Historical note:

            Edward Carrington (1775-1843) was born in New Haven, Connecticut. As a young man, he came to Providence, R.I., where he worked as a clerk and supercargo for local merchants Seth Wheaton, Samuel Butler, and Richard Jackson. He resided in Canton, China from 1802 to 1810, serving as American Consul, acting as an agent for other American merchants, and amassing a considerable fortune by trading on his own behalf. He returned to Providence in 1811, where he continued to invest in mercantile trading (to China, South America, Europe and other ports). In 1815, he took in partner Samuel Wetmore and founded the firm of Edward Carrington & Company. The firm was reorganized in 1821 to allow for the addition of W.W. Wetmore as a partner. Carrington also invested in the Blackstone Canal in the 1820s, and several textile mills such as the Hamlet Mill in Woonsocket. He suffered extensive losses on his investments in the late 1830s, when he gradually began to cede control over his business to his son Edward Jr.

            Edward Carrington Sr. married Lorania Hoppin (1774-1861). Their son Edward Carrington II (1813-1891) entered into the family businesses and took over upon his father's death in 1843. Edward Jr. prospered until losing most of his assets in the depression of 1857, at which point he withdrew from business. Edward II married Candace C. Dorr (1815-1886), sister of Dorr Rebellion leader Thomas Wilson Dorr. They had two children: Edward "Ned" Carrington III (1852-1934), who married late and left no children; and Anne I. (Carrington) Dwight (1849-1904). Anne Dwight's only child, Margarethe L. Dwight (1871-1962), never married. She was the great-granddaughter and last surviving descendant of Edward Carrington Sr.

Bibliography:

Bayles, Richard M., ed. History of Providence County, Rhode Island, New York: W.W. Preston & Co., 1891, Vol. 2, p. 310. (For history of Stone Mill and Hamlet Mill)

Downs, Jacques M. "The Edward Carrington Collection," Rhode Island History, Jan. 1963, p 16-21

Rhode Island History, vol.19, no. 3, p. 96; vol. 21, no. 1, p. 64

RIHS annual meeting minutes, January 21 1962: "During the year we acquired ownership of...the Carrington Papers."

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Scope and content:

            The heart of this collection is the Carrington mercantile records, from Edward Carrington's personal investments in the China trade from 1802 to 1815, to the firm of Edward Carrington & Co. from 1816 to 1843; to Edward Carrington II's shipping and textile investments through 1860. The records are exceptionally detailed, and are often considered to be one of the world's great private mercantile archives for the early nineteenth century.

            Also included in this collection are a relatively small quantity of personal papers from Edward Carrington, his son Edward II, and Edward II's wife Candace C. (Dorr) Carrington.

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Provenance:

            This collection was donated by Margarethe L. Dwight (Edward Carrington's sole surviving descendant) to the Rhode Island School of Design as part of their acquisition of the Carrington House. The Rhode Island School of Design placed the papers on deposit at the Rhode Island Historical Society in 1960, and made a full gift in 1961.

            Two letters to Edward Carrington (from Alsop, Wetmore & Co. in Lima, 4/7/1828; and from Russell & Co. in Canton, 2/27/1831) were donated by Frances Talbot in 1973 as part of the Charles Nicholl Talbot Papers.

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Processing note:

            This collection was partially processed circa 1960-1962 through a grant from the American Philosophical Society. The effort was led by scholar Jacques Downs, with the help of Nino Scotti, Mrs. J. Carrol Fulkerson, and Elizabeth W. Downs. A box and volume inventory reflecting their organization was compiled in 1993.

            Probably circa 1960-1962, many related papers were separated out from the original gift and made into distinct collections, including the Samuel Wetmore Records (Mss 799); Wetmore, Hoppin & Co. Records (Mss 797); Sullivan Dorr diary and related papers (in Mss 390); David Howell memorandum book (in Mss 496); Charles L. Hyatt Papers (Mss 503); and numerous ship's logs of the Essex, 1810-1812; Christopher, 1819; Franklin, 1827-1829; Panther, 1828-1830 and 1833; Joan, 1813; Lion, 1830-1832, 1832-1833, and 1835-1836; Nancy, 1821-1822; Providence, 1829-1830; Superior, 1824-1826 (2) and 1826-1827 (in Mss 828).

            In 2003, volunteer Greg McGurin organized the bound volumes into subgroups and series. The remainder of this collection has still not been fully processed, but the 1993 inventory has been arranged to reflect the series arrangement. Items with the "RB" designation are fully organized and housed in archival records storage boxes. Other items are for the most part loosely organized in non-archival flat-storage boxes. Approximately 12 linear feet of loose financial papers such as invoices and receipts are still almost entirely unprocessed, with some of them still tightly folded into bricks.

Series arrangement:

Sub-Group I – Mercantile and Shipping Records

                          Including records of Edward Carrington, Edward Carrington & Co., and Edward Carrington II

              Series 1: Correspondence

                            Sub-Series 1. Incoming Correspondence

                            Sub-Series 2. Outgoing Correspondence

              Series 2: General Accounts

                            Sub-Series 1. Waste Books (Day Books)

                            Sub-Series 2. Journals

                            Sub-Series 3. Ledgers/ Accounts Current

                            Sub-Series 4. Cash Books

                            Sub-Series 5. Invoice Books

                            Sub-Series 6. Sales Books

                            Sub-Series 7. Blotters

                            Sub-Series 8. Memo Books

                            Sub-Series 9. Bank Accounts (see also SGI, S2, SS3 and SS4)

                            Sub-Series 10.Inventory Books

                            Sub-Series 11. Loose Financial Papers

              Series 3: Individual Accounts

                            Sub-Series 1. With Edward Carrington (I)

                            Sub-Series 2. With Wetmore, Hoppin & Sons (see also SGI, S2, SS1)

                            Sub-Series 3. With Redwood Fisher (Subscribers Account)

Sub-Series 4. Miscellaneous Accounts

              Series 4: Legal Papers

              Series 5: Personnel Records

                            Sub-Series 1. Seaman’s and Ship’s Laborers Ledgers

                            Sub-Series 2. Labor Accounts

                            Sub-Series 3. Comprador’s Accounts

              Series 6: Prices Current and Commercial Information (see also SGI, S2, SS2)

                            Sub-Series 1. Canton

                            Sub-Series 2. Europe

                            Sub-Series 3. Latin America

                            Sub-Series 4. United States

              Series 7: Individual Ship Records

                            Sub-Series 1. Ship Abigail                             Sub-Series 11. Ship Integrity

                            Sub-Series 2. Brig. Brilliant                           Sub-Series 12. Ship Lion

                            Sub-Series 3. Ship Christopher                      Sub-Series 13. Ship Mary Ann

                            Sub-Series 4. Ship Edward                            Sub-Series 14. Ship Panther

                            Sub-Series 5. Schooner Essex                        Sub-Series 15. Ship Providence

                            Sub-Series 6. Ship Fame                                Sub-Series 16. Ship Resource

                            Sub-Series 7. Ship Franklin                           Sub-Series 17. Ship Trumbull

                            Sub-Series 8. Ship Grafton                            Sub-Series 18. Brig. Viper

Sub-Series 9. Ship Gen. Hamilton                 Sub-Series 19. Ship William Baker

Sub-Series 10. Ship George

              Series 8: Various Ships Records

                            Sub-Series 1. Account Books/Disbursements

                            Sub-Series 2. Sales Ledgers

                            Sub-Series 3. Inventories (see also SGI, S2, SS3)

                            Sub-Series 4. Impost Books

                            Sub-Series 5. Postage Books

                            Sub-Series 6. Ship Papers

              Series 9: Miscellaneous Records (including Consulate Records)

Sub-Group II – Records of Blackstone Canal Co.

              Series 1: General Accounts

                            Sub-Series 1. Expenses

                            Sub-Series 2. Ledgers / Accounts Current

                            Sub-Series 3. Bank Accounts

                            Sub-Series 4. Memoranda (see also SGI, S2, SS8)

Sub-Group III – Records of Hamlet Mill and Manufacturing Co. (see also SGVI)

              Series 1: General Accounts

                            Sub-Series 1. Journals

                            Sub-Series 2. Ledgers

                            Sub-Series 3. Account Books (See also SGI, S9)

                            Sub-Series 4. Invoice Books

                            Sub-Series 5. Cash Books

                            Sub-Series 6. Sales Books

                            Sub-Series 7. Blotters/Waste Books

                            Sub-Series 8. Inventory Books

                            Sub-Series 9. Bank Accounts

              Series 2: Personnel Records

                            Sub-Series 1. Employee Time & Production Registers

              Series 3: Canal Bleachery Records

                            Sub-Series 1. Accounts & Consignments (See also SGIII, S1, SS3 and SS6)

Sub-Group IV – Records of Cheapside Estate Co.

              Series 1: General Accounts

                            Sub-Series 1. Accounts Current

                            Sub-Series 2. Bank Accounts

Sub-Group V – Records of RI Cloth Hall Co.

              Series 1: General Accounts

                            Sub-Series 1. Subscriber’s Books

                            Sub-Series 2. Cash Books

Sub-Group VI – Records of Stone Mill Woonsocket

              Series 1: General Accounts

                            Sub-Series 1. Account Books (See also SGI, S2, SS2 and SGI, S9 and SGIII)

Sub-Group VII – Carrington Family Papers

              Series 1: Edward Carrington

              Series 2: Edward Carrington II

              Series 3: Edward Carrington III

              Series 4: Candace (Dorr) Carrington

              Series 5: Anne I. (Carrington) Dwight

Sub-Group VIII – Miscellaneous Volumes

1.    Various Indexes with no corresponding volumes

2.    Inventory of Lonsdale Estate, 1834-1836

              3. Providence Auxiliary Marine Bible Society

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Inventory:

Sub-Group I: Mercantile and Shipping Records

(including mercantile records of Edward Carrington, 1799-1815; Edward Carrington & Co., 1815-1844; and Edward Carrington II, 1844-onward)

SGI   Series 1: Correspondence

                        Sub-Series 1: Incoming Correspondence

Edward Carrington:

Box 11           1799-1805

Box 12           1806-1809

Box 13           1810-1811, including inventory & sale of effects of George Biddle, Canton

Box 14           1812

Box 15           1813

Box 16           1814

Box 17           1815

Edward Carrington & Co.

Box 18           1816: European

Box 19           1816: East India / George W. Talbot

Box 20           1816: American, Jan.-Dec.

Box 21           1817: American

Box 22           1817: George W. Talbot / Benjamin Hoppin / Samuel Wetmore

Box 23           1817: East India / South American / D. Crommelin

Box 24           1817: European

Box 25           1818: American, Jan.-Sept.

Box 26            1818: American Oct.-Dec. / Latin American / East India / African

Box 27            1818: George W. Talbot / D. Crommelin & Son / Whitwell Bond & Co.

Box 28            1818: European Letters

Box 29           1819: Daniel Crommelin & Sons, Amsterdam / East India

Box 30           1819: European, misc. / Samuel Russell en route to Canton

Box 31            1819: American, misc., Jan.-June

Box 32           1819: American, misc., July-Dec. / Ephraim Talbot 1819 (Canton)

Box 33           1819: American / George W. Talbot & Co. / New York

Box 34           1820: Daniel Crommelin & Sons, Amsterdam / East India

Box 35           1820: George W. Talbot, New York / Samuel Wetmore, New York / Whitwell Bond & Co., Boston

Box 36           1820: American Letters / Miscellaneous

Box 37           1820: European, misc., Sept.-Dec. / Latin American

Box 38           1820: European, misc., Jan.-Aug. 1820

Box 39            1821: George W. Talbot / misc. American, Jan.-April

Box 40            1821: East India / Latin American

Box 41            1821: J. B. Gosler & Co. / misc. European

Box 42            1821: Misc. American, May-Dec.

Box 43            1821: Daniel Crommelin & Sons

Box 44            1822: Misc. American, Jan.-June

Box 45            1822: Misc. American, July-Dec.

Box 46            1822: South American / J. B. Gosler & Co.

Box 47            1822: George W. Talbot / East India Letters

Box 48            1822: Misc. European

Box 49            1823: Misc. European

Box 50            1823: Misc. American, Jan.-June

Box 51            1823: George W. Talbot / Whitwell Bond, & Co. / East India

Box 52            1823: Misc. American, July-Dec.

Box 53            1823: D. Crommelin & Sons / J. B. Gosler & Co. / misc. Latin American

Box 54            1824: Misc. European / D. Crommelin & Sons

Box 55            1824: J. B. Gosler & Co. / misc. Latin American / East India

Box 56            1824: George W. Talbot / Whitwell Bond & Co. / Payson & Co.

Box 57            1824: Misc. American

Box 58            1825: Misc. American

Box 59            1825: Misc. Latin American

Box 60            1825: Misc. European / D. Crommelin & Sons / J. Gosler

Box 61            1825: George W. Talbot / Whitwell Bond & Co. / East India

Box 62            1826: George E. Talbot / Whitwell Bond & Co. / East India

Box 63            1826: Misc. American

Box 64            1826: J. B. Gosler & Co. / Misc. European / D. Crommelin & Sons

Box 65            1826: Latin American

Box 66            1827: Misc. European

Box 67            1827: Misc. American

Box 68            1827: Latin American / D. Crommelin & Sons / J. B. Gosler & Co.

Box 69            1827: George W. Talbot / Whitwell Bond & Co. / East India

Box 70            1828: Misc. American, Jan.-July

Box 71            1828: Misc. Latin American / D. Crommelin & Sons / J. B. Gosler & Co.

Box 721828: Misc. American, Aug.-Dec. / Whitwell Bond & Co. / George W. Talbot / East

                                    India

Box 73            1828: Misc. American

Box 74            1829: Misc. American

Box 75            1829: George W. Talbot / Whitwell Bond & Co. / East India / D. Crommelin & Sons

Box 76            1829: Misc. European

Box 77            1829: J. B. Gosler & Co. / Misc. Latin American

Box 78            1830: George W. Talbot / Whitwell Bond & Co. / East India / Latin American

Box 79            1830: J. B. Gosler & Co. / D. Crommelin & Sons / Misc. European

Box 80            1830: Misc. American

Box 81            1831: Misc. American, Jan.-July

Box 82            1831: J. B. Gosler & Co. / D. Crommelin & Co. / Misc. Latin American / Misc. European

Box 83            1831: Misc. American, Aug.-Dec. / East India

Box 84            1832: Misc. American

Box 85            1832: J. B. Gosler & Co. / British / D. Crommelin & Co. / Misc. Latin American

Box 86            1832: East India / Misc. European (except Britain)

Box 87            1833: Misc. American

Box 88           1833: Samuel Wetmore / Misc. European / D. Crommelin & Sons

Box 89            1833: J. B. Gosler & Co. / Latin American / East India

Box 90            1834: Misc. American, Jan.-June

Box 91            1834: East India / Misc. European

Box 92            1834: Samuel Wetmore / J. B. Gosler & Co. / D. Crommelin & Sons / South American

Box 93            1834: Misc. American, July-Dec.

Box 94            1835: Samuel Wetmore / Stephen Smith (Hamlet Mill)

Box 95            1835: Misc. European / J. B. Gosler & Co. / D. Crommelin & Sons / Latin American / East India

Box 96            1835: Misc. American

Box 97            1836: Latin American / J. B. Gosler & Co. / D. Crommelin & Sons / Misc. European / East India / Thomas P. Bucklin, New York

Box 98            1836: Misc. American Aug.-Dec. / Stephen Smith Hamlet Mill

Box 99            1836: Samuel Wetmore

Box 100          1836: Misc. American, Jan.-July

Box 101          1837: Stephen Smith (Hamlet Mill) / D. Crommelin & Sons / Misc. European / Latin American / East India

Box 102          1837: Misc. American

Box 103          1837: Samuel Wetmore

Box 104          1838: Thomas P. Bucklin / Stephen Smith (Hamlet Mill) / East India / South American / European

Box 105          1838: Misc. American

Box 106          1838: Samuel Wetmore

Box 107          1839: Misc. American / East India (including imperial Chinese edicts)

Box 108          1839: Stephen Smith / Thomas P. Bucklin / European / Latin American

Box 109          1839: Samuel Wetmore

Box 110          1840: Misc. American / East India

Box 111          1840: Thomas P. Bucklin / Stephen Smith (Hamlet Mill) / Latin American / European

Box 112          1840: European / Latin American / Samuel Wetmore

Box 113          1841: Samuel Wetmore / Stephen Smith (Hamlet Mill) / European / Latin American / East India

Box 114          1841: Misc. American

Box 115          1841: Thomas P. Bucklin

Box 116          1842: Misc. American / Thomas P. Bucklin

Box 117          1842: Samuel Wetmore / Stephen Smith (Hamlet Mill ) / East India / European

Box 118          1843: Misc. American

Box 119          1843: Thomas P. Bucklin / Stephen Smith (Hamlet Mill) / George Worwell and undated

Box 120          1843: Samuel Wetmore / Latin American / East India / European

Edward Carrington II:

Box 121         1844: American

Box 122         1844: Bucklin & Crane / Foreign

Box 123          1845: American / Foreign / Bucklin & Crane

Box 124          1846: American / Foreign / Bucklin & Crane

Box 125         1847: American / Foreign / Bucklin & Crane

Box 126          1848: American / Foreign / Bucklin & Crane

Box 127          1849: American / Foreign / Bucklin & Crane

Box 128          1850: American / Foreign / Bucklin & Crane

Box 129         1851: American / Foreign / Bucklin

Box 130         1852-1853: Incoming

Box 131         1854: American / Foreign / Bucklin & Crane

Box 132         1855: American / Foreign / Bucklin & Crane

Box 133          1856: American / Foreign / Bucklin & Crane

Box 134         1857: American / Foreign / Bucklin & Crane

Box 135          1858-1867: Incoming / Misc.

SGI    Series 2:Correspondence

Sub-Series 2: Outgoing Correspondence

RB.1, F.1       Letter Book, 1803-1804

RB.1, F.2       Letter Book, 1804-1805

Vol. 1              Letter Book, Carrington & Snow, 3/1804 - 5/1806

RB.1, F.3        Letter Book, 1805

RB.1, F.4        Letter Book, 1805-1806

RB.1, F.5        Letter Book, 1806-1807

RB.1, F.6        Letter Book, 1808-1809

RB.1, F.7        Letter Book, 1809-1810

Vol. 2              Letter Book A, 10/1815 -10/1817

Vol. 3              Letter Book B, 10/1817 - 3/1819

Vol. 4              Letter Book C, 3/1819 - 7/1821

Vol. 5              Letter Book D, 7/1821 - 3/1823

Vol. 6              Letter Book E, 3/1823 - 7/1826

Vol. 7              Letter Book F, 7/1826 - 6/1829

Vol. 8              Letter Book G, 6/1829 - 7/1832

Vol. 9              Letter Book H, 7/1832 - 7/1835

Vol.10             Private Letter Book, 1/1834 - 6/1834

RB.1, F.8        Letter Book, 1837-1840 (E.C. II)

Box 1            Copies of outgoing letters 1799-1819

Box 2            Copies of outgoing letters 1820-1826

Box 3            Copies of outgoing letters 1827-1830

Box 4            Copies of outgoing letters 1831-1832

Box 5            Copies of outgoing letters 1833

Box 6            Copies of outgoing letters Jan.-May 1834

Box 7            Copies of outgoing letters June-Dec. 1834

Box 8            Copies of outgoing letters 1835-1840

Box 9            Copies of outgoing letters 1840-1843

Box 10           Copies of outgoing letters 1844-1857

Box 243          List of Edward Carrington & Co.'s foreign correspondence

SGI   Series 2: General Accounts

                        Sub-Series 1: Waste Books (Day Books)

                                                                                                                Corresponding ledger book

RB.1, F.9        Waste Book, 1803                                                                                                   A

RB.1, F.10      Waste Book, 1804-1806                                                                                          B

RB.1, F.11      Waste Book, 1806                                                                                                   B

RB.1, F.12      Waste Book, 1806-1811                                                                                          C

Vol.11             Waste Book, 1815-1817                                                                                          D

Vol.12             Waste Book, 1817-1818                                                                                          D

Vol.13             Waste Book, 1819-1820                                                                                          E

Vol.14             Waste Book, 1820-1821                                                                                          E

Vol.15             Waste Book, 1821-1824 (Old Concern entries to 1835)                                          E

Vol.16             Waste Book, (New Concern) 1821-1822                                                                A

Vol.17             Waste Book, 1823-1825                                                                                          A

RB.1, F.13      Waste Book (w/ Summary Holdings), 1824

Vol.18             Waste Book, 1825-1827                                                                                          B

Vol.19             Waste Book, 1827-1829                                                                                          B

Vol.20             Waste Book, 1829-1831                                                                                          C

Vol.21             Waste Book, 1831-1833                                                                                          C

Vol.22             Waste Book, 1833-1835                                                                                          C

Vol.23             Waste Book (no corresponding journal) 1834-1835                                          None

Vol.24             Waste Book, 1835-1840                                                                                          D

Vol.25             Waste Book, 1840-1843                                                                                          D

Vol.26             Waste Book, 1843                                                                                                   D

RB.1, F.14      Waste Book, 1837-1840 (E.C. II)                                                                        D-2

RB.1, F.15      Waste Book, 1840-1842 (E.C. II)                                                                        D-2

RB.1, F.16      Waste Book (w/ Summary Entries), 1835-1836

                         (also contains Accts. Current w/ Wetmore, Hoppin & Co.

                          1834-1837)

SGI   Series 2: General Accounts

                        Sub-Series 2: Journals

Corresponding ledger

Vol.27             Journal, 1802-1804                                                                                                  A

RB.2, F.1        Journal, 1804-1806                                                                                                  B

Vol.28             Journal,1806-1811                                                                                                   C

RB.2, F.2        Journal, 1814-1815                                                                                            None

Vol.29             Journal, 9/1815 - 2/1819                                                                                          D

Vol.30             Journal, 1819-1821 (Old Concern Entries to 1835)                                                 E

Vol.31             Journal, (New Concern with some Old Concern entries) 1821-1825