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:          Bancker family.            

Title:               Papers

Dates:             ca.1760-ca.1854.

Call No.:         Mic. 101

Acc. No.:         [none]

Quantity:        1 microfilm reel

Location:        microfilm cabinet

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

The Banckers were based in New York City and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Charles N. Bancker was in trade and then entered the insurance business.  His son James Bancker was a merchant in Philadelphia and New York, but he also lived for a time in Canton, China.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

Contains business and personal papers of the Bancker family, especially Charles N. Bancker, including letters, bills (featuring one from Joseph Lownes), and inventories of household goods.  A letter from Thomas Sully to Charles N. Bancker asking permission to painting a copy "of the picture you have by Leslie from West," is included.

           

 

ORGANIZATION

 

The materials are roughly in chronological order.

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

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

           

 

PROVENANCE

           

Originals in American Philosophical Society Library, Philadelphia, Penn., which has a more extensive collection of Bancker family materials.

 

 

RELATED MATERIALS

 

The New-York Historical Society has a collection of Bancker family papers.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

People:

            Bancker, Charles Nicoll, 1778-1869.

            Lownes, Joseph, 1754-1816.

            Sully, Thomas, 1783-1872.

            Bouvier, Michel, 1792-1874.

 

Topics:

            Finance, Personal.

            Retail trade - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

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

            House furnishings - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

            Inventories of decedents’ estates.

            Upper class - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia - Social life and customs.

            New York (N.Y.) - Social life and customs.

            Diaries.

            Bills (financial).

            Inventories.

            Letters.

            Merchants.

            Silversmiths.

            Cabinetmakers.

           

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: microfilm cabinet

 

.1         Receipt book, estate of Mary Alexander, New York, 1760-1768. 

[Evert Bancker was apparently one of the executors of the estate.]

 

.2         Day book of Charles N. Bancker, Philadelphia, and New York, 1795-1800.

 

.3         Inventory of Charles N. Bancker's furniture, n.d.  Includes the prices paid and from who the furniture was purchased (Phyfe is listed as one source).  (Bound copy)

 

.4         Constitution of the Philadelphia Society, for the Encouragement of Domestic Manufactures. Adopted March 14, 1806. (Printed by D. Hogan, No. 51 South Third Street, Philadelphia) (10 p.)

 

.5         Letter, Christopher Smith, no place, to Evert Bancker, New York, May 1777. Asking Bancker to take care of some business for him in New York, having to do with an order for a stone cutter, and mentioning mantels, etc.

 

.6         Bill of lading, goods sent by John Bolton, London, to Christopher Smith, New York, March 1778. Included linseed oil, painter colors, white lead, and whiting.

 

.7         Letter, Christopher Smith, Jamaica South, [probably New York,] to Evert Bancker, New York, March 16, 1778; asking Bancker to take care of some business for him in New York: ask at post office for letters; pick up some seeds (includes list of vegetables and herbs); and ask about a net [probably a fish net] and a canoe.

 

.8         Document, Willett Taylor, New York, December 20,1790.  Bequeaths furniture and other household goods to his grandnieces, daughters of his niece Anna Bancker, namely Maria De Peyster, Anne Augusta, and Violeta Taylor Bancker.  Long list of goods given to these grandnieces.

 

.9         Bill, Joseph Lownes, [Philadelphia], to Charles Bancker, for silver, 1803. Receipted by Joseph Lownes “Silver Smith.”  Long list of silver, with prices.

 

.10       Broadside, "Benjamin Tanner's Proposals, for Publishing by Sub­scription, a Portrait of the Right Reverend William White, D.D. Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the State of Pennsylvania; Engraved by C. Tiebout, from the Original Picture, painted by G. Stuart," 1805.

 

At bottom of broadside, receipt: Benjamin Tanner to C. N. Bancker for "Twelve Dollars in full for the Portrait of Bishop White framed"

 

.11       Bill, King & Talbot, Merchants, New York, to Charles N. Bancker for merchandize shipped to Bancker from Canton by George W. Talbot, 1806. Lists china, lacquered ware, tea, and textile fabrics.

 

.12       Memo concerning shipping seven boxes of chinaware from Canton for Charles N. Bancker, Philadelphia, September 1807.

 

.13       Letter [copy], John T. Mason to John Teackle, Georgetown, D. C., 1806. Describes a house in Georgetown.  Endorsed: “property purchased by my grandfather John Teackle … including the tapestry of John T. Mason”

 

.14       Letter, S.U.(?) [Mrs. Charles N.] Bancker, Philadelphia, Nov. 6, 1815, to her husband in New York.  Asks him to buy a carpet to his own taste, describing desired colors, etc.

 

.15       Inventory, mahogany furniture, chairs, and looking glasses belonging to the late John Teackle, which were in Philadelphia when he wrote his last will on July 2, 181[torn].  At time of inventory, the furniture was in his late residence at Burlington, N. J. [ca. 1815]

 

.16       List of C. R. Leslie's engravings ordered by Charles N. Bancker, London, 1817.   Gives titles.

 

.17       Inventory of china, silver, glass, furniture (listed by form: washstands, settees, ironware, etc.), perhaps estate of John Teackle, Burlington, N. J., 1819.

Note:  Inventory first thought to be that of Charles N. Bancker and so noted on microfilm and microtape.

 

.18       Rough draft of inventory, room-by-room listing, 1819.

(No name or place on the manuscript; year of inventory sug­gests it may be that of John Teackle, Burlington, N. J.)

 

.19       Room by room inventory of household goods and furniture of Charles N. Bancker, Philadelphia, 1826. Assigned to Samuel Archer and Samuel Haslehurst for benefit of Bancker's creditors; Bancker to pay $10 per month for use of said goods and furniture; Bancker to deliver the goods and furniture to Archer and Haslehurst on demand. A. R. Perkins guarantees Bancker's delivery of goods and the payment of the amount promised for the use of the goods.

 

.20       Bill, John Wilbank to Charles Bancker, for repairing andiron, shovel, and tongs, Philadelphia, Jan. 22, 1830.

 

.21       Receipted bill, C. Thibault & Brother (jewelers) to C. N. Bancker for forks, spoons, etc., 1832.

 

.22       Bill, Michel Bouvier, Cabinetmaker, to Charles N. Bancker for a sofa, Philadelphia, April 19, 1831.  [printed billhead]

 

.23      Bill, M, Bouvier to Charles M. Bancker for a secretoire, Philadelphia, Jan. 1, 1833.  [printed billhead]

 

.24       Receipted bill, M. Bouvier to Mrs. Bancker for repairs, Philadelphia, Dec. 31, 1834.

 

.25       Inventory of contents (largely fabrics, such as curtains and quilts) of large trunks “in the garret - made Friday 21 of Nov. 1845 by AEB,” Philadelphia.

 

.26       Bill, Earle & Sully to Charles N. Bancker for "Portrait of Mr. Bancker on a reduced scale; frame and case furnished by Mr. Earle."  Philadelphia, Sept. 9, 1846.

 

.27       Letter, Thomas Sully to Charles N. Bancker, Philadelphia, March 6, 1854. Asks permission to paint a copy "of the Picture you have by Leslie from West".  Suggests "during 'house cleaning' in the Spring" as a time that might be convenient for Bancker to let him borrow the picture.  Copy to be for Mr. Bridport(?).

 

.28       Two letters pertaining to tapestry in Georgetown house bought from John T. Mason:

John Teackle, Alexandria, to Charles N. Bancker, Philadelphia, March 28, 1807; also mentions birth of Bancker’s daughter;

John Teackle to his daughter Sarah (Mrs. Charles N. Bancker), Dec. 24, 1813.

 

.29       Inventory, list of items stolen from Charles N. Bancker's house in Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, n. d.  (Some items marked “found.”)

 

.30       List of furniture [and household goods] for [illegible] B., n.d.  Items listed by form: chairs, tables, bedding, glass, etc.

 

.31       Inventory, household goods, clothes, etc., of Elizabeth Bancker, n. p., n. d., but lists bonds dated 1797.

 

.32-.33             Inventory, household goods, clothes, etc., of Elizabeth Bancker, made by Evert Bancker, Jr., and John Bancker.  Not dated; both these copies include values for goods.

 

.34       46 letters from James Bancker, Canton, China, to his father, Charles N. Bancker, Philadelphia, and other members of his family, 1842-1848.

 

 

Partial Name Index:

 

 

Abbott

Aikens

Alexander, Mary .1

 

Bakewell, Benj.

Bancker, Charles  .9, .20

Bancker, Charles N.  .2, .3, .10-.12, .14, .16, .19, .21-.24, .26, .27, .29

Bancker, Elizabeth  .31-.33

Bancker, Evert .5-.7

Bancker, James .34

Bayley

Bouvier, Michel .22-.24

Boyer

Bradford

 

Caldcleugh

Campbell, Robert

Chunn, T.

Coates

Coe

 

Earle & Sully .26

Guest, John

Hall, Walter T.

Ireland

 

Kennedy

King & Talbot .11

 

Lane, Aaron

Lapsley, David

Leslie, Charles Robert .16

Lownes, Joseph .9

 

Mason, John T.  .13

Myers, Myer

 

Ogle

Ormrod, John

 

Parker

Passmore

Pelletreau, Elias

Philadelphia Society for the Encouragement of Manufactures  .4

Phyfe, Duncan

 

Rhea

Rice, Henry & Patrick

Rice, Patrick

 

Simmons

Smith, Christopher    .5-.7

Sully, Thomas     .27

Teackle, John    .13,  .15, .17, .18

Tanner,   Benjamin    .10

Taylor, Willett    .8

Thibault, C., & Brother    .21

Turnbull, Alexander

 

Wilbank, John .20