The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE 19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Hewitt, John, 1777-1857.

Title: Business papers

Dates: 1801-1813

Call No.: Col. 354, Mic. 491

Acc. No.: 78x234, 06x16, Ph 190, Ph 1080, Ph 1081

Quantity: 4 folders, 1 microfilm reel

Location: 34 K 5

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

John Hewitt was a cabinetmaker and merchant. Born in Staffordshire, England in 1777, he was the son of a cabinetmaker. When he was in his teens, he went to work at the Soho engine works of Watts and Boulton. In 1796, Hewitt emigrated to the United States, where he worked as a drafter and pattern maker at the Schuyler Foundry, Second River, N.J. By the end of the century, he returned to cabinet-making and established a shop in New York City. A significant portion of his business came from trade in Savannah and St. Marys, Georgia. In 1805 and 1806, Hewitt was in partnership with Benjamin Ansley. From 1807 to 1809, he was associated with the firm, Hewitt and Mandeville. During the remainder of his career, Hewitt's shop met with various ups and downs. He supplemented his income by jobbing lumber and manufacturing wheels and cotton gin parts. Hewitt was twice married; first to Phoebe Tieman in 1802 and then to Ann Gurnee in 1808.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

Consists of seven letters written by Hewitt to Matt Bruen in 1801 and 1802, along with an account book (on microfilm, Mic. 491)) kept by Hewitt from 1801 to 1812. The letters were sent from Savannah, Ga., where Hewitt was selling furniture consigned to him by Bruen, a fellow merchant and cabinetmaker. Hewitt writes requesting furniture be sent to him, including mahogany bedsteads, sets of dining tables with circular end tables, and inlaid oval breakfast tables. Hewitt comments on what is and is not selling, problems with shipments, and complains about not being paid. As well, there is a letter from William McCardell of Baltimore, written in 1829, mostly about Henry Preston (a.k.a. Henry Jones), who left McCardell before his term of indenture had expired.

The account book features invoices, internal shipping records, accounts with Bruen and other merchants, and sketches for furniture forms with dimensions. It provides information on furniture forms made and sold by Hewitt, prices charged, the division of labor in his shop, the use of pattern books, and his scouting of the competition. He mentions his efforts to imitate the Duncan Phyfe style. The bulk of Hewitt's trade seems to have been conducted by obtaining goods in New Jersey and New York and selling them in Savannah. In addition to furniture, such items as apples, shoes, thread, piano-fortes, clocks, screws, beer, cider, cotton bagging, and stocking pantaloons are mentioned.

Also included in the collection are photocopies of notices in Georgia newspapers in which Hewitt’s name appears (ads, lists of letters held at the post office, etc.); a copy of the certificate naming Hewitt a member of the Society of Journey-men Cabinet-makers of New York; a copy of an ad from a New York City publication; and some other items.

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

The materials are in English.

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.

PROVENANCE

Accession 78x234 purchased from Doris Harris.

Accession 06x16 purchased from Charles B. Wood III, Inc.

Microfilm of account book acquired from New Jersey Historical Society.

ACCESS POINTS

Topics:

Society of Journeymen Cabinetmakers (New York, N.Y.)

Furniture industry and trade.

Furniture making.

Furniture - Prices - 19th century.

Wholesale trade - New Jersey.

Wholesale trade - New York (State) - New York.

Furniture - Drawings.

Shipment of goods.

Dry-goods.

Food.

Beverages.

Commission merchants - Georgia - Savannah.

Furniture - Patterns.

Cabinetwork.

Indentured servants.

New York (N.Y.) - Commerce - Georgia.

Account books.

Invoices.

Letters.

Cabinetmakers.

Merchants.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 34 K 5

Folder 1:

78x234.1 John Hewitt, Savannah, January 4, 1801, to Matt Bruen; has arrived and has opened shop; has sold well; financial matters regarding bills; please send an assortment of mahogany bedsteads and circular ends; also send mahogany boards and boards suitable for coffins; writes about Alling’s chairs; please tell your father I have sold his cider and apples

78x234.2 John Hewitt, Savannah, June 10, 1801, to Matt Bruen, New York; repeats orders sent in previous letter (for a gig, chair, two thousand pairs of shoes); please send several dining tables with circular ends; still awaiting order of bedsteads; needs replacement tops for sideboards; also send circular bureaus

78x234.3 John Hewitt, Savannah, July 23, 1801, to Matt Bruen, New York; about selling furniture for Mr. McDougall; awaiting shipment aboard the William; information about the furniture business

78x234.4 John Hewitt, Savannah, January 2, 1802, to Matt Bruen, New York; the furniture recently arrived was injured in shipment; mentions inlaid oval breakfast tables and sash(?) corners(?); would like to have some dining tables, straight fronted sideboards, and mahogany bedsteads; going to see about purchasing some mahogany logs

78x234.5 John Hewitt, Savannah, January 30, 1802, to Matt Bruen, New York; having a hard time collection money; please send some veneer and panels for a wardrobe

78x234.6 John Hewitt, Savannah, March 2, 1802, to Matt Bruen, New York; shipment of shoes arrived but thinks the price is high; is sending some Sea Island cotton; is waiting for others to pay him so he can pay his debts; can’t compete with Meeks who makes his own furniture – not much profit for Hewitt in selling what Bruen sends him from New York

78x234.7 John Hewitt, Savannah, May 3, 1802, to Matt Bruen, New York; more about difficulties of getting money owed to him

06x16 William McCardell, Baltimore, October 29, 1829, to John Hewitt, New York; McCardell has taken over the business of his brother-in-law Daniel Powels; the Henry Jones who came to Hewitt for a job is probably Henry Preston, a mulatto who used to work at varnishing and staining for Powels; Preston is not a slave, but owes a term of years to McCardell, which has not yet expired; asks Hewitt if it would be possible to have Preston returned from New York; mentions a patent held by Hewitt

Folder 2:

Ph 190 photocopy of ads for George Buckmaster, boat-builder; Nathan Jackson, tavern and boarding house; V. Barnard, boarding; and John Hewitt, cabinet maker, listing sideboards, secretary bureaus, tables, portable desks, etc.;

Ads appeared in The American Coast Pilot, by Capt. Lawrence Furlong (New York: printed by Edmund M. Blunt, 1812)

[no acc. number] photocopy of certificate issued by Society of Journey-men Cabinet-makers of New York, certifying that John Hewitt is admitted as a member, August 2, 1796, signed by W. Phelps(?) and Edward Barkhouse(?)

[location of original unknown]

[no ac. number] photocopy of a plan for a part of a card table

[location of original unknown]

Folder 3:

Ph 1080.1-.18 extracts from Georgia newspapers, 1800-1811, in which Hewitt’s name appears, 1800-1812

[photostats and photocopies; names and dates of newspapers are written on back of each sheet]

Folder 4:

Ph 1081 photocopies of extracts from U. S. Custom papers (National Archives, record group 36): manifests of shipments from New York to Savannah, with particular attention to shipments of furniture made by John Hewitt, 1815-1817

Mic. 491 account book of John Hewitt, 1801-1812

The following are some of the names which appear in the account book:

Baker, Abraham

Beers, Nathan

Bruen, Caleb

Bruen, Matt.

Constantine, Thomas

Dean

DeVoou, James

Donnagha, John

Egerton, Abraham

Helley(?), Rodney

Hewitt, John

Hewitt, Robert

Lunan

Meeks, Joseph

Phyfe, [Duncan]

Sinicra(?), John

Wallis, Henry

Index to names in letters, acc. 78x234.1-.7:

Ackerley, Capt. .1, .2

Alling .1

[Bruen], Caleb . 1 , .4, .6

Bruen, James .4

Butler .7

Ceres (Brig) .6

Crocker, Capt. .3

Debby (Schooner) .2, .5

Denis & Williams .7

Eliza (Brig) .5, .7

Hunter, Wm. .4

Lathem, Capt. .6

Levingworth & Russell .1

Longworth .1, .5, .6

McDougall .3

Meeks .6

Miller .4

Neptune (Brig) .6

New York (Brig) .4, .6

Pelor, Capt. .4

Russell, S. .7

Russell, Samuel .4

Swan [or Swain], Capt. .5

Venus (Brig) .3

Wade .5

Wheeler .5, .7

Wheeler, Stephen .6

[spelled Weeler]

William (Schooner) .2, .3