Microform Collections
British Records Relating to America in Microform Collections
This series of microfilm collections is published by Microform Limited (formerly EP Microform) of East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England in conjunction with the British Association for American Studies. The series ranges in time from the colonial period to the twentieth century, and in place from Quebec to the West Indies. The collections relate to trade, industry, plantations, agriculture, immigration, the anti-slavery movement, politics, and military affairs. Located in various British archival collections, the papers selected contribute to the understanding of American history usually through the business and personal affairs of British subjects. Introductions at the beginning of each filmed collection explain the provenance and the historical background for each collection.
Guides:
Raimo, John W. (ed.). A Guide to
Manuscripts Relating to America in Great Britain and Ireland.
Z1236.C74 1979
The guide briefly describes various collections in this series. Each collection in Ellis Library is listed in the card catalog and/or MERLIN, the online catalog, although individual theses and dissertations are not yet listed in MERLIN.
71 - 105 of 118 resources. Page: < 1 2 3 4 >
NAVAL OFFICE SHIPPING LISTS FOR NEW JERSEY, 1722-1764, IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS OFFICE, LONDON.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1967.
British records relating to America in microfilm
1 reel(s)
Under the Navigation Acts colonial officials were required to maintain records of the shipping that entered and left American ports. Provincial clerks, called naval officers, gathered the required information and periodically sent the lists to London. The lists record the date of entry or departure from port, the ship's name, home port or colony, style of construction and tonnage, registration, name of master, and name of owner. They also report the number of guns and crew, the cargo (including slaves and indentures), the last port of clearance, the immediate destination, and the date and location where bond may have been posted. Bridlington (Burlington), Perth Amboy, and Salem were New Jersey's ports of entry. A good part of the incoming shipping carried slaves from Africa and the West Indies. Available lists in this collection include the following ports: Bridlington (Burlington) 1732-45, 1748, 1749-51, 1754-56, and 1763-64, Perth Amboy 1722-27, 1732-34, 1740-51, 1754-59, and 1763-64, and Salem 1736-51.
An introduction at the beginning of the reel contains the provenance, background on naval officers and the naval office shipping lists, information specifically about the New Jersey lists, and a bibliography of related works.
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FILM 22:8
NAVAL OFFICE SHIPPING LISTS FOR NEW YORK, 1713-1765, IN THE PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1967.
British records relating to America in microfilm
3 reel(s)
The Navigation Acts required colonial officials to keep records of ships entering and departing American ports. Provincial clerks, called naval officers, gathered the necessary information and periodically sent the lists to London. The lists report the date of entry or clearance from port, the ship's name, home port or colony, style of construction and tonnage, registration, name of master, and name of owner. They also describe the number of guns and crew, the cargo (including slaves and indentures), the last port clearance, the immediate destination, and the date and location where bond may have been posted. The lists for New York are complete between 1713 and 1743 except for the years 1713, 1714, 1719, 1730, 1731, and 1743. From 1744 until 1765, the lists are complete only in the years 1754, 1763, and 1764.
An introduction at the beginning of each reel contains the provenance, background on naval officers and naval office shipping lists, information specifically about the New York lists, and a bibliography of related works.
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NAVAL OFFICE SHIPPING LISTS FOR NOVA SCOTIA [1730-1820: IN THE PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON].
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1981.
British records relating to America in microfilm
3 reel(s)
The Navigation Acts of 1698 provided for the collection of detailed information regarding every vessel entering and clearing British ports. The principal ports of Nova Scotia were Halifax, Sydney and Arichat and Benjamin Green, Winckworth Tonge and William Cottnam Tonge were the principal naval officers whose records are filmed. The lists include date of entry, name of ship, home port, when the ship was built and registered, the name of the master, the name of the owner, measured tonnage, number of guns, size of crew and details of the cargo carried including the names of passengers and the number of slaves or indentured servants. The guide to the collection provides tabulations that establishes the relative importance of different regions as suppliers to Nova Scotia and compares Halifax and Boston shipping.
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Guides:
The Naval Office shipping lists for Nova Scotia, 1730-1820 : in the Public Record Office, London.
The guide gives the provenance of the collection, a summary of the contents, and a bibliography of related sources. It is also reproduced at the beginning of the collection.
NAVAL OFFICE SHIPPING LISTS FOR SOUTH CAROLINA, 1716-1776, IN THE PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1966.
British records relating to America in microfilm
2 reel(s)
Naval officers in British colonies in North America and the West Indies prepared shipping lists and forwarded them through the colonial governor to the Board of Trade or to the Treasury in England. The Navigation Act of 1696 established the naval officer's responsibility, to obtain detailed information regarding every ship entering and clearing in the colonial ports. The lists contain chronological entries of ships and their cargo. Information includes the date of entry or clearance, the type and name of the ship, its home port or colony, the details of the vessel's construction and registration, the name of the master and owner, the last port entered and the immediate destination, and the tonnage of the vessel.
A description of the collection and its arrangement is on the first reel.
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NAVAL OFFICE SHIPPING LISTS FOR THE WEST INDIES (EXCLUDING JAMAICA) 1678-1825: IN THE PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1980.
British records relating to America in microfilm
15 reel(s)
The establishment of spice and sugar plantations was a major factor in the expansion of trade and the consistent growth of shipping traffic which occurred in the West Indies during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The islands were also important exporters of coffee and tropical fruit. The origin of the shipping lists goes back to the Navigation Act of 1663, which required colonial officials to record all ships entering or leaving American ports. Provincial clerks, called Naval Officers, gathered this data and periodically dispatched it to London. Accumulating the information proved particularly difficult in the British West Indies where most of the islands had several ports but only one Naval Officer and one official port of entry. Exceptions to this were Bermuda, Grenada, and Martinique, all of which had two official ports of entry. Due to their increasing economic value, possession of the West Indies was hotly contested and the region's political geography was in a state of flux during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. This was a result of Britain's wars with Spain, France, the Netherlands, the United States, and Denmark. This situation stabilized after 1815, but of the nineteen islands mentioned in the records only Antigua, Barbados, Bermuda, Crooked Island, Exuma, and Tortola remained under British control throughout the period of 1678 to 18125. This factor has resulted in gaps in the records. The shipping lists contain the dates of entry and clearance, the name of the ship, home port, style of construction, tonnage, registration, the names of the master and owner, number of guns, cargo (including slaves and indentured servants), usually the last port of clearance, the port of immediate destination, and the location where bond may have been posted.
A description of the collection and its arrangement appears on the first reel.
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Guides:
Minchinton, Walter E. The Naval Office shipping lists for the West Indies 1678-1825 (excluding Jamaica) in the Public Record Office, London.
The guide contains a provenance, background on naval officers and naval office shipping lists, specific information on the West Indies shipping lists and historians who have used them, a summary of shipping information for the lists, contents of the film, and a bibliography of related works.
NAVAL OFFICE SHIPPING LISTS FOR VIRGINIA, 1698-1769, IN THE PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1967.
British records relating to America in microfilm
4 reel(s)
The Navigation Acts required colonial officials to maintain records on all shipping which entered or left ports in America. During the period covered by this collection Virginia had no fixed port of entry. Most of the colony's trade was conducted along the coast or in rivers and inlets. Consequently six clerks, called naval officers, were stationed in different districts of the colony to gather shipping data which was periodically dispatched to London. The naval officers for the Lower James River, the York River, and the Upper James River were stationed at Hampton, Yorktown, and Williamsburg respectively. The lists report the date of entry or clearance from port, the ship name, home port or colony, style of construction and tonnage, registration, name of master, and name of owner. They also describe the number of guns and crew, the cargo (including slaves and indentures), the last port of clearance, the immediate destination, and the date and location where bond may have been posted. The lists for Virginia are largely complete from 1698 to 1707 and from 1725 to 1769. There are no records between 1707 and 1725.
An introduction at the beginning of each reel contains the provenance, background on naval officers and the naval office shipping lists, information specifically about the Virginia lists, a table of reel contents, a summary of shipping information, and a bibliography of related works.
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NOVA SCOTIA RECORDS OF THE UNITED SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL, 1722-1860.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Microform Limited, 1984.
British records relating to America in microfilm
15 reel(s)
The Society's missionary activities in Nova Scotia effectively began after the founding of Halifax in 1749. Since most of the residents of Nova Scotia were dissenters at that time, the Anglican Church did not gather much strength until the heavy influx of American Loyalists after the Revolution. At this point, in 1787, an Anglican bishopric was established and the Church in Nova Scotia strengthened in order to minimize dissent against English control. This collection contains correspondence from clergymen in Nova Scotia to the Secretary of the Society.
At the beginning of each reel is an index of persons mentioned and an annotated calendar of each letter received.
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Guides:
The Nova Scotia records of the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, 1722-1860.
The guide contains the provenance of the records, background information on the Society records, a list of reel contents, and a bibliography of related works.
Owen, Robert. ROBERT OWEN PAPERS, 1821-58, IN THE LIBRARY, CO-OPERATIVE UNION LTD., HOLYOAKE HOUSE, HANOVER STREET, MANCHESTER.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1966.
British records relating to America in microfilm
1 reel(s)
A successful British cotton manufacturer, Robert Owen supported trade unions, co-operatives, and socialism. He visited the United States four times between 1824 and 1828. On the first trip, he founded New Harmony, Indiana. In 1828, he petitioned the Mexican government for a massive grant of land (the whole of Texas). From 1844 to 1847 he lived in the United States. The papers document the purchase of New Harmony, Owen's plans for settlement in Texas, his involvement in the Oregon question, and his belief in spiritualism. Letters of Robert Dale Owen, his son, relate to national education in the United States, the Panic of 1837, Cuba, the Wilmot Proviso, and the Texas and Oregon issues in which both he and his father were involved.
A description of the collection and its arrangement appears at the beginning of the reel.
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Palmerston, Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount, 1784-1865. PALMERSTON PAPERS (ADD MSS 48495, 48675-6) IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Microform Division, 1971.
British records relating to America in microfilm
1 reel(s)
Henry John Temple, third Viscount Palmerston, was Junior Lord of the Admiralty and secretary of state at the War Department under Perceval and others, 1809-1828. In 1830 he was made foreign minister under the Whigs. He continued to serve as Foreign Minister except when the Whigs were out of office. In 1855 he became Prime Minister, was defeated in 1858, regained office in 1859, and remained in that office until his death in 1865. Compiled from the Foreign Office, the papers contain notes of diplomatic correspondence with the British ministers in Washington from 1835 to 1841 and from 1846 to 1850. Chief topics are Britain's offers of mediation in the American-French dispute over the French blockade of Mexican ports, Canadian fisheries, the selling into slavery of a British subject in Florida, Canadian boundary disputes, and the Caroline incident.
A description of the contents and their arrangement is at the beginning of the reel.
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PAPERS OF GRAFFIN PRANKARD (DICKINSON PAPERS), 1712-1757, IN THE SOMERSET RECORD OFFICE, TAUNTON.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: EP Microform Ltd., 1976.
British records relating to America in microfilm
9 reel(s)
Correspondence of Graffin Prankard, an iron merchant of Bristol involved in foreign trade, contains details of his complicated ventures in shipping. Items such as bills of lading, instructions to ship commanders, and promissory notes relate to trade with Newfoundland, New York, Philadelphia, Maryland, and the Carolinas. Rice and logwood imported from South Carolina played important roles as commodities in Prankard's trading connections. Details of the trading ventures of three ships include sailing orders and expenditures for repairs, wages, and duties. Iron and salt trading accounts, marine insurance ledgers, and miscellaneous loose accounts provide additional information.
An uncataloged guide, Papers of Graffin Prankard (Dickinson Papers), 1712-1757, in the Somerset Record Office, Taunton, is available in the Special Collections Office. The guide provides background and a list of reel contents.
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PAPERS RELATING TO THE PROVIDENCE ISLAND COMPANY AND COLONY, 1630-1641.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Microform Academic Publishers, 1987.
British records relating to America in microfilm
2 reel(s)
The Providence Island Company was founded by a group of "Protestant Imperialists" in the 1620s to grow crops on Providence and Association Islands, off the coasts of Nicaragua, and revive England's cloth manufacturing industry and to challenge Spain in its area of power. One reel contains minutes of the company meetings, and the other reel copies of official letters written by company agents. Subjects discussed are the company's problems with debt and attacks by the Spanish.
Guides:
The guide contains a brief history and bibliography of the Providence Island Company.
Parker family. PARKER FAMILY PAPERS, 1760-1795.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1964.
British records relating to America in microfilm
4 reel(s)
James Parker, a merchant of Norfolk, Virginia, fought as a captain in the British Army during the War for Independence. He was captured twice and held as a prisoner of war in France. The papers relate to his career in Virginia and his experiences during the war, and to the careers of his sons, Patrick and Charles. The letters discuss personal, political, and business matters. One group of papers deals with Parker's claims for his lost American property. In addition, the papers contain such items as the Virginia Almanack for 1771, accounts and correspondence related to prize money, an account of Benedict Arnold's attempted betrayal of the West Point Fort, and letters exchanged while James was a prisoner of war.
A description of the collection and its arrangement appears on the first reel.
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FILM 22:9-10
Pattison, James, 1724-1805. JAMES PATTISON PAPERS, 1777-1781, FROM THE LIBRARY, ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION, WOOLWICH, LONDON, S.E. 18.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1963.
British records relating to America in microfilm
1 reel(s)
James Pattison, a British army officer in the American War of Independence, was commander in New York from 1779 to 1780. In April of 1777, Pattison became colonel commandant of the 4th battalion of the Royal Artillery. In September he arrived in New York to assume command of the Royal Artillery, serving under Sir Henry Clinton, Sir Thomas Wilson, and Sir William Howe during their American campaigns. The papers include brigade and general orders giving details of military operations such as the strength and movements of British forces. Other registers record appointments, bills of lading, commissions, and passes. Pattison's official correspondence contains accounts of military operations from October 1777, to January 1781. Papers related to his administration in New York provide insights into local history.
A description of the collection and its arrangement appears at the beginning of the reel.
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Plumsted, Robert, fl. 1752-1760. PLUMSTED LETTER BOOK, 1756-1758: IN THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, CAMBRIDGE.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1964.
British records relating to America in microfilm
1 reel(s)
Robert Plumsted, a Quaker merchant in London, corresponded with several merchants in New England, especially Philadelphia. Plumsted specialized in iron wares and imported American iron. He traded guns, anchors, nails, and other items for American logwood, furs, and corn. Plumsted's Philadelphia correspondence contains his advice on the withdrawal of the Quakers from the government of the colony. Later correspondence reflects the difficulties of trade both because of the Quaker political conflicts and the formal declaration of war with France in May of 1756.
A description of the collection and its arrangement appears at the beginning of the reel.
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Plunkett, Horace Horace Curzon), Sir, 1854-1932. AMERICAN LETTERS OF SIR HORACE PLUNKETT, 1883-1932.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1963.
British records relating to America in microfilm
2 reel(s)
Sir Horace Plunkett was a rancher in Wyoming during the 1880s prior to devoting himself to agricultural cooperatives. In the pursuit of this interest, first in Ireland and later in Great Britain and the United States, Plunkett formed intimate friendships with such prominent Americans as Colonel House, Theodore Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot, and Charles McCarthy. The letters discuss the affairs of the Powder River Cattle Company and the Western Live-Stock and Land Company, agricultural reform, conservation, rural affairs, British and Irish politics, American attitudes during World War I, and Plunkett's work with the Reciprocal News Service in London that aimed to influence American opinion during the war.
A description of the collection and its arrangement appears on the first reel.
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Plunkett, Horace Horace Curzon), Sir, 1854-1932. DIARIES OF SIR HORACE PLUNKETT, 1881-1932.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1963.
British records relating to America in microfilm
8 reel(s)
Sir Horace Plunkett ranched in Wyoming in the 1880s before devoting his life to the cause of agricultural cooperatives. In pursuing this cause, Plunkett forged intimate friendships with such prominent Americans as Colonel House, Theodore Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot, and Charles McCarthy. The diaries describe his ranching ventures from 1881 to 1888, the beginnings of his cooperative work in Ireland, Irish politics, his work with the Department of Agriculture and Instruction in Dublin, as well as his impressions of Roosevelt and the Country Life Commission. Later volumes cover his work for an Irish settlement, his return to England, and the subsequent formation of the Plunkett Foundation.
A description of the collection and its arrangement appears on the first reel.
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Prevost, Augustine, d. 1821. JOURNAL OF AUGUSTINE PREVOST, 1774.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1963.
British records relating to America in microfilm
1 reel(s)
Augustin Prevost was a major in the Royal Americans Regiment of the British army. The journal dating from April to September of 1774 contains details of travel through Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. It discusses negotiations with the Shawnee Indians conducted by George Croghan, Indian agent and trader.
A description of the collection and its arrangement appears at the beginning of the reel.
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Price, Henry Edward, 1824-1908? DIARY OF HENRY EDWARD PRICE.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1963.
British records relating to America in microfilm
1 reel(s)
Henry Edward Price, originally a resident of a workhouse in Warminster, Wiltshire, was sent to America under the Poor Law emigration scheme in 1842. He returned to England in 1848. The diary (1842-1848), apparently a copy with assorted clippings inserted, describes the cargo and passengers on the ship, his employment as a varnisher and polisher, and his later work as a cabinet-maker in New York, Staten Island, and Oswego. The diary mentions the arrival of the telegraph in New York, Phineas Barnum, mesmerism, and racial segregation. It also contains a collection of poetry, essays, and photographs and articles on British sights.
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Priestley, Joseph, 1733-1804. LETTERS TO THE REV. THEOPHILUS LINDSAY AND THE REV. THOMAS BELSHAM, DEPOSITED IN DR. WILLIAM'S LIBRARY.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1965.
British records relating to America in microfilm
1 reel(s)
Joseph Priestley, English clergyman, chemist, and physicist, moved to the United States in 1794. He lived in Northumberland, Pennsylvania, until his death in 1804. The letters were written to his friend, Theophilus Lindsay (1723-1808), a Unitarian minister closely associated with Priestley in England. The letters deal chiefly with religious ideas, activities, and writings, but Priestley makes observations on American politics, including the strength of Federalists and anti-Federalists and the intensity of American party feelings. References are made to George Washington, John Adams, the Jay Treaty, and Congress. Priestley also mentions the Alien and Sedition Laws, which he feared might apply to him. He comments on Negro emancipation, southern fears of slave insurrections, and American western expansion.
A description of the collection and its arrangement is on the reel.
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RALPH WALDO EMERSON COLLECTION, 1822-1903.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Microform Academic Publishers, 1999.
British Records Relating to America in Microfilm
2 reel(s)
In November of 1847, the American writer and Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson began a lecture tour of Britain. One of the key coordinators of the visit was Alexander Ireland, a resident of Manchester and a great admirer of Emerson. Throughout his career, Ireland assembled an impressive collection of Emerson's work as well as the publications of Emerson's intellectual peers and contemporaries like Thomas Carlyle, Leigh Hunt, Charles Lamb, and William Hazlitt. He also kept clippings from newspaper and magazine articles on Emerson and records related to the 1847-48 lecture tour. Upon his death the collection was presented to the Manchester Free Reference Library as the Ralph Waldo Emerson Collection.
Guides:
Harding, Brian. The Ralph Waldo Emerson collection, 1822-1903 : a brief introduction to the microfilm edition of the Ralph Waldo Emerson collection.
The guide contains a brief account of the introduction and friendship between Emerson and Alexander Ireland upon Emerson’s visits to England, contents of the two reels, and bibliological notes.
REPORTS ON THE COTTON MARKET, 1848-1863.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1964.
British records relating to America in microfilm
1 reel(s)
By 1795 Liverpool had become the leading cotton port in England. Britain imported large amounts of cotton and combined it with linen to produce cheap calico cloth. By 1860 almost 80% of the cotton imported was from America. When the reports in this collection end in 1863, less than 1% of cotton imports were from America due to the Yankee blockade of southern ports. A brief comment on trade during each week indicates the volume of trade, the selling climate, and the political climate.
A description of the collection and its arrangement appears at the beginning of the reel.
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RHODES HOUSE ANTI-SLAVERY PAPERS, MATERIAL RELATING TO AMERICA FROM THE ANTI-SLAVERY COLLECTION IN RHODES HOUSE OXFORD; MAINLY 1839-1868.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1963.
British records relating to America in microfilm
2 reel(s)
This is a collection of the London Anti-Slavery Society (1823-1840), the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society (founded 1839), and the Aborigines Protection Society. The latter two societies merged in 1909 to form the Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society. Originally, the Anti-Slavery Society concerned itself only with the abolition of slavery in the British sugar colonies. This achieved in 1838, they turned their attention to American slavery. The change in focus led to the founding of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, whose goal was the abolition of slavery throughout the world. British and American abolitionists cooperated to convince the British and the American public of the sinfulness of slavery. Selections relating to America are from the minutebooks, memorials, petitions, and correspondence of the society. The Rhodes House Library houses the largest anti-slavery collection in Great Britain.
A description of the collection and its arrangement is on the first reel. Also useful is SPEC-R Z1236 .C74 179 A Guide to Manuscripts Relating to America in Great Britain and Ireland. p. 205.
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Roscoe, William, 1753-1831. ROSCOE PAPERS, 1793-1831.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1964.
British records relating to America in microfilm
2 reel(s)
William Roscoe was a well-known British reformer who advocated prison reform and the abolition of the slave-trade. This collection contains papers and correspondence that fall into five categories: 1) letters of travelers to the United States, 2) letters on the exploration and natural history of the United States, 3) letters concerning the Orders-in-Council that contributed to the causes of the War of 1812, 4) letters on prison reform, and 5) letters on cultural and personal matters with noted literati in the United States.
An introduction at the beginning of each reel contains the information on the provenance of the papers, a biographical sketch of William Roscoe, a description of the Roscoe papers in the collection, suggestions for further reading, and an annotated list of items on each reel.
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Royal Society of Arts (London). AMERICAN CORRESPONDENCE OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS, LONDON, 1755-1840; GUARD BOOKS (1755-70) AND LOOSE ARCHIVES (1755-1840).
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1963.
British records relating to America in microfilm
2 reel(s)
The Royal Society of Arts, founded in 1754, encouraged such activities as potash manufacture and silk production in the American colonies by awarding premiums. Important correspondence, kept in the guard books, covers such topics as the cultivation of maize, winter food for cattle, and the erection of a hemp mill. Loose archives contain references to mulberry trees in Georgia, a perpetual motion machine, new American grasses, and the introduction of British machines into the United States.
A description of the collection and its arrangement appears on the first reel.
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RUSSELL DIARIES, 1731-1801.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1964.
British records relating to America in microfilm
1 reel(s)
William Russell (1740-1817) was a prosperous iron-founder, merchant, and manufacturers' agent in Birmingham, England, in partnership with his brother George. He married Martha Twamley (1741-1790). Their three children, Martha (1766-1807), Mary (1768-1839), and Thomas Pougher Russell (1775-1851) are the authors of the diaries. Some writings by James Skey, a kinsman by marriage, are also included. The Russell family emigrated to America, sailing from Falmouth in 1794. Captured by a French frigate, it was not until June 1795 that they were released to continue their voyage to America. The diaries, covering the period July 1794 to September 1801, describe the journey from Matson to Falmouth, the abortive voyage and the captivity by the French, the voyage to America in 1795, some travels in America and observations on the American scene (1795-1801), and the return voyage to England of Mary and Thomas in 1801.
A description of the collection and its arrangement is on the reel.
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SAUMAREZ PAPERS: MATERIAL RELATING TO SOUTH CAROLINA DERIVING FROM THE MIDDLETON FAMILY IN THE IPSWICH AND EAST SUFFOLK RECORD OFFICE.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: E. P. Microfilm, 1974.
British records relating to America in microfilm
1 reel(s)
These are the papers of the Middleton family of British descent. Edward Middleton bought property in Barbados and South Carolina. His son, Arthur, inherited large estates in England, South Carolina, and Barbados. Like his father, he became active in public affairs. He served in the provincial government and was acting governor of South Carolina from 1725 to 1730. Despite the political and social prominence of the Middletons, the papers are almost completely concerned with the Middleton business and estate affairs. They have relatively little to say about the events and questions of the period. Occasionally they allude to political and social concerns.
An uncataloged guide, The Saumarez Papers: Material Relating to South Carolina Deriving from the Middleton Family in the Ipswich and East Suffolk Record Office, is located in the Special Collections Office.
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Senhouse, Joseph Sir. SENHOUSE PAPERS, 1762-1831, FROM THE CUMBRIA COUNTY COUNCIL ARCHIVES DEPARTMENT.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: E. P. Microfilm, 1977.
British records relating to America in microfilm
2 reel(s)
William Senhouse served as Surveyor General of the Customs of Barbados and the Windward and Leeward Islands from 1770 to 1787. He also purchased and developed a sugar plantation on Barbados. His brother, Sir Joseph, served briefly as customs collector on Dominica from 1771 intermittently until he returned to England in 1779. This collection of the Joseph Senhouse papers contains memoirs, observations, letterbooks, memorandum books, plantation estimates, a marriage settlement, a map, leases, and numerous waste books and account books. One item contains the recollections of William Senhouse. All other items belong to Joseph.
An uncataloged guide is available in the Special Collections Office. It is titled Material Relating to the West Indies from the Senhouse Papers. The guide contains information on the provenance of the papers, biographical information on William Senhouse and his brother, Sir Joseph, a description of the material in the collection and a table of contents for each reel.
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Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (Great Britain) THE SPG AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
1 reel(s)
This small collection comprises two volumes (CLS/127 & CLS/128), with indices, of copies of the most important US-related correspondence; both received [i.e. those read before the Society] and sent. These reveal the on-going, albeit much reduced, extent of the SPG's activities in the United States during the latter half of the nineteenth, and into the early twentieth century, covering the periods from March 1851 to March 1916 and from April 1916 to July 1928 respectively. They are accompanied by the only volume of copies of letters received from the Diocese of Honolulu (CLR/217), the first item being from the King Kamehameha V, to the Archbishop of Canterbury and dated 28 January 1871. The second letter, and most thereafter, are from Alfred Willis, Bishop of Honolulu, spanning the annexation of Hawaii by the USA in July 1898, and ending on 21 March 1910 with a letter from Professor Richard H. Thorntory, regarding the transfer of "certain funds held by your Society in trust for the Church in Hawaii, now an integral part of the American Church." Description from Microfilm Academic Publishers [http://www.microform.co.uk/full-catalogue.php?browse=search&filter=&term=%22british+online+archives%22&limit=all&value=&p=6&ref=9781851172252].
Published April 2010. Also available via British Online Archives (BOA) as a supplement to the collection: American material in the archives of the USPG.
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (Great Britain) THE SPG AND THE WEST INDIES AND LATIN AMERICA: COPIES OF LETTERS RECEIVED AND SENT, 1834-1931 : CLR & CLS.
12 reel(s)
Comprising thirty volumes of the most important correspondence between the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG) in London and its missionaries in parts of Latin America and the British colonies of the West Indies, including the Honduras, Guiana, Argentina, as well as some items from the Falkland Islands, and Antigua, Barbados, Jamaica, Nassau in the Bahamas, and Trinidad. Beginning in 1834, the year that slavery was abolished in the British Empire, this collection complements the earlier published materials from C and E series records relating to the West Indies, and the X series records relating to Codrington College, Barbados, in the archives of the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, held at the Rhodes House Library, Oxford. Contains both copies of letters sent (CLS) and copies of letters received (CLR). – from Merlin record
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, London. JOURNAL, 1701-1738.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1964.
British records relating to America in microfilm
2 reel(s)
The majority of the society's work in the eighteenth century was concentrated in the American colonies. Journals of the society record the minutes of their meetings, together with decisions made and letters from missionaries. The early journals record the discussions and resolutions concerning the appointment of missionaries to work in the plantations, their work there, and payments made to them. In the colonies, missionaries set up schools and performed divine service, catechism, and baptism.
Each volume has a contemporary index.
NOT IN MERLIN
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Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, London. LETTERS, 1701-1812.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1964.
British records relating to America in microfilm
27 reel(s)
The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts was founded in 1701 by the Church of England to provide libraries and clergy for emigrants, soldiers, officials, and merchants in colonial outposts as well as to provide missions to non-Christians. The letters give a full picture of contemporary colonial life before, during, and following the War of Independence. This collection contains correspondence between those outposts and the secretary of the Society. Consult the tables of contents and the indexes to locate information for a specific location or individual.
At the beginning of each of the three series, an introduction gives information on the archives of the Society, a history of the Society, a brief listing of the contents of each volume, and a guide to further reading. Each volume also has a contemporary index listing documents alphabetically by the location of origin. A separate reel contains an index of all the material on all reels. Also useful is SPEC-R Z1236 .C74 1979 A Guide to Manuscripts Relating to America in Great Britain and Ireland, p. 158-159.
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Sparling & Bolden. SPARLING AND BOLDEN LETTERBOOK, 1788-1799.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1964.
British records relating to America in microfilm
1 reel(s)
The firm of Sparling and Bolden in Liverpool was involved in the American colonial trade, selling British manufactures in Virginia and transporting raw materials to England. The trade was seriously disrupted during the American Revolution. The correspondence in this letterbook reflects efforts by the company to obtain damages, unsuccessfully, for destruction of company property in Norfolk by British forces. Also, it details problems of commerce between the British merchants and the new American nation.
An introduction at the beginning of the reel contains a history of the letterbook, biographical information on the business partners John Sparling and William Bolden, background on the firm and the nature of its business, a list of towns where letters were sent, and a bibliography of related works.
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Stevens, Wallace. WALLACE STEVENS-CUMMINGTON PRESS CORRESPONDENCE, 1941-1951.
Wakefield: Microform Academic Publishers, 1992.
British records relating to America in microfilm
1 reel(s)
Reproduced in this collection is the correspondence between American poet Wallace Stevens (1879-1955) and Katharine Frazier and Harry Duncan of the Cummington Press. This correspondence documents Stevens's compositional methods and the reception of his poems as well as provides a picture of business relations during that time period. Also included in the collection is the original typescript of the first edition of Notes Toward a Supreme Fiction with emendations by Stevens. Stevens, considered one of the major modern American poets, was also a vice-president of the Hartford Accident and Indemnity Corporation of Hartford, CT, two lives that he consciously kept separate. His first book of poems, Harmonium, was published in 1923, but he was not widely recognized until his Collected Poems was published in 1954. Much of his poetry, including his long poem "Notes Toward a Supreme Fiction," involves his working out the interrelatedness of reality and the imagination and the role of poetry. Located in Cummington, Massachusetts, the Cummington Press was founded in 1939 by Harry Duncan as part of the Cummington School of the Arts. Using a hand printing press, the press became known as one of the finest small presses in the country. Stevens's Notes Toward a Supreme Fiction was published in 1942 and Esthetique du Mal in 1945.
FILM
Guides:
Guide includes detailed inventory of letters and introduction by Carolyn Masel.
Townshend, Charles, 1725-1767. CHARLES TOWNSHEND PAPERS AT DALKEITH: MATERIAL RELATING TO AMERICA FROM THE CHARLES TOWNSHEND PAPERS IN THE POSSESSION OF THE DUKE OF BUCCLEUCH AT DALKEITH HOUSE, MIDLOTHIAN.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: Micro Methods, 1964.
British records relating to America in microfilm
3 reel(s)
Charles Townshend, as Chancellor of the Exchequer of Great Britain from 1766 to 1767, angered the American colonists with his firm advocacy of the Stamp Act and his proposals to suspend the New York Colonial Assembly, to remove the Commissioners of Customs from provincial control, and to impose port dues on various commodities. The papers contain materials relating to most of the colonies from Canada to Jamaica. Representative subjects include the establishment of a free port at Dominica in the West Indies, Newfoundland fisheries, the disposition of troops, the settlement of Florida, the economy of Granada, the Cathcart expedition to the West Indies in 1740, and a history of New Hampshire.
A description of the collection and its arrangement appears at the beginning of each reel. Also useful is SPEC-R Z1226 .C74 1979 Raimo, John W. (ed.). A Guide to Manuscripts Relating to America in Great Britain and Ireland, page 300.
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Guides:
The guide briefly describes various collections in this series. Each collection in Ellis Library is listed in the card catalog and/or MERLIN, the online catalog.
TREDEGAR PAPERS IN THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF WALES, ABERYSTWYTH.
East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England: E.P. Microform, 1979.
British records relating to America in microfilm
7 reel(s)
The Tredegar Park Muniments are the family papers of the Gould (later Morgan) family. King Gould (d. 1756) of Westminster, an army agent, later a deputy judge advocate, was father of the more famous Sir Charles Gould (afterwards Morgan) (1726-1806), also a judge advocate general. In his post as army agent, King Gould was responsible for the 40th Foot Regiment commanded by Richard Philips (1661-1751), governor of Placentia in Newfoundland and captain-general and governor-in-chief of the province of Nova Scotia or Acadia in North America. The bulk of the manuscripts deal with financial transactions between Gould and the regiment. Shortly before King Gould's death, his son Charles became his executor and acquired the task of army agent to Richard Philips' regiment. Their manuscripts offer a fascinating glimpse into army life in North America. Three letter books (manuscripts 284-86) give some indication of the work of an army agent. In general, the letters deal with the routine matters of dispatching supplies or attending to personal issues, but occasionally there are matters concerning the organization and running of the colony.
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Guides:
Taylor, Clare. American material from the Tredegar Park Muniments, 1719-1825 : in the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.
The guide provides an introduction to the collection, pertinent maps, and a select bibliography of related material.