More of the same...

Please note that where there was a (?) was either a letter or word unreadable.

Page 3

Amount of Debts proved Brot. (brought) over

Ledyard and Whert                         $267.60
Isaac Williams note                          $287.00
Elias Perkins note signed A. Morgan        $1009.78
Amos Hull                                            $56.97
Amos Wheeler                                  $71.34
Crossed off William Chippotle    $117.50
Peter Avery  G(?)                             $83.72
Lawrance Van  Lunderen of New York City           $364.70
Isaac Carias                                         $159.39
L---an P. Chew                                  $720. 28
John Deshon                                      $4.79
Crossed off                                         $23529.58
Crossed off Elizabeth Turner       $63.33
James Noyes                                     $74.90
John B. Stanton                                                $51.67
Joseph D. Phelps                              $27.60
Michael Huntley                               $4.52
David Churchill                                  $30.67
Joseph Foot                                       $55.87
Almy &Brown                                    $285.48
Rufus Mason                                     $46.87
John Mumford                                  $125.10
Richard Chappell                              $121.71
Robert Wheeler                                               $135.67
John Noyes balance of a note in far (?) of Eleazer Clark of Lyme $154.50
1803 July 19 Richard J (?)  Hallett                $161.75
Stanton Lergo (?)                             $9.00
Continued forward                         $24907.76

 

More form the Bankruptcy record of Job Tabor

Please note that where there is a (?) it is either a letter or word unreadable.

Page 2
The second page carried over from the first…
Amount of debts Brot. (brought) over                   $15144.28 (yes…2 cents higher!)
John French                       $352.34
James Catterel                  $41.34
Samuel Hurbert bond from custom house            $381.34
Francis Hazard $18.99 and $17.68 crossed off
David Wait                          $9.96
Caddington Billings          $120.35
Latham Hull                        $104.06
Rinadam(?) Williams       $157.65
Amos Hull                            $202.37
John Avery                         $19.53
Elizabeth Proctor              $105.36
Pardon Tabor                     $517.83 (could be a relative of Job’s)
Ditto                                      $43.75 then $561.58
Richard Douglass              $214.84
Samuel Corss(?)                               $654.98
William Holray (?)             $203
Charles T. Smith and Shubel Smith $1106.78
Jared Starr                          $2.00
Ephraim Williams              $20.11
Nathaniel Ledyard           $32
John I.Glover                     $975.70
Jonathan Starr as assignee for the creditors of William Woodworth $123.36
Elijah Baley                         $7.00
Isaac Turner                       $225
Crossed off I(?)aez Holms
Francis R. Winthrop         $77.59
Gurdon Manwaring        $191.87
Joseph (?)oot                    $34.10
Continued forward         $21024.61

 

Job Tabor/Taber’s Bankruptcy Record

Before delving into the records I wanted to see, the archivist in the NARA research room explained about the 1800 US Bankruptcy Act. The sole purpose of the act was for district justices to review, administer, and oversee bankruptcy cases.  This act allowed creditors to go after merchants. There had to be two thirds agreement with all creditors and forced merchants into bankruptcy. With a sunset clause of five years, it created corruption and excessive costs and was repealed in 1803 by Congress.  The Federal Judicial Center in Washington, DC has an online timeline which gives a brief synopsis of the 1800 Act and history of bankruptcy in the US. http://www.rib.uscourts.gov/newhome/docs/the_evelution_of_bankruptcy_law.pdf

It was in this time period which Job Tabor faced bankruptcy. In Box 10 of 11,  his papers included oaths of executing bankruptcy, accounts from firms in New York City, receipts for bankruptcy, and accounts of debt. It seemed to me that many New York City merchants used Tabor and Tripp to act as agents. It also included information such as Captain Thomas Wilson sending goods to Tabor and Tripp. It included notes paid by others to Captain Wilson and came from places like New York City, Hartford, New London, Providence, Newport, and the Washington Insurance Company. Bills due for James Rogers- twenty-six shillings and six pence due March 1799, Caleb Greene of Newport, Olcutt of Hartford , New York merchants Thomas Pearsall and sons, Isaac Caraw, William Bache, Thomas Chew; and New London merchants John Deshon, Jared Starr, and Lathan (probably Latham)  Hull were all included in the bankruptcy proceedings.

An affidavit by Peter Richards of New London swore that he saw General Jedidiah Huntington sign his name on a certificate purporting his consent that Job Taber and Stephen Tripp be discharged of his debts. It was signed in front of Mr. Jon Tripley, Commissioner on April 14, 1803. (It would be interesting to see if this date was before or after Congress appealed the act!)

A receipt from Mr. Michael Huntley to Taber and Trip in 1803 listed: July 15- 1 pair of stockings worth 0.75; July 29- 1 box worth 0.33, July 31- one blanket valued 2.33, February 7- 251 (?) cheese at 5 (?)  worth 17.42 for a 20.83. The value of this note was in dollars. Taber and Tripp also wrote a promissory note to Michael Huntley “for Twenty-four dollars and thirty-five cents with interest from November 24^th being the balance of wages on board Brig Minvera_New London, December 4, 1802.” It also included a notation of $24.35-20.83=$4.52 balance allowed.

 

 

Bankruptcy Records from New London, CT

In December my visit to  NARA was fruitful. Determining the best way to share what was found, it was decided to blog my results. Who knows...maybe it will help someone out there? My next series of blogs will focus on the documents found and list the names found from the documents. What are the documents you ask? Bankruptcy records  and shipping records of course!

RG 36 of NARA contain US Custom Records from New London. This included bonds for ships: 1790-1825, import bonds: 1790-1821, and original papers for ships. Anytime a ship pulled into the seaport there had to be documentation of proof of the ownership, captain, crew, and cargo. Looking at the cargo of the ship can tell you what was it carried and idea of how big the ship was. Sloop or brig, you can get a good idea of what the size of the boat was like. For example, Stephen Miner in 1799, master of the sloop Fanny arrived in New London with 2 hogshead of rum, navigated with four men. In 1792 James Powers of New Haven submitted papers that he was the co-owner and master of the brig Rebecca. Thomas Wait and Samuel Mather paid to Thomas Wait, master of the schooner Maria. (Most likely a son and friend purchasing the ship from the elder Wait or a change of ownership status.)

Some records included correspondence. I found several references to "Nathanil" Ingraham. The blotters are another part of this series to examine. Blotters from #106: 1794-1795 through #109: 1821 that were helpful to me. On June 19, 1795, my ancestor, James Peters, left New London on the sloop Hiram. He was cleared to sail and lists the cargo he carried. One other record that I didn't have time to examine was Ships Oaths. I have that on my future research list.

One last interesting item to look at was found in the bankruptcy records for Job Tabor. It was insurance on the sloop Betsy and Point Judith. Phineas Huntley, Thomas Rice, and John Arnold were mentioned, Edward Chappell featured predominately in the folder. A promissory note from James Noyes was listed as well as two females Elizabeth Proctor and Lucy Bolles. (Lucy was a relative of the Bolles captains who later sailed to the South Pacific in the 1850s.)

Next: Job Tabor's bankruptcy records

Looking at the friends of the family

One of the best way to hurdle the brick walls in my research is to look at the family and friends of my ancestors. By looking at other family members you can find clues that may lead you on a path to where you want to go. Examining the neighbors, friends, and associates of a ancestor can also point the way as well as finding new areas of research. Here is an example of what I did with a will.

When Captain James Peters wrote his will in August of 1802, he was suffering from yellow fever. A huge epidemic swept through New York at that time and sadly, at the age 41 he was a victim of the disease. When his will was probated not once, not twice but four times, the original and copies of it were made. These copies had to be accurate because it was a legal document. The fact that he was a sea captain and was wealthy according to the standards at that time made his will an important business document.

According to his will his executors were William Seaton of New York City and John Woodward and Job Tabor of New London. William Seaton died in Italy shortly after leaving New York for a better climate. (Yes, he was  Mother Elizabeth Seaton's husband!) Job Tabor was forced into bankruptcy in 1804 and by 1806 had died. The surviving executor, John Woodward, advertised in both New London and New York City newspapers that he was the surviving executor of James Peters. He also died before the probate could be completed because by 1809 Guy Richards of New London had petition in New York City courts that he was guardian of Captain Peters' son, James, and asked to be named the executor of Captain Peters' will.

On my "to do" list, I still need to examine William Seaton's and John Woodward's wills. I did look at the bankruptcy records for Job Tabor (located in NARA in Waltham). On a hunch I decided to also look at Guy Richards' will and lo' and behold there was James Peters Junior listed. This lead me to other records in other locations including tracking down James Peters Junior's will in Philadelphia and discovering more records for me to examine.

The twists and turns of family trees

My husband states often my family tree isn't a tree but a family stick that doesn't branch. Sometimes his witty, sarcastic comments include ones like this one that my family tree isn't a tree but a family knots. My favorite one of all is that my family tree travels in circles. Sadly, I have to admit he is correct.

While preparing for a talk recently I decided to show the connection from my third grandfather, James Marthers, to his family. Grampa Jim didn't have a direct connection to his half siblings but lots of indirect connections. I couldn't find birth, marriage, and death documents that showed his connection to his mother, uncle, and grandparents. His wife, Harriet Miner/Minor, was the daughter of  James Miner and Hannah Rogers of eastern Connecticut and was pretty straight forward to trace. But Grampa Jim was tougher...he seemed to appeared out if nowhere.

After many years of searching, weighing the evidence, and looking at  land records, I finally was able to find his connection to his uncle, silversmith James Peters of Philadelphia. His uncle was the proverbial wealthy uncle who left Grampa Jim money. (The funniest part of this story was discovering some of the legal documents in Hartford and paying $.50 a page only to fork over $32 in  Philadelphia for the same five pages!) Regardless, I'm pretty certain I now know who his parents were.

But a little clue that I missed was already there in print. James Marthers' younger half sister listed her parents as Joseph Clifford and Fanny Harris. Her obituary stated this as well as the genealogy James Rogers of New London and his Descendants. Fanny Harris was her aunt..not her mother.

Returning to James Peter's will, he clearly states his sisters children, James Marthers and Francis Rogers, shall inherit from him. At first glance it could mean he had more than one sister. However, his only sister, Betsey, was the wife of James Mathers and married second, Joseph Clifford. It was James Peters himself whom married Fanny Harris, not Joseph Clifford. (No divorce here...Fanny Harris Peters died in the 1850s in Philadelphia.)

It is the Rogers Genealogy and the Miner Society that made me realize how important family connections are. Remember James Marthers married Harriet Miner. Did you notice that her mother was a Rogers? It seems that her nephew, Joseph Turner Rogers, married Francis Clifford, James Marthers' half sister.

Following the Harris tree back one more generation to Fanny Harris' mother, Elizabeth Miner, showed another connection to James Marthers. Yes, she was a relative of  Harriet Miner Marthers' father, James Miner. (Confused yet?)

Land records tied up the loose ends here. Records found in Connecticut, New York City, Philadelphia, and Baltimore alone didn't tell the story. But placed together it created the knot my husband chuckles about whenever family history is discussed. Does anyone have a pair of scissors I can borrow?