1783-1892
Guide to the Microfilm Edition
Abstract
This collection consists of the personal papers and business records of Thomas H. Perkins (1764-1854), including correspondence, diaries, invoices, account books, ledgers, and other papers.
Biographical Sketch
Thomas Handasyd Perkins (1764-1854) was one of Boston's most successful China merchants.
Collection Description
The Thomas Handasyd Perkins papers consist of the personal papers of Thomas Handasyd Perkins and the records of various Perkins trading firms, including correspondence, invoices, and other business papers related to late 18th-century and early 19th-century mercantile trade. Subjects include the Boston Tea Party, 18th-century revolts of enslaved people in Santo Domingo, and trade during the War of 1812. Among the significant correspondents are John Jacob Astor, Robert Bennet Forbes, and Georges Washington Motier de Lafayette. The bound volumes include diaries of Thomas H. Perkins; a letterbook of his grandson Thomas H. Perkins III (1823-1900); and account books, blotters, journals, ledgers, letterbooks, and waste books of the firms E. Bumstead & Co., J. & T. H. Perkins, J. & T. H. Perkins & Sons, and Perkins & Co.
The collection is divided into three series: I. Loose papers; II. Oversize papers; and III. Bound volumes. This guide also contains an Select Index of correspondents in Series I (Loose papers), names mentioned in Series II (Oversize papers), authors and owners of the volumes in Series III (Bound volumes), and select individuals and subjects of historical significance found in the collection.
Acquisition Information
Gift of George Edward Cabot, 1922.
Other Formats
Digital facsimiles of parts of the Thomas Handasyd Perkins papers are available on China, America and the Pacific, a digital publication of Adam Matthew Digital, Inc. This digital resource is available at subscribing libraries; speak to your local librarian to determine if your library has access. The MHS makes this resource available onsite; see a reference librarian for more information.
Detailed Description of the Collection
I. Loose papers, 1789-1853
Arranged chronologically.
This series contains correspondence, invoices, bills of lading, and other papers related to late 18th-century and early 19th-century mercantile trade. Significant subjects include the perils of trading during the French Revolution and the War of 1812, the 18th-century uprisings of enslaved people in Santo Domingo, and the sometimes violent encounters between traders and Native Americans on the northwest coast of America. Among the notable correspondents represented in this series are John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Fisher Ames, John Jacob Astor, Edward Everett, John Murray Forbes, Robert Bennet Forbes, Georges Washington Motier de Lafayette, and Jonathan Mason.
For a list of the correspondents in this series, see the Select Index.
II. Oversize papers, 1795-1851
This series consists mainly of newspaper clippings and legal documents pertaining to the sea trade.
For a list of the names mentioned in this series, see the Select Index.
III. Bound volumes, 1783-1892
For a list of the authors or owners of the volumes in this series, see the Select Index.
A. Personal journals, 1789-1892
This subseries contains the diaries and personal journals of Thomas H. Perkins, including one letterbook (Vol. 32) of his grandson Thomas H. Perkins III (1823-1900). Most of the journals describe the travels of the Perkins family in Europe and the United States.
B. Business papers, 1783-1857
This subseries contains account books, blotters, journals, ledgers, letterbooks, waste books, and other records of the various firms with which Thomas H. Perkins was associated, including E. Bumstead & Co.; J. & T. H. Perkins; J. & T. H. Perkins & Sons; and Perkins and Co. Subjects include trade practices in Santo Domingo, China, and Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
E. Bumstead & Co. papers
Cabot papers
Note: This volume is a duplicate of Vol. 36, so it has not been microfilmed.
Note: This volume is a duplicate of Vol. 36, so it has not been microfilmed.
J & T. H. Perkins papers
J & T. H. Perkins & Sons papers
Perkins & Co. papers
Prince and Cabot papers
Select Index
Listed below are the correspondents in Series I (Loose papers), the names mentioned in Series II (Oversize papers), the authors or owners of the volumes in Series III (Bound volumes), and select individuals and subjects of historical significance found in the collection. The numbers following each item indicate the box(es) and folder(s) where information about that individual or subject is located. For example, information about Mrs. M. Abbot can be found in Box 2, Folder 6.
| Abbot, Mrs. M., 2.6 |
| Adams, John, 1.2, 2.6, Box OS |
| Adams, John Quincy, 2.7, Box OS |
| Adams, Samuel, 1.2, Box OS |
| Aligator (ship), 1.3 |
| Allen, Andrew, Jr., 2.2 |
| Ames, Fisher, 1.7 |
| Amory, Thomas C., 1.6 |
| Anubis (ship), 1.6 |
| Armstrong, Francis, 1.6 |
| Astor, John Jacob, 2.1 |
| Astrea (ship), 1.2 |
| Atalante (brig), 1.6 |
| Augusta (ship), 2.6 |
| Bangs, Edward, Box OS |
| Bartlett, Moses, 2.1 |
| Bates, Joshua, 2.8 |
| Bayard, Sam, 1.9 |
| Beau, Madam, 2.2 |
| Bellerire, Barry de, 1.4, 1.7, 1.8, 1.10 |
| Bienaime, Luigi, 2.10 |
| Blagge, Sam, 1.2, Box OS |
| Bolton, W. C., 2.10 |
| Boston Female Asylum, 2.1 |
| Boston Tea Party (1773), 2.4 |
| Boutarel, 1.9 |
| Bradbury, Francis, 2.1 |
| Bradford, Alden, Box OS |
| Bradford, Samuel, 1.1 |
| Brooks, J., Box OS |
| Bryant & Sturgis, 2.4, Box OS |
| Buchanan, William, 1.2 |
| Bulls, Fred, 1.2 |
| Bumstead, Ephraim, 1.10, Vols. 33-34 |
| Bumstead, E. & Co., Vols. 33-34 |
| Bumstead, John, 2.1 |
| Burling, Thomas, 1.6 |
| Burling, Walter, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.7, 2.1 |
| Cabot, Eliza, 2.5, 2.9, 2.10 |
| Cabot, James Elliot, Vols. 36, 37, 38 |
| Cabot, Richard C., 2.9 |
| Cabot, S., Vol. 39 |
| Cabot, S. & J. & T. H. Perkins, Jrs., 2.4 |
| Cabot, Samuel, 2.4, 2.6, 2.9, 2.10, Box OS, Vols. 56-65, 67-69 |
| Cabot, Thomas Handasyd, Vol. 35 |
| Cape Francis uprisings of enslaved people, 1.2, 1.3 |
| Carter, James, 1.3 |
| Cary, T. G., 2.9 |
| Chalmers, William, 1.2 |
| Comerford, James, 2.7 |
| Corbieres, Madam de, 1.5, 1.6 |
| Corbieres, Henry, 1.6, 1.7 |
| Coublan, Madey de, 1.8, 1.9 |
| Crafts, Thomas, 1.5 |
| Crafts, W. & E., 1.5 |
| Crafts, William, 1.10 |
| Cunningham, Capt. William, 1.9 |
| Curson, Samuel, 2.6 |
| Curtis, Zebina, 1.10 |
| Curwen, Joseph, 2.2, 2.8 |
| Cushing, John P., 2.4, 2.5, 2.7, Vols. 66-69 |
| Cushing, Robert, 1.2 |
| Davis, Eleanor, 2.1 |
| Davis, J. P., 2.1 |
| Dearborn, Henry A. S., Box OS |
| Deblois, Stephen, 1.6 |
| Degen, Purviance & Co., 1.10 |
| Degen & Schwartz, 1.5 |
| Delight (brig), 1.3, Box OS |
| Derby, Charles, 1.6 |
| Derby, Elias Hasket, 1.2 |
| Dobell, Peter, 2.4 |
| Dodge, Unite, 1.5, 1.6 |
| Drew, Nehemiah, 1.6 |
| Dufort, A., 1.3, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10 |
| Dumerisq, P., 2.7 |
| Dutilh, Morin & Co., 1.3 |
| Duxbury (brig), 2.6 |
| Eckley, J., 1.4 |
| Edes, Robert, Box OS |
| Elliot, Simon, 1.3 |
| Emigrant Society, 1.4 |
| Enigheden (brig), 1.5 |
| Erie, Fort, siege (1814), 2.2 |
| Everett, Edward, 2.5, 2.7 |
| Fame (ship), 1.6 |
| Federal George (brig), 1.6 |
| Fitz Patres, Madame, 1.2 |
| Five Sisters (schooner), 1.8 |
| Forbes, J. G., 1.3 |
| Forbes, John M., 1.9, 2.6, 2.9 |
| Forbes, J. & R. B., 1.8, 1.9 |
| Forbes, R. Bennet, 1.4, 1.8, 2.3, 2.6, 2.7, 2.9, 2.10 |
| Forbes, Thomas, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8 |
| Frazier, Charles, 1.3 |
| Frestel, 1.5 |
| Frothingham, Eliza, 2.1 |
| Gallet, A., 1.10 |
| Garesche, T. P., 1.9 |
| Ghent, Treaty of (1814), 2.3 |
| Gibbs & Channing, 1.6, 1.8 |
| Glyn, Thomas C., 2.7 |
| Gray, John, 1.4 |
| Gray, William, Jr., 1.6 |
| Greene, John B., 2.3 |
| Hancock, John, 1.2, Box OS |
| Hannah (ship), 1.6 |
| Hanson, A. C., 2.1 |
| Hawker, J. M., 2.3 |
| Hays, M. M., 1.2 |
| Heath, Ebenezer, 2.6 |
| Higginson, H., 2.1 |
| Higginson, [Jno.], 1.4, 1.5 |
| Higginson, Stephen & Co., 1.5 |
| Hill, Samuel, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 |
| [Hinned], Henry, 1.9 |
| Hunt, Jonathan, 2.5 |
| Jamina & Fanny (brig), 1.6 |
| Jane (brig), 1.5 |
| Jay (brig), 1.5 |
| Jay's Treaty (1794), 1.4 |
| Jefferson, Thomas, Box OS |
| Katy (brig), 1.3 |
| Keith, James, 2.4 |
| Kimball, Hazen, 1.7 |
| Kirkland, J. T., 2.9 |
| Lafayette, Georges Washington Motier de, 1.5 |
| Lamb, James & Thomas, 2.1 |
| Lane, John, 1.2 |
| Larroque, P. M., 1.2 |
| Leipzig, Battle of (1813), 2.2 |
| Lewis, Amos, 1.1 |
| Lewis, Mrs., 2.3 |
| Lincoln, Levi, Box OS |
| Lincoln, P., 2.1 |
| Little, George, 1.7 |
| Lowell, John, 2.5 |
| Lucretia (brig), 1.5 |
| Magee, Bernard, 1.9 |
| Magee, James, Jr., 1.9 |
| Mahala Winsor (brig), 1.5 |
| Manner, Henry, 1.8, 1.9 |
| Manoel, P., 1.8, 1.9 |
| Marryat, Samuel, 2.7 |
| Mason, Jonathan, 1.8 |
| Massachusetts (steamship), 2.10 |
| Massachusetts Militia, Corps of Independent Cadets, 1.1, 1.7, Box OS |
| Meger, W., 1.8 |
| Miller, Alexander, 1.10 |
| Monroe, James, 1.4, Box OS |
| Montnoel, [Lejeune de], 1.1 |
| Muhlenberg, Frederick Augustus, Box OS |
| Munro, James, 1.6 |
| Napoleon I, 2.2, 2.3 |
| Nautilus (ship), 2.6 |
| Nichols, Ichabod, 1.2, 1.3 |
| Nile (brig), 2.6, 2.7, Box OS |
| Newell, George, 2.7 |
| Newton, E. A., 2.9 |
| Ophelia (ship), Box OS |
| Otis, H. G., 1.6 |
| Otis, Samuel A., 1.3 |
| Perkins, Elizabeth, 1.1, 1.2, 2.1 |
| Perkins, James (1733-1773), 1.1, 2.4 |
| Perkins, James (1761-1822), 2.5, Vols. 33, 34, 36-38, 40-58, 62, 66 |
| Perkins, James, Jr. (1791-1828), 2.6, Vols. 56-62, 64, 65, 66 |
| Perkins, J. & T. H., 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 2.3, 2.4, 2.6, 2.7, Box OS, Vols. 40-55 |
| Perkins, J. & T. H. & Sons, 2.6, Vols. 56-65 |
| Perkins, James H., 2.9 |
| Perkins, Samuel G., 1.3, 2.3, Box OS |
| Perkins, Stephen H., 2.7, Box OS |
| Perkins, Thomas H. (1764-1854), 1.2-10, 2.1-10, Box OS, Vols. 1-31, 33-34, 36-38, 40-69 |
| Perkins, Thomas H., Jr. (1796-1850), 2.4, 2.6, Vols. 56-65 |
| Perkins, Thomas H., III (1823-1900), Vol. 32 |
| Perkins & Co., 2.9, Box OS, Vols. 66-69 |
| Perkins, Burling & Co., 1.2, 1.3 |
| Philips, William, Box OS |
| Pierce, John, 2.10 |
| Pinkham, B., 1.5 |
| Port-au-Prince, Hispaniola, 1.3 |
| Prince & Cabot, Vol. 70 |
| [Puk], W., 1.7 |
| Purkitt, John, Box OS |
| Raimond, S., 1.5 |
| Ramirez, Alexander, 1.6, 1.7 |
| Ranger (brig), 1.2 |
| Raybaud, 1.3 |
| Rebecca (brig), 1.6 |
| Revere, Paul, 1.6 |
| Robinson, John, 2.6 |
| Rush, Richard, Box OS |
| Russell, John, 1.5 |
| Russell, N. P., 2.1 |
| Russell & Co., 2.9 |
| Sandos, Charles, 2.2, 2.3 |
| Santo Domingo, 1.2, 1.3 |
| Sargent, Ignatius, 1.7 |
| Sargent, J. T., 1.10 |
| Sedgwick, Robert, 2.5 |
| Smith, J. Adams, Box OS |
| Smith, Joseph, 2.9 |
| Smith, Timbrell & Co., 2.3 |
| Southgate, Richard, 2.9 |
| Sparks, Jared, 2.10 |
| Stille, John, 1.2 |
| Strong, Caleb, Box OS |
| Sturgis, George W., 2.4 |
| Sturgis, Josiah, 1.8, 1.9 |
| Sturgis, Russell, 1.4 |
| Sullivan, William, 2.5 |
| Swift, Benjamin, 2.1 |
| Thomas (schooner), 1.6 |
| Thomas Russell (brig), 1.6 |
| Thompson, James, 1.8 |
| Thorndike, Israel, 1.3 |
| Thouin, Claude, 1.4, 1.6, 1.7, 1.10 |
| Todd, Samuel, 1.5 |
| Triton (schooner), 1.6 |
| Tyndal, N. C., 2.7 |
| United States Naval Benevolent Association, 2.9 |
| Vemond, John F., 1.3 |
| Vernon, William, 2.5 |
| Vila, James, 1.5 |
| Wagner, Jacob, 1.7 |
| Wall, T., 1.2 |
| Washington, George, 1.2, Box OS |
| Waters, Josiah, 1.5 |
| Weller & Williams, 2.4 |
| Whyte, Oliver, 2.6 |
| Williams, C., 2.3 |
| Williams, S., 2.3 |
| Willing, Thomas, 1.6 |
| Wills, Arnold, 1.2 |
| Winship & Davis, 2.4 |
| Winslow, George, 2.6 |
| Winslow, Isaac, 1.10 |
| Wolcott, Oliver, 1.7 |
| Wyman, Simon, 1.5 |
| Yznardi, Joseph M., 1.3 |
Preferred Citation
Thomas Handasyd Perkins papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.