children of Clergymen of the Episcopal Church, are also represented in the collection.

Principal subseries for John and Walter Rutherfurd are Correspondence; Accounts, Bills, Receipts; Legal Papers; and Court Papers. Correspondence includes letters to John or Walter Rutherfurd, and drafts of their replies. Deeds, agreements, contracts, leases, and other legally binding documents are in the Legal Papers subseries. However, such legally binding documents that are identified as having to do with specific court cases or suits are foldered with the appropriate suit in the Court Papers series. Accounts, Bills, Receipts is self-explanatory.

There is also a series in the collection entitled Other Persons. This series consists of small numbers of items created by or pertaining to persons other than John or Walter Rutherfurd. The subseries in this series include Correspondence; Accounts, Bills, Receipts; Legal Papers; and Court Papers. Certain material relating to some persons is extensive enough to merit those persons being given subseries within this series. Persons with specific subseries within this series are John Duncan (legal papers only), Gen. Alexander Hamilton, Alexander McDonald, and Gen. John Reid. With these exceptions, material for all other persons is interfiled according to format, in chronological order.

Material pertaining to John Rutherfurd consists primarily of business correspondence and legal papers such as deeds, conveyances, and leases. Some material reflects his interest in the development infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, in New Jersey. There is very little family material of any kind in the collection. None of the material concerns John Rutherfurd's political career or political affairs. Most of the material pertaining to Walter Rutherfurd is also business-related.

Access Restrictions

Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Use Restrictions

Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.

Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.

Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions

Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as the John Rutherfurd Papers, MS 533, The New-York Historical Society.

Location of Materials

Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Provenance

Donation, Lewis Morris Rutherfurd, 1884

Related Material at The New-York Historical Society

The Alexander Papers

The Rutherfurd Family Papers

The Stuyvesant-Rutherfurd Papers

Alexander Papers - Account Books Relating to the Equivalent Lands

Alexander, James - Journal 1718 - 1769

Alexander, James - Records and Accounts Relating to his Services in Behalf of the Children of Governors Burnet and Hunter, 1718 - 1745

Alexander, James - Register of Cases, New York Supreme Court, 1721 - 1742

Alexander, William - Ledger, 1766 - 1775

Alexander, William - Account Books, 1756 - 1758, 1763 - 1777

Alexander, William - Battoeman's Book, 1756

Alexander, William - Papers Relating to the Disposition of Lord Stirling's lands in Nova Scotia, 1831 - 1838, plus Copies of Earlier Papers

Alexander, William - [Material concerning the legality of William Alexander's Claim to the Title of earl of Stirling] compiled ca. 1857

Alexander - Livingston - Moore Account Book, ca. 1774 - 1785

William Alexander Papers

Rutherfurd Collection

Lord Stirling Papers

Collection processed by

Richard Fraser

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:49:42 -0400.
Language: Description is in English.

Edition of this Guide

This version was derived from rutherjohn.xml

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024