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:          Brown, Francis.                       

Title:               Papers

Dates:             1753-1764

Call No.:         Doc. 947

Acc. No.:         68x142, 68x177

Quantity:        12 items

Location:        31 G

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

Francis Brown was a ship's captain in New York City.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

Consists of a small account book kept from 1753 to 1758, along with miscellaneous accounts and receipts, a poem, and 2 letters.  The account book records Brown's purchases of rum, beef, and other items needed for ships' crews.  Several entries refer to financial transactions for sloops operated by Brown.  Accounts and receipts document the purchase of such items as nails, cordage, twine, barrels of oranges, etc.  One bill is for sail making, while another is from Brown's tailor, and a third is for gun cleaning.  A bill of lading and ship pass are present as well. The collection also contains what appears to be a poem or song; a letter from Brown in Cape May, New Jersey, to Willing & Todd in Philadelphia about his inability to sail (due to contrary winds); and a letter of farewell from Samuel Brown to his mother.

           

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

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

           

 

PROVENANCE

           

Purchased from Patricia and William Guthman.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

Topics:

            Ship's papers.

            Sloops.

            Ships - Cargo.

            Merchant ships.

            Tailoring.

            Clothing and dress - History - 18th century.

            Business records - New York (State) - New York.

            Sails – Maintenance and repair.

Firearms – Maintenance and repair.

            Poetry.

            Account books.

            Bills of lading.

            Bills of sale.

            Receipts.

            Letters.

            Shipmasters.

           

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 31 G

 

 

68x142.1         receipt book, 1753-1758; most of the receipts were for goods purchased by Francis Brown

 

68x142.2         receipt, Captain Brown paid Philip Doughty, New York, May 24, 1760, for men’s clothing, buttons, thread, etc.

 

68x142.3         receipt, Sloop Ann, Francis Brown, master, paid Benjamin Moore, New York, 1761-1762, for making and repairing sails

 

68x142.4         receipt for goods shipped on Sloop Ann, Francis Brown, captain, by William Randall, Charlestown, Dec. 4, 1761, shipping two barrels of oranges

 

68x142.5         receipt, Sloop Ann, Francis Brown, master, paid Samuel Tingley, New York, March 1762, for ship’s stores, such as oakum, nails, rosin, brimstone, oil, cordage, marlin line, twine, etc.

 

68x142.6         printed form, in Dutch, refers to Francis Brown, a ship named Sally & Polly, Gabriel Pinedo(?), and Manuel Meyer, Curacao, 1764

 

68x142.7         printed New York Custom House form: Francis Brown, master of the sloop Sally & Polly, has taken on board flour, biscuit, peas, and boards for shipment to Curacao, May 8, 1764; gives size of vessel, number of crew, and says that sloop was plantation built; signed by the Customs House surveyor

 

68x142.8         bill to Capt. Brown for his sloop, for glazing, from Morris Earle, no place, 1764

 

68x142.9         letter, Francis Brown, on sloop Polly & Sally, Cape May [New Jersey,] October 26, 1764, to Messrs. Willing & Todd, Philadelphia; winds are keeping him at Cape May and if they have not already sent the cargo to Cape Henlopen, wishes them to send it to Cape May instead; worried about his perishable cargo and the uncertain weather

 

68x177.1         receipt, Francis Brown paid William W. Elsworth, New York, 1749-1751, for cleaning and mending guns

 

68x177.2         letter, Samuel Brown to his mother Hannah Brown, Flushing, May 31, 1777, sorry that was not able to see her before sailing

 

68x177.3         poem or song

Index to names, both personal and those of sloops, Doc. 947 (acc. 68x142)

 

Ackersin, Thomas .1 (pp. 3, 7, 8)

Ann (sloop) .3, .4, .5

Apthorp, Ch. Wd. .7

 

Bear  .1 (p. 8)

Bear, Daniel .1 (pp. 1, 6)

Bennet, John (Capt.)  .1 (p. 21)

Borrow, Saml.  .1 (p. 2)

Browne, Francis  .1 (pp. 2, 6, 9, 10, 13, 16, 19-21, 24-27, 29, 34); .2, .3, .5, .6, .7, [.8,] .9

Browne, Francis (Capt.) .1 (p. 14); .4

Buttele .1 (p. 10)

 

Campbell  .1 (p. 24)

Colden, Alexr.  .7

Collett, Joseph  .1 (pp. 3, 4, [6], 7-9)

Crew, Capt. .1 (p. 10)

 

Degiushe, Elis .1 (p. 32)

Dolton, John .1 (pp. 15, 16)

Dorman, Danuel [i.e. Daniel]  .1 (pp. 18-20)

Doughty, Philip .2

 

Earle, Morris .8

 

Good Intent (sloop) .1 (pp. 3, 5, 9)

Gordon, Capt. .1 (p. 4)

 

Hanson, Capt. .9

Howland, Benjamin  .1 (pp. 22, 24)

(also spelled Howling)

Howling - see Howland

 

Latita (sloop) .1 (pp. 15, 18, 20, 23)

Lawrence .1 (p. 26)

Lawrence, Lancelot .1 (p. 22)

Leach, Stephen .1 (p. 14)

 

Martin, Aaron  .1 (p. 22)

(see also Marton)

Marton .1 (p. 10)

Marton, Aaron   .1 (p. 25)

(see also Martin)

Marton, Francis .1 (p. 4)

Mathone (sloop)  .1 (p. 11)

McGea, Robart .1 (p. 16)

Moore .1 (p. 10)

Moore, Benj.  .3

 

Nicholson, Wm.   .1 (p. 13)

 

Parcey  .1 (p. 15)

Pearce  .1 (p. 19)

Phipps, Eras Jeames .1 (p. 2)

Polly & Sally (sloop)  .9

Priscealer [Priscilla?] .1 (p. 15)

 

Randall, William .4

Rapalje, Garreat .1 (p. 17)

Robart .1 (p. 15)

Robenson, David .1 (p. 27)

 

Salley (sloop)  .1 (p. 13)

Sally & Polly (ship) .6

Sally & Polly (sloop)  .7

Smith, Timothy .1 (pp. 22, 24)

 

Tingley, Samuel .5

Todd (of Willing & Todd) .9

 

Wentworth, Mary .1 (p. 29)

West, V(?) .1 (p. 25)

Whant, Arter(?)  .1 (p. 26)

Whight, James .1 (pp. 18, 19, 23, 27)

Williams, Chas.  .7

Willing & Todd  .9

 

[One name indecipherable]  .1 (p. 10)