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TABLE OF CONTENTSInventory |
Guide to the George B. Brown Collection
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Descriptive Summary | ||
| Creator | Brown, George B. | |
| Title | George B. Brown Collection, | |
| Dates: | 1815-1887(Bulk 1830-1839) | |
| Abstract: | George B. Brown was a Sag Harbor merchant who flourished during the mid-nineteenth century, more specifically, about 1830-1870. Generally speaking, the Brown Papers may be termed business papers since with very few exceptions they do refer to his business dealings. Only several items refer to his personal family life or to other interests. The bulk of the papers is dated in the 1830s. The earliest dated item bears the date, 1815, while the latest are dated 1881 or 1887. Virtually all items are in manuscript form and there is very little printed data. There are about 400 items in this collection. | |
| Extent: | 2 boxes, 1.5 cubic feet | |
| Identification: | B-1 | |
| Location: | The material is located in the Archives at Queens Library. | |
Historical/Biographical Note
George B. Brown was a Sag Harbor merchant who flourished during the mid-nineteenth century, more specifically, about 1830-1870. At the moment, other pertinent biographical features of his life such as exact birth and death dates, genealogy, and other business matters cannot be determined with great accuracy. The following facts are gleaned from an examination of his papers.
Judging from certain school reports dated ca. 1815-1818, George B. Brown was probably born sometime between 1802 and 1807. He had at least two brothers, Anson and Thomas Brown, and at least one son, Samuel P. Brown, who apparently entered the business with him in the 1870s. He was also, for a time, a Captain in the New York State Militia, and was probably a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. George B. Brown was educated in Lyme, Connecticut and also served a brief apprenticeship in a firm located in North Carolina. About 1831 he came to Sag Harbor and apparently opened a general store, no doubt expanding it as time progressed. A letterhead of his reads “Geo. B. Brown and. Co. Dealers in Dry Goods, Groceries, Hardware, Crockery, Drugs, Etc.”. About 1835, he probably went into partnership for a limited period with a man named Tiffany, since occasional bills or letters bear the name, “Messrs. Brown and Tiffany.” Later, his son entered the business.
An interesting note, according to historical records (see, for example, the anniversary publication issued in 1944 by the First Presbyterian Church of Sag Harbor) there was also a firm, Tiffany and Halsey, which owned at least two whaling ships. Sag Harbor at this period was a great whaling port. Since several accounts in the Brown Papers make mention of Sperm Oil, Brown himself may have been actively engaged in this business also, or, at least, stocked a great quantity of this oil in his store.
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Scope and Content Note
Generally speaking, the Brown Papers may be termed business papers since with very few exceptions they do refer to his business dealings. Only several items refer to his personal family life or to other interests. The bulk of the papers is dated in the 1830s. The earliest dated item bears the date, 1815, while the latest are dated 1881 or 1887. Virtually all items are in manuscript form and there is very little printed data. There are about 400 items in this collection.
The George B. Brown Papers have been divided into three series as follows, Miscellaneous Accounts, Receipts and other Financial and Miscellaneous Documents, Miscellaneous General Correspondence Received and Sent and Miscellaneous Documents, and Miscellaneous Account Books and Miscellaneous Volumes.
Items in the first series, Miscellaneous Accounts, Receipts and other Financial and Miscellaneous Documents are arranged in chronological order. By and large, these items are accounts or bills and receipts. Occasionally, there are some cancelled checks or promissory notes. The accounts or bills vary in size from about 4” wide and 7” in length to larger sizes of about 8x12”. Receipts are usually smaller in size, often measuring only 2x8”. The bills are generally for materials or services which Brown had purchased; receipts are generally for the payment which Brown made for these items. In some instances, one document serves as both account and receipt since the account has an added sentence making note that payment was received. Upon occasion, some of these documents have more than one date written on them. As is usually the practice, they have been arranged according to the latest date, which in many instances represents the date of audit, or, as the term is commonly used in these papers, date when bill was “Examined.”
Among the individual firms with whom Brown did business and one which is mentioned quite often in these documents, is the firm of Harper, Arcularius and Co. of New York. Among the more important items is one several pages in length, (probably torn out of an account book) titled “Schedule of debts Due George B. Brown.” Most of these debts have been arranged according to the descriptions, “Good”, “Doubtful” and “Bad,” these descriptions presumably being based on the chances of recovering full payment. Most of these debts were contracted during 1835-1836, but the schedule itself was probably developed and audited in 1837. A rather unique item is an account involving the estate of Maria Brown, May 10, 1376 probably the wife of Brown’s son, Samuel.
Items in the second series, Miscellaneous General Correspondence Received and Sent and Miscellaneous Documents are arranged in chronological order. The major portion of the items in this series consists of letters received by Mr. Brown. Less common are copies which Brown made of letters he addressed to others. Besides this correspondence, this series contains several miscellaneous documents such as some advertising circulars or insurance policies.
Among the more unusual items in this series are several which refer to a Mr. Tatin’s Dancing Academy which Brown attended as a young man. Other items which refer to Brown’s early life are several small certificates issued by a Lyme, Connecticut school attesting to Brown’s proficiency as a student; several letters concerning his efforts to obtain employment; and an agreement he signed to go and clerk in the Winston, North Carolina firm of D. and M.C. Ryan. Also included is a letter from his brother Thomas discussing business opportunities in Sag Harbor.
The later dated letters concern business matters for the most part. For example, one or two such letters discuss apprenticeship matters; several discuss what merchants are doing in the way of outfitting ships about to embark on voyages; insurance coverage and so forth. There is also a letter from A.S. Morse of Brooklyn regarding a patent and from J.C. Sweezy of Riverhead giving an estimate for building a grist mill and stating his doubts as to whether or not steam power can be used profitably “in this part of the country.”
Items in the third series, Miscellaneous Account Books and Miscellaneous Volumes measure between 3x5” to 4x6”. Aside from one printed hymnal titled A New Collection of Spiritual Hymns, For the Followers of the Lamb, by G. Babcock (printed in New-London, 1821); all the volumes are in manuscript form and deal with financial matters in one way or another. Some of these volumes are labeled and bear such one word descriptions as “Sales,” “Store Inventory,” etc. Many are in rather poor description. There are one or two thin strips of cloth samples attached in some of the “Store Inventory” scribbling. Check marks and other marks of various kinds were used, evidently, by Mr. Brown to keep tally, to order, and generally, to run his business.
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Creator of item, date of item (if known), identification of item, if a photograph its control number. The George B. Brown Collection, Archives at Queens Library, Queens Borough Public Library.
Access Restrictions
Open for research without restrictions. Manuscripts are only available in the Archives at Queens Library, please call (718) 990-0770 for hours. Manuscript users will be required to complete the division's Manuscript Usage Form and deposit their photograph identification or Queens Borough Public Library card with a staff member. The identification will be returned to the user after she/he has returned the material. Manuscript users will deposit all their personal items behind the reference desk. Manuscript users must use the division's loose sheets of paper for note taking. To reiterate, no pen of any type is permitted. Paper and a pencil are available upon request. Manuscript users may be required to use special handling procedures depending on the conditions of the material.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the:
- Archives at Queens Library
- Queens Borough Public Library
- 89-11 Merrick Boulevard
- Jamaica, NY 11432
- Phone: (718) 990-0770.
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Access Points
Subject Names:
- Brown, George B.
Subject Places:
- Sag Harbor (N.Y.)
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Inventory
[The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.]
