EAD
TABLE OF CONTENTSInventory |
Guide to the Parsons Family Miscellaneous Personal and Business Papers Addendum 4
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Descriptive Summary | ||
| Creator | Parsons family | |
| Title | Parsons Family Miscellaneous Personal and Business Papers Addendum 4, | |
| Dates: | 1767-1803 | |
| Abstract: | The collection contains documents pertaining to several other family members. However, their relationships are not known. | |
| Extent: | 4 boxes, 3.2 cubic feet | |
| Identification: | P-7d | |
| Location: | The material is located in the Archives at Queens Library. | |
Historical/Biographical Note
The Parsons Family was one of the oldest families of Flushing. Through intermarriage, they were also related to the very famous and old Quaker family, the Bowne family. Probably, the most distinguished members of the family were Samuel Parsons (1771?-1841), and his two sons, Samuel B. Parsons (1819-1906) and Robert B. Parsons (1821-1898). All were noted and respected horticulturists, the senior Parsons having founded the Parsons Nursery shortly before his death in 1838.
At his death in 1841, the business was taken over and expanded by the sons who operated it until 1872. In that year, Samuel B. Parsons moved his share of the firm to near by Kissena Lake operating it under the name of Parsons and Sons Company, though it was commonly called the Kissena Nurseries. Robert B. Parsons continued to operate his share of the old nursery under the name Re B. Parsons and Company.
The above two Parsons had children and grandchildren. The exact genealogy has not been traced, and the following genealogical information is supplied simply as a brief guide for the understanding of the collection since documents pertaining to several different individuals are found in it. In some instances, however, we are not sure of the exact relationships.
James Parsons (fl. 18th century) father of Samuel (1771?-1841) John and James, and husband of Jane Parsons
Samuel Parsons (fl. 19th century) father of James B. Parsons and Mary B. Parsons
Samuel Parsons, Jr. son of Samuel B. Parsons and a landscape artist who served for a time as New York Superintendent of Parks. He died in 1923.
William Bowne Parsons son of Robert B. Parsons who died in 1959 at the age of 87. He was by profession, a lawyer, and served aboard the U.S.S. "Yankee” in the Spanish-American War, as well as an array captain in World War I.
Mabel Parsons daughter of Samuel Pardons, Jr.
The collection contains documents pertaining to several other family members. However, their relationships are not known.
Return to the Table of Contents
Scope and Content Note
In 1988 additional papers of the Parsons Family were donated to the Archives at Queens Library. The seven financial ledgers, 1767-1803, document the financial activity of James Parsons and James Parsons and Sons, New York City merchants. They list the buyer, items purchased, the amount spent, and sometimes the means of transporting the material. The following is a list of the material donated.
James Parsons Sales Book A, August 1767 -April 1786
James Parsons Ledger A, April 1768 -1783
James Parsons Day Book, August 1789 -April 1794
James Parsons Day Book A, April 1795 -November 1799
James Parsons Journal A, April 1795 -November 1799
James Parsons and Sons Journal B, June 1790 -November 1794
James Parsons and Sons Day Book, April 1794 -November 1803
Return to the Table of Contents
Return to the Table of Contents
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 Parsons Family Miscellaneous Personal and Business Papers Addendum 4, 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.
Return to the Table of Contents
Access Points
Subject Family Names:
- Parsons Family
Subject Places:
- Flushing (New York, N.Y.)
Return to the Table of Contents
Inventory
[The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.]
