Samuel Hale and Ichabod Rollins Papers, 1798-1863 – MS059

Samuel Hale and Ichabod Rollins Papers – MS059

Provenance: The Hale and Rollins papers were purchased at three different times from different sources. Seven volumes were purchased by the Athenaeum in 1997 with additional materials being purchased in 2003.

Citation: Samuel Hale and Ichabod Rollins Papers, MS059, Portsmouth Athenaeum

Size: 5 Hollinger boxes (2.5 linear feet)

Access: No restrictions

Processed by: Processed by Betsy Hamlin Morin in 2005

Summary

Letters (635), chiefly written from Portsmouth, N.H., but also from Philadelphia, Pa., and New York, N.Y., from Rollins to his son, Charles H. Rollins, E. Rollins, and John B. Haley, relating to shipping and naval affairs and Rollins’s West India goods store, Hale and Rollins.

Scope and Content

The first portion of the collection contains papers related to the Hale family, including the business ledger of Samuel and William Hale. There are also Hale family correspondence and promissory notes/receipts. The second part of the collection contains the business records of Hale and Rollins Insurance. Hale and Rollins Insurance was the business partnership of Samuel Hale Jr. (1793-1869) Icabod Rollins (ca. 1790-1873). The account books include transactions related to Dover and Barrington, New Hampshire.

Historical and Biographical Note

Samuel Hale was born in 1758 and died in 1828. William Hale was born in 1765 and died in 1848. The second William Hale was born in 1804 and died in 1877 and was a merchant. Samuel Hale Jr. was born in 1793 and died in 1869. He was a ship owner and merchant. Ichabod Rollins was born in about 1790 and died in 1873.

Processing Note

This collection was created by combining three separate accessions in order to bring together the chronological sequence of four Hale & Rollins insurance business record volumes. The original accessions were as follows: The original Ms. 59 consisted of two volumes, accession information unknown; S097 was seven volumes purchased in 1997; and the new purchase made in 2003 triggered the combined collection. The year of accession is in parentheses following the description of each volume. The Library of Congress National Union Catalog of Manuscripts was notified in February of 2004.

Series Listing

I. Hale Family Business Records

A. Samuel & William Hale 1798-1827

B. Hale Family 1805-1843

C. William Hale 1827-1835

D. Samuel Hale Jr. 1823-1837

II. Hale and Rollins Insurance Business

I. Hale Family Business Records

A. Samuel and William Hale, 1798-1827

Box 1

Folder 1 Merchants, store ledger. In order by account name and then date. Includes bookplate for Samuel Larkin, Portsmouth Bookseller. [Auction, 1997]

B. Hale Family, 1805-1843

Box 1

Folder 2

1805, June 13 Moses Carr [?] Somersworth, NH & Tobias Wentworth

1811 Barrington, NH May-Dec 1) Ezekiel Stanton, 2&3) Miles Tasker with witness Joseph Cate Jr., 4) money paid by John Waterhouse to Robert Woodbury with witness N.W. Rollins on pagewith Dr. Robert Woodbury to Samuel Hale

1812 Barrington, NH; 1) Simon Meserve, 2) Capt. William Tasker receipt of deed for purchase of 111 acres of land, lot #212 in the fifth range, at Bow Point, plus possible forfeit agreement for twenty acres more to Samuel & William Hale, witness Samuel Winkley;

1813 1&2) Dover, NH Stephen Wingate, 3) Dover, NH William Tasker, 4) Barrington, NH Winthrop Langmaid?, 5) Barrington, NH Joseph Jackson to Balch & Garland

1814, 1818 (2 items) Jesse Rowe & John Cate, Barrington, NH

1821-1826 1) Isaiah Felker, 2) Ralph Foss, 3)John Cate, 4)Jacob Lancaster all of Barrington, NH; 5) Icabod Rollins in Portsmouth to Samuel Hale at Somersworth, NH re: clover & grass seed & possible purchase of stock in company. Diary like notes on back of letter from April 1826.

1832-1835 1) Portsmouth, NH an offer of Liverpool salt, no name, 2) Portsmouth John S. Fernald repayment to S. Hale, 3) Barrington, NH Samuel Parshley?, 4) Barrington, NH John Nour?, 5) Portsmouth promissory note owed to Nathaniel B. March.

1836 Printed letter to S.H. from John Salter, Propr’s Clerk re: assessment on shares in the Portsmouth Marine Railway Company.

1836-37 order for beef by Capt. George Meserve for beef for schooners Frances Kennedy & Adams

1841 Samuel Hale bought spikes & nails from Henry Meserve

1843 Samuel Hale to Fernald & Raynes

Undated note related to the purchase of shares in Cocheco Company [ Auction, 1997]

C. William Hale, 1827-1835

Box 1

Folder 3 1827-1835 William Hale (1804-1877), store ledger, Name tooled on cover. In order by account name and then date, most entries are for “merchandise” [Auction, 1997]

D. Samuel Hale Jr., 1823-1837

Box 2

Shipping Waste book. Labeled “Waste” on spine. Transactions by date. Sale of cargo from various ships, Ship Martha, Ship Hantonia, Lydia & Mary Ann & others.. Later entries include purchase of stock in various companies including the Portsmouth Whaling Company and Winnipesaukee Steamboat Company. [Auction, 1997]

1823-1835 Shipping Daybook, in order by date. Shipping services business & supplies for crews, pay for seamen & their widows, customs charges. Frequent entries for Ship Martha & Ship Hantonia . [Auction, 1997]

Box 3

1824-1842 Samuel Hale Jr. Store Ledger “A” Entries in order by account name, includes many references to investments such as Portsmouth Steamboat Co., Portsmouth Whaling Co., and Portsmouth Woolen Co. Also estate records for Samuel Hale (1758-1828). Original name index in folder in box. [Auction, 1997]

Box 4

1838-1843 Samuel Hale Jr. Store Ledger “B” Leather with gold tooling including “Ledger” on spine. Entries in order by account name, supplies for ships, entries for stock purchases. Original name index in folder in box. [Auction, 1997]

II. Hale and Rollins Insurance Business

Four volumes containing copies of letters to ship captains, owners, other insurance companies, etc. regarding freight, destinations, crew, weather & mechanical problems on voyages to US and foreign ports.

Box 5

1831, Jan 10 – 1838, Dec. 22 Calf bound, labeled “records” on spine. [Auction, 1997]

1838, Dec. 31 – 1844, Apr. 30 Board bound. [Purchase, 2003]

1842, Nov. 5 – 1851, Oct 20. Calf bound, labeled “records” on spine.

1851, Oct 18 – 1863, Feb. 23 Board bound, labeled “letter book” on spine. [Accession unknown]

 

Reference to the following individuals, businesses and ships are found in the collection:

Cate, John Barrington (NH) (dfl. 1818-1820’s)

Cate, Joseph Jr. ) Barrington , NH (dfl. 1810-1820’s)

Felker, Isaiah Barrington, NH (dfl. 1820’s)

Fernald, John (S or P) Barrington , NH (dfl. 1830’s)

Foss, Ralph ) Barrington , NH (dfl. 1820’s)

Hale, Samuel (1758-1828)

Hale, Samuel Jr. (1793-1869) Ship owner & merchant

Hale, William (1765-1848)

Hale, William (1804-1877)

Hale Family.

Jackson, Joseph ) Barrington , NH (dfl. 1813)

Lancaster, Jacob ) Barrington , NH (dfl. 1820’s)

Langmaid, Winthrop (dfl. 1813)

Larkin, Samuel (1773-1849) Bookseller

March, Nathaniel B. (1782-1862)

Meserve, George (dfl. 183o’s)

Meserve, Henry (dfl. 1841)

Meserve, Simon ) Barrington , NH (dfl. 1812)

Nour?, John (dfl. 1830’s)

Parshley?, Samuel (dfl. 1830’s)

Rollins, Icabod (1790-1873) Ship owner & merchant

Rollins, N. W. (dfl. 1811)

Rowe, Jessie (dfl. 1818)

Salter, John (dfl. 1836)

Stanton, Ezekiel ) Barrington , NH (dfl. 1811)

Tasker, Miles ) Barrington , NH (dfl. 1811)

Tasker, William Capt. ) Barrington , NH (dfl. 1812)

Waterhouse, John ) Barrington , NH (dfl. 1811)

Wentworth, Tobias (dfl. 1805)

Wingate, Stephen (dfl. 1813)

Winkley, Samuel (dfl. 1812)

Woodbury, Robert Dr . ) Barrington , NH (dfl. 1811)

 

Balch & Garland (dfl. 1813)

Cocheco. Co.

Fernald & Raynes

Hale & Rollins ( Portsmouth , NH )

Hantonia (Ship)

Lydia (Ship)

Martha (Ship)

Mary Ann (ship)

Portsmouth Marine Railway Co. – 1836

Portsmouth Steamboat Co. ( Portsmouth , NH )

Portsmouth Whaling Co. ( Portsmouth , NH )

Portsmouth Woolen Co. ( Portsmouth , NH )

Winnipesaukee Steamboat Company