1.   Historical note

2.   Scope and content

3.   Provenance

4.   Processing note

5.   Inventory

6.   Subjects


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 John Andrews Papers

 Merchant in Providence, RI

 Papers, 1761-1837

 Size: 1 linear foot

 Catalog number: MSS 261

 Processed by: Nathaniel Shipton, 1977; Karen Eberhart, 2003


©Rhode Island Historical Society

Manuscripts Division

 


Historical note:


John Andrews (1786-1837) was a merchant in Providence, RI and the son of Zephaniah (1738-1816) and Elizabeth Eddy (1747-1832). John operated stores in Providence and Washington, NC in partnership with Thomas Eddy. The firm of Eddy & Andrews either owned or had shares in at least 10 vessels during 1806-1837. Some sailed along the coast while others went to the West Indies and the West Africa trading primarily in gold, ivory and coffee along with foodstuffs and wares. He was also an agent for the Killingly Manufacturing Company. John Andrews married Betsey Whipple and they had at least 4 children: Sarah (b.1820); Elizabeth Eddy Andrews (1823-1901, unmarried); Abby L. (b.1826); Helen D. Andrews (1831-1855, unmarried).

            His father, Zephaniah Andrews, was a bricklayer, merchant and ship captain and these papers also include a small amount of material on his activities.


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Scope and content:


This collection consists of six series.

            Series I: The Zephaniah Andrews papers (1761-1818) consists of a few letters and documents, most notably from Silas Talbot, accompanied by three account books for the years 1761-1816. The earlier years show Andrews' activities in tiling, bricklaying, cartage, etc. before he added a store and wharf. His records include many of the Providence's first families. Of particular note is an account of Zephaniah Andrews, Esek Eddy and Daniel Jackson with the Directors of the Hospital in Providence for housing persons receiving small pox inoculations for the months August - October, 1776. The account lists each person with the date of admittance and discharge at the hospital and includes most of the prominent families in Providence.

             Series II-III: Eddy & Andrews papers (1806-1837) contain records of John Andrews' partnership with Thomas Eddy. Included are accounts, bills and receipts, and correspondence concerning ten vessels either owned or shared by the firm. Some of the vessels sailed primarily between the firm's stores in Providence and North Carolina, others were used almost exclusively in trading in West Africa for gold, ivory, and coffee. The surviving ship records vary the Romp's collection of crew lists, invoices, accounts, and correspondence to a single share in the Mars.

            Series IV: The William Taylor Estate records (1810-1819) contain the account book that John Andrews kept during his administration of William Taylor's (1754-1810) estate. Taylor shared in some of Andrews' shipping ventures.

            Series V: The manufacturing companies that John Andrews represented or had an interest in were the Killingly Manufacturing Company and the Richmond Manufacturing Company. John Andrews was an agent for the Killingly Mfg. Co and his account books focus primarily on the financial transactions rather than on the production of cotton goods. The records for the Richmond Manufacturing Company consist only of some receipts and an insurance policy, 1814-1829.

            Series VI: John Andrews personal papers (1810-1836) consist primarily of an account book which contains several types of records. The book was started by a boy named Luther Osborn as a ciphering book in 1810. It also contains personal accounts for Andrews, 1815-1822; sundry expenses of Andrews, Jan. 1, 1817 - April 1821; an inventory of personal property of Andrews, 1817-1821; and cash accounts 1824-1836 for the Richmond Mfg. Co., Killingly Mfg. Co., and John Andrews.


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Provenance:


The papers of John Andrews have been built up from an unrecorded early gift, gleanings from the miscellaneous manuscripts collection and several more recent acquisitions. The letters from Silas Talbot to Zephaniah Andrews were donated by John Howland in 1851 and 1852. The bulk of the material on the Killingly Manufacturing Company was purchased from James Tyson in 1970. Most of the account books in the collection were purchased in 1965 from James Tyson. The materials that arrived in 2003 from Emily A. Cocroft were related to the Richmond Manufacturing Company and also several miscellaneous items in Series VI.



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Processing note:


The papers were organized originally by Nathaniel Shipton in 1977. The additional materials acquired in 2003 prompted a slight reworking of the collection by Karen Eberhart to incorporate the new material.


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Inventory:


Box 1

Series I - Zephaniah Andrews Papers, 1761-1810

            F.1      Correspondence and documents, 1767-1810

            F.2      Account book, 1761-1776

                        Loose accounts, 1764-1775, 1810

            F.2a     Account of Z. Andrews, Esek Eddy, Daniel Jackson with the Directors of the Hospital [in Providence for small pox inoculations], Aug-Oct, 1776

            F.3      Account book, 1790-1810

            F.4      Account book, 1795-1816

            F.5      Sloop Endeavour, 1762-1763 round trip from RI to Barbados


Box 2

Series II - Eddy & Andrews Papers (General), 1806-1835

            F.1      Letter book, 1806-1807

            F.2      Correspondence, 1816

            F.3      Accounts, 1806-1807

            F.4      Cash account for store in Providence, 1807-1808

            F.5      Day book, 1807-1810

            F.6      Accounts general and Sloop Little Sarah crew accounts, 1808-1812

            F.7      Accounts, 1808-1811

            F.8      Accounts, 1810-1811

            F.9      Account book, 1812-1814

            F.10    Accounts, 1813-1815

            F.11    Cash account book, 1823-1827

            F.12    Bills and receipts, 1807-1813

            F.13    Miscellaneous, 1833, 1835, undated


Box 3

Series III - Eddy & Andrews Papers (Vessels), 1807-1837

            Sub-series 1: Schooner President - coastal trade

            F.1      Correspondence, invoice, bill of lading, 1807


            Sub-series 2: Sloop Victory - coastal trade

            F.1      Correspondence, crew lists, bills and receipts, 1807-1837


            Sub-series 3: Sloop Little Sarah - West India trade

            F.1      Correspondence, invoice and crew list, 1812

            F.2      Accounts, 1810-1813

            F.3      Bills and receipts, 1812


            Sub-series 4: Brig Argus

            F.1      Bill of sale, Aug. 6, 1822


            Sub-series 5: Schooner Fox - coastal and West India trade

            F.1      Insurance, crew lists, 1824-1825

            F.2      Invoices, 1824-1825

            F.3      Accounts, 1824

            F.4      Accounts, Jan-Mar 1825

            F.5      Accounts, Apr-Aug, 1825

            F.6      Accounts, Sep-Dec, 1825

            F.7      Accounts, 1826, n.d.

            F.8      Bills and receipts, 1824

            F.9      Bills and receipts, 1825

            F.10    Bills and receipts, 1826

            F.11    Bills and receipts, 1827


            Sub-series 6: Schooner Reporter

            F.1      Share sales, 1824, 1826


            Sub-series 7: Schooner Mars

            F.1      Share sale, 1825


            Sub-series 8: Brig Helen - West Africa trade

            F.1      Bill of sale, clearances, insurance, 1827-1836

            F.2      Crew lists and inventory, 1829-1835

            F.3      Correspondence, 1832-1835

            F.4      Invoices, 1833-1835, undated

            F.5      Bills and receipts, 1832-1836


Box 4

            Sub-series 9: Brig Romp - West Africa and West India trade

            F.1      Bill of sale, clearances, insurance, etc. 1829-1835

            F.2      Crew lists, 1831-1835

            F.3      Correspondence, 1832-1833

            F.4      Correspondence, Jan-Mar, 1834 

            F.5      Correspondence, Apr-Dec, 1834

            F.6      Correspondence, 1835

            F.7      Invoices, 1833

            F.8      Invoices, Jan-June, 1834

            F.9      Invoices, Jul-Aug, 1834

            F.10    Invoices, Sep-Dec, 1834

            F.11    Invoices, 1835

            F.12    Invoices, undated

            F.13    Accounts, 1832 

            F.14    Accounts, Oct-Nov, 1833

            F.15    Accounts, Dec, 1833

            F.16    Accounts, Jan-Mar, 1834

            F.17    Accounts, Apr-Jun, 1834

            F.18    Accounts, July 1-16, 1834

            F.19    Accounts, July 17-21, 1834

            F.20    Accounts, July 22-31, 1834

            F.21    Accounts, Nov-Dec, 1834

            F.22    Accounts, 1834

            F.23    Accounts, 1835-1836 

            F.24    Bills and receipts, Oct-Nov, 1833

            F.25    Bills and receipts, Dec 1-10, 1833

            F.26    Bills and receipts, Dec 11-16, 1833

            F.27    Bills and receipts, Dec 17-31, 1833

            F.28    Bills and receipts, Jan-Mar 1834

            F.29    Bills and receipts, Apr-Jun, 1834

            F.30    Bills and receipts, July 1-16, 1834

            F.31    Bills and receipts, July 17-18, 1834

            F.32    Bills and receipts, July 19-21, 1834

            F.33    Bills and receipts, July 22-24, 1834

            F.34    Bills and receipts, July 25-30, 1834

            F.35    Bills and receipts, July 31, 1834

            F.36    Bills and receipts, Aug1, 1834

            F.37    Bills and receipts, Aug 2, 1834

            F.38    Bills and receipts, Aug3-7, 1834

            F.39    Bills and receipts, Aug8-31, 1834

            F.40    Bills and receipts, Nov-Dec, 1834

            F.41    Bills and receipts, 1835

            F.42    Bills and receipts, 1836, undated


            Sub-series 10: Schooner I.J. - pilot and fishing boat about MA, RI and NY 

            F.1      Bill of sale, inventory, and agreements, 1830-1831


Box 5

Series IV William Taylor Estate, 1810-1819

            F.1      Accounts, 1810-1819


Series V Manufacturing Companies, 1813-1829

            Sub-series 1: Killingly Manufacturing Company

            F.1      Account book, 1813-1820

            F.2      Account book, 1813-1822

            F.3      Account book for Fisher & Sparrow in account with Killingly Manufacturing Company, 1819-1824

            Sub-series 2: Richmond Manufacturing Company

            F.1      Receipts, insurance, 1814-1817, 1829


Series VI John Andrews personal papers, 1810-1836

            F.1      Ciphering book of Luther Osborn, 1810

                        Personal accounts of J. Andrews, 1815-1822

                        Sundry expenses of J. Andrews, Jan. 1, 1817 - April 1821 

                        Inventory of personal property of J. Andrews, 1817-1821

                        Cash accounts 1824-1836 for

                                    Richmond Mfg. Co. 

                                    Killingly Mfg. Co.

                                    John Andrews

            F.2      Miscellaneous, 1783-1833



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Subjects:


Africa - Commerce

Andrews, Zephaniah (1738-1816)

Argus (Brig)

Bricklayers - Rhode Island

Brown family

Ciphering book, 1810

Eddy, Thomas

Endeavour (Sloop)

Foster, Theodore (1752-1828)

Fox (Schooner)

Helen (Brig)

Hospital - Providence, RI

I.J. (Schooner) 

Killingly Manufacturing Company

Little Sarah (Sloop)

Osborn, Luther

President (Schooner)

Reporter (Brig)

Romp (Brig) 

Small Pox - preventive inoculation - Rhode Island - Providence

Talbot, Silas

Victory (Sloop) 

West Indies - Commerce


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RIHS1822