Citation preview
Microsoft Word - finding aid 2049 Coxe backup.dotCollection
2049
Coxe Family
Papers
1638-1970 (bulk dates 1730-1900) 218 boxes, 393 vols., 130 lin.
feet
Contact: The Historical Society of Pennsylvania 1300 Locust Street,
Philadelphia, PA 19107 Phone: (215) 732-6200 FAX: (215) 732-2680
http://www.hsp.org
Processed by: Katherine Gallup Processing Completed: October
2005
Sponsor: Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Restrictions: None.
Related Collections at HSP:
Brinton Coxe Papers, Collection 1983 Coxe Family Mining Papers,
Collection 3005 William Tilghman Papers, Collection 659 James
Hamilton Papers, Collection 1612
Coxe Family Papers Collection 2049
2 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Coxe Family Papers, 1638-1970 (bulk 1730-1900) 218 boxes, 393
vols., 130 lin. feet
Collection 2049
Abstract Dr. Daniel Coxe, a prominent London physician who treated
the courts of Charles II and Anne, began acquiring land in the
American colonies as early as 1680. Most of the acreage he
purchased was in the provinces of Western New Jersey and
Carolana-Florida, and was administered by his son Colonel Daniel
Coxe, who left London for Burlington, New Jersey in 1702 or 1703.
The Colonel later relocated to Trenton, where he engaged in
politics and began a family with his wife Sarah Eckley. One of
their sons, William Coxe, left New Jersey in the 1740s for
Philadelphia, where he embarked on a mercantile career and opened
the Coxe & Furman trade house. William wed Mary Fisher and
their most famous son, Tench Coxe, joined his father in the
merchant business just before the beginning of the Revolution. In
1776, Tench abandoned that enterprise and the city of Philadelphia
to escape persecution for his loyalist beliefs. He returned during
the British occupation of the city in 1777, and later faced charges
of treason but was acquitted. After the war, Tench retired from
merchant life and became a significant voice in the new nation
through his essay writing and civil service; he held several state
and federal economic appointments under both Federalist and
Republican administrations. Tench also continued the Coxe family
legacy of land speculation, purchasing vast and valuable acreage in
Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia, Virginia, and North Carolina.
Tench died in 1824, and was preceded in death by his wife and
cousin Rebecca Coxe. One of their sons, Charles Sidney Coxe, a
prominent lawyer and judge, served as executor of their estate,
which supported several generations of Coxe descendents. Materials
in this collection highlight the significant and controversial
accomplishments of Tench Coxe (1755-1824), a merchant, politician,
land speculator, and family man. Records cover a period both before
and after the American Revolution, and provide brief insight into
the Coxe family origins in the colonies and his father William
Coxe’s merchant business. The bulk of materials however, document
Tench’s mercantile endeavors, his civil service appointments, and
his activities as a land speculator. Records include
correspondence, financial records, legal papers, land papers, and
drafts of his writings. Other individuals who are represented in
this collection include Tench’s sons, Charles Sidney, Edmund
Sidney, and Alexander Sidney Coxe; they each administered portions
of their father’s estate and were also lawyers. Records for Thomas
Ruston and William Harrison, two of Tench’s business partners who
declared bankruptcy, are also present. A smaller amount of
materials documents several of Tench’s descendents.
Coxe Family Papers Collection 2049
3 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Background note The Coxe family history in America is long and
rich. Dr. Daniel Coxe, born in 1640 and the oldest of thirteen
children, was the first to actively pursue interests in the
American colonies in the 1680s. Daniel had graduated from Cambridge
in 1669 with a medical degree, and had become an accomplished
scientist and member of several of England’s most prominent
societies including the Royal Society and the Royal College of
Physicians of London. His most prestigious appointment however, was
as physician to the courts of King Charles II and Anne. Daniel’s
medical reputation and connections were heightened through his
marriage to Rebecca Coldham, the only surviving child of John
Coldham, London’s lord mayor, and his wife Rebecca Dethick. Rebecca
inherited the entirety of her family’s fortunes, which provided the
means for Daniel to satisfy his “land fever,” and purchase vast
acreage in the American colonies. It is estimated that he owned one
million acres in Western New Jersey, and additional lands in the
province of Carolana-Florida. Although Daniel made at least two
attempts to travel to the colonies and settle his lands, his
responsibilities as court physician prevented him from ever leaving
English coasts. Instead, he bequeathed his lands and the
responsibilities of administrator to one of his sons, Colonel
Daniel Coxe. Daniel came to America in 1701 or 1702 and settled
first in Burlington, New Jersey, but later relocated to Trenton. At
the time of his arrival it was said that he, next to William Penn,
was the largest single shareholder in the new province. Colonel
Coxe actively administered his family’s lands, and authored a
pamphlet entitled “A Description of the Province of Carolana…” to
encourage settlers to inhabit that area. The Carolana-Florida land
purchase later became a problem when he was unable to locate his
father’s original grant laying claim to those acres and lost royal
recognition to the land title. In exchange for relinquishing his
claim however, the Colonel was awarded one hundred thousand acres
in Oneida County, New York. Colonel Daniel’s land holdings placed
him in a position of political influence among the West Jersey
Council of Proprietors, but his authority was not viewed favorably
by many of his piers. William Penn described the Colonel as “one of
the falsest of men,” while Jersey’s Royal Governor Robert Hunter
dubbed him “a noisy old fool.” In 1707, Colonel Daniel Coxe married
a devout Quaker (although he was of the colony’s anti-Quaker
party), Sarah Eckley, daughter of John Eckley, a former member of
the Pennsylvania Provincial Council and judge of the Pennsylvania
Supreme Court. Sarah dutifully attended the Church of England
following their marriage, and the couple had four children. Sarah
died in 1725 and was followed by her husband in 1739. The Coxe
family’s colonial estate was divided between Colonel Daniel’s four
legitimate children and three illegitimate children he had with
Mary Johnson, a spinster residing in Trenton, New Jersey. One of
Daniel and Sarah Coxe’s sons, William, left his family’s home in
Trenton at a young age and relocated to Philadelphia, where he
established a successful merchant house. By 1762, his business had
grown so profitable that he took on a partner, Moore Furman, and
their establishment became known as Coxe & Furman. William,
like his father, was also very active in the community. He was a
member of the Proprietary Party, was elected a city alderman in
1758, served on several official investigatory
Coxe Family Papers Collection 2049
4 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
committees, was made a trustee of the College of Philadelphia in
1759, and on two occasions was elected Philadelphia’s mayor, but
refused the appointments. In Philadelphia, William also married and
began a family with Mary Francis, daughter of Elizabeth Turbutt and
Tench Francis. Their marriage united the Coxe family with some of
the city’s most aristocratic families including the Tilghman,
Willing, Shippen, Bingham, Mifflin, Chew, and Burd families. Mary
and William had thirteen children, but only ten survived to
maturity. Their third child, Tench Coxe born in 1755, became the
most illustrious of their offspring, and was also purported to be
his father’s favorite. Some of Tench’s other siblings were Sarah
(who married Andrew Allen and fled with him to England during the
Revolutionary War), John D. (a lawyer and judge of the Court of
Common Pleas in Philadelphia), Rebecca (married Dr. William
McIlvaine and lived in New Jersey), Ann (died unmarried), William
(a horticulturist and a member of the U.S. House of Representative
from New Jersey), Mary (died unmarried), Daniel W. (a successful
import/export merchant), and James (an officer in the merchant
marines). Like so many other colonial families, the tempestuous
days leading up to the Revolution greatly affected the Coxes’ way
of life and their position in the community. In 1765, Tench’s
father William was appointed to the post of stamp distributor for
New Jersey, after receiving a recommendation from his friend
Benjamin Franklin. William did not remain long in the position
however, and resigned as a result of violent colonial protests
against the stamp acts, and after several threats were made against
his own life. His resignation greatly angered and prompted
criticism from royal officials like William Franklin, New Jersey’s
governor, and put William Coxe in a precarious position. Following
this event, he adopted a neutral stance in regard to colonial
criticisms of the British, agreeing that the colonists had the
right to question English policies but he did not advocate
independence. Tench followed in his father’s footsteps in more ways
than one. He adopted William’s neutral attitude toward conflicts
with Great Britain, and in 1776 he became a partner in the Coxe
& Furman trade house, which was then renamed Coxe, Furman &
Coxe. The first several months of Tench’s mercantile career were
difficult as a result of declining business in the days leading up
to the war, and to a mounting pressure to choose sides in the cause
of independence. The latter was brought to a head in December 1776,
when word of General Howe’s nearness to the city set the
Philadelphia populace strongly against a Tory presence. Although
Tench had tried to remain neutral, in the end he sided with the
British and abandoned his native city to live with his New Jersey
and New York relatives, who were mostly pacifists or ardent
loyalists. While he was away, business partner Moore Furman, who
supported the colonial cause, remained in Philadelphia and managed
the company’s affairs. Tench remained in New York for several
months and considered relocating to England in exile, but returned
to his business and to his fiancée Catherine McCall, daughter of
merchant Samuel McCall, when the British invaded Philadelphia in
1777. During the period of British occupation, Tench married
Catherine and became an active and prosperous merchant, trading
with loyalists in New York and with commercial houses in the West
Indies. His prosperity was short-lived however, and in the spring
of 1778, the
Coxe Family Papers Collection 2049
5 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
prospect of a British withdrawal from the city once again forced
Tench to contemplate fleeing under their protection. He remained in
an attempt to save the life of his young wife, whose health had
grown increasingly worse during their brief marriage, but faced
much public scrutiny. On May 21, 1778, his name was included on a
Proclamation of Attainder issued by the Supreme Executive Council
of Pennsylvania against persons accused of high treason. Two days
later he took a voluntary oath of allegiance to the United States,
and the charges against him were dismissed, but his wife died
shortly thereafter. Although the war was a trying time for Tench,
by 1780 he had begun to rebuild his life. The merchant house of
Coxe, Furman & Coxe disbanded early in the fall, following
which Tench began operating his own company with some financial
assistance from his father. Tench’s self-named enterprise was
active until the end of 1783, when he went into partnership with
Nalboro Frazier, a Boston businessman. The house of Coxe &
Frazier became an important Philadelphia enterprise, engaging in
U.S. coastal trade, European trade, the West Indian trade, and (at
a very early date) the China trade. Tench also re-married in 1782,
to his cousin Rebecca Coxe, daughter of Charles and Rebecca Wells
Coxe of Sidney, New Jersey. They produced thirteen children: Anne,
Tench Jr., Edward Goold, Rebecca, Francis, Alexander, Charles,
Sarah, Mary, James, Henry, Edmund, and Andrew. Throughout his life,
Tench was a man of many talents and business interests, and during
the eighties and nineties he became heavily involved in civic and
philanthropic affairs, and, like his great-grandfather Dr. Daniel
Coxe before him, also developed a taste for land speculation. Tench
became active in the Episcopal Church; and was a member of the
Pennsylvania Abolition Society, the American Philosophical Society,
and the Philadelphia Society for Encouraging Manufactures and the
Useful Arts. The latter organization became a special interest to
him after the war when irregular and unregulated business
activities began to negatively affect his trade house. Tench
eventually disbanded his partnership with Frazier in 1792, and
turned his aspirations toward a political life and land
speculation. In the days following the Revolution, Tench had become
a fervent supporter of the new nation, and was asked to attend the
Annapolis Convention in 1786 and the Continental Congress in 1788.
He served in several other civic appointments under both Federalist
and Republican administrations including assistant secretary of the
treasury under Alexander Hamilton (1790-1792), commissioner of the
revenue (1792-1797), secretary of the Pennsylvania land office
(1800-1801), collector of the revenue for the city and county of
Philadelphia (1801-1803), purveyor of public supplies (1803-1812),
and clerk of the Philadelphia Court of Quarter Sessions
(1815-1818). Tench used the income from these appointments to
maintain lands he had inherited from his father William, and to
purchase additional acreage in Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia,
North Carolina, and Baltimore, Maryland. Some of Tench’s land
acquisitions were also made through joint ventures with speculation
partners Timothy Pickering, Samuel Hodgdon, Thomas Ruston, and
Duncan Ingraham.
Coxe Family Papers Collection 2049
6 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Tench retired from his political career, which was often marked by
controversy, at age sixty-three, but continued to write essays and
pamphlets on the topics of politics, manufacturing, agriculture,
and the economy. He is perhaps best known for his writings on
cotton and its importance to the American economy. His retired
years were also dedicated to the administration of his lands, which
had almost caused his bankruptcy in the late 1790s as a result of
lawsuits, the bankruptcy of speculation partner Thomas Ruston, and
his purchase of land on credit for which there was no ready
re-sale. By 1799, much of his property was placed in a trust and
administered by Peter DuPonceau and others, but their actions were
dictated by Tench’s orders. Tench never gained full control over
his lands and never realized the profits which he had hoped to
during his lifetime. He died in 1824 and was survived by daughters
Ann and Mary, and sons Francis, Charles Sidney, Henry, and Edmund.
Charles Sidney was named estate executor, and it was under his care
that the Coxe family regained possession of their lands and
profited greatly from the revenue earned on their vast acreage.
Charles Sidney Coxe was born to Tench and Rebecca Coxe in 1791. He
was admitted to the Philadelphia Bar in 1812 and worked closely
with his father, often representing Tench in legal battles stemming
from business and land disputes. Charles became the executor of his
father’s estate in 1824, but the title to the landed property was
not legally transferred to him until 1828, from Peter S. DuPonceau.
When he seized administration responsibilities, the land was almost
entirely unproductive; the amount of annual taxes was large;
squatters and timber-thieves had to be kept off; and many adverse
titles, arising from tax-sales, conflicting surveys, etc., had to
be settled by compromise or litigation. Charles enlisted the help
of his brothers Edmund Sidney and Alexander Sidney, and together
they focused their attention on the family’s coal lands in
northeastern Pennsylvania. They had the lands re-surveyed, rallied
state and federal support to enact legislation promoting the
development of the anthracite region, and also sold off most of the
family’s Oswego patent in New York, as well as lands in Baltimore,
Maryland, and Georgia to support their coal holdings. The land sale
profits proved so lucrative, that by 1837 Charles was able to pay
off obligations owed by his brother Francis in Brownsville,
Tennessee, making his father’s estate and all of his brothers and
sisters’ accounts almost entirely debt free. In addition to
administering his father’s estate, Charles had several other
noteworthy accomplishments. He served as the deputy attorney
general for the state of Pennsylvania, and was appointed a judge of
the District Court for the City and Country of Philadelphia in
1826. In 1832, he was reappointed to that position and also married
and began a family with Ann M. Brinton. He retired from the legal
profession in 1836 and thereafter devoted all of his time to the
management of his family’s estate. Other organizations with which
Charles was affiliated include the Board of Inspectors of Eastern
State Penitentiary and the Pennsylvania Society for Alleviating the
Miseries of the Public Prisons. He was also an officer in the
Pennsylvania militia and Columbia Light Infantry, and was active in
the Democratic Party throughout his life. Charles Sidney Coxe died
in 1879. He and Anne had had seven children during their marriage
but only six of them outlived their parents. Their eldest son
Brinton Coxe was a lawyer and writer of eminence on constitutional
law, and also briefly served as the
Coxe Family Papers Collection 2049
7 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
president of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The other sons
Eckley and Alexander became active in the coal business, and Eckley
assumed control of the Coxe family estate following his father’s
death.
Scope & content This collection spans a period from 1638 to1970
(bulk 1739-1900), and highlights the acquisition of the Coxe family
estate in colonial America, and the life and many accomplishments
of Tench Coxe (1755-1824), a merchant, politician, land speculator,
essay writer, and family man. Tench’s commercial records document
his participation in three Philadelphia trade houses, provide
valuable insight into the political tensions and disruptions to
colonial trade in Philadelphia both before and after the
Revolution, and shed light on Tench’s personal struggles as a
passive loyalist, who was forced to flee the city temporarily in
1776. Also highlighted is Tench’s controversial civic career and
his service in the following political appointments: assistant
secretary of the treasury to Alexander Hamilton (1790-1792),
commissioner of the revenue (1792-1797), secretary of the
Pennsylvania land office (1800-1801), collector of the revenue for
the city and county of Philadelphia (1801-1803), purveyor of public
supplies (1803-1812), and clerk of the Philadelphia Court of
Quarter Sessions (1815-1818). His civic records outline the
structure and operations of various state and federal offices, and
address tensions between the Federalist and Republican parties.
Tench also contributed to politics as an essay writer and several
of his original writings are also included in his papers.
Highlighted among those works is his discourse on the importance of
the cotton industry to the American economy. Tench’s other papers
document his land speculation in Pennsylvania, North Carolina,
Maryland, Georgia, and Virginia; which, after his death in 1824,
became the foundation for the Coxe family estate that sustained
generations of his descendents. The administration of that estate
is documented in the papers of three of Tench’s sons: Charles
Sidney, Alexander Sidney, and Edmund Sidney Coxe. Materials in this
collection have been divided into eight series. Series I and II are
comprised of records created by or directly related to Tench Coxe.
Series I contains over three hundred bound volumes, which include
letterbooks, commercial account books, personal financial books,
and printed materials. Collectively these records document Tench’s
personal relationships, his merchant accounts and activities, his
interests and expenses in land speculation, and various financial
aspects of his political positions, especially his responsibilities
as collector of the revenue and purveyor of public supplies. Some
volumes created by his sons and by one of his speculation partners
Dr. Thomas Ruston are also present. Records relating to Ruston are
especially interesting; they document his medical education in
England, treatments prescribed to his patients, his attempts at
land speculation, and his bankruptcy. Tench Coxe became executor of
Ruston’s bankrupt estate and seized most of Ruston’s record books
in conjunction with that responsibility. (See also Series VI.) Most
of the topics addressed in Series I are echoed or documented in
greater detail in Tench’s unbound materials found in Series II.
Series IIa is comprised of correspondence and general papers, and
is the most complete and informative compilation of papers
documenting Tench’s business, political, and personal
endeavors.
Coxe Family Papers Collection 2049
8 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
A small portion of records in this subseries, which includes
correspondence, bills, receipts, articles of agreement, legal
records, etc.; outdate Tench Coxe’s lifespan (1755- 1824). Records
dating from 1638 to 1774 document early land acquisitions by
Tench’s ancestors and also the business activities of Tench’s
father William Coxe, who was a partner in the trade house of Coxe
& Furman. Records dating after 1824 are Tench’s estate papers,
which was administered by his son Charles Sidney Coxe. Some of the
post-1824 papers also document Charles’s career as a lawyer and
judge in the District Court for the City and County of
Philadelphia. Also present in this series are drafts of Tench’s
writings and financial records including cancelled checks, bills,
and receipts. Series III through V contain the records of three of
Tench’s sons, Charles Sidney, Alexander Sidney, and Edmund Sidney
Coxe. The records for all three of these individuals is very
similar; each pursued legal careers and most of their records
document legal suits they represented or gave advise on; and to
their respective responsibilities and interests in their father’s
estate. Each of these three also served in the Pennsylvania
militia, and some papers documenting their service are also
included. Series VI and VII contain the records of two of Tench
Coxe’s land speculation partners who were forced to declare
bankruptcy in the late 1790s, Thomas Ruston and William Harrison.
The circumstances of both these individuals is also addressed in
Series I and II; records in Series VI and VII were a later
acquisition and were not microfilmed with the earlier materials.
One thing that distinguishes the non-microfilmed materials however,
is their documentation of the consequences that Ruston and
Harrison’s bankruptcies had on their marriages. Series VIII is
comprised of the records of two of Tench’s other defaulted business
contacts, James McCalley and Oliver Pollack. Both of these
individuals are represented by a few folders of correspondence,
legal, financial, and land records. Also present are a variety of
records including correspondence, financial records, printed
materials, photographs, tintypes, and legal materials, which
provide brief insight into the lives of several of Tench Coxe’s
descendents. Rounding out the collection are a few records for
which the creator could not be identified and have been grouped
into Series VIIIs: Miscellaneous.
Overview of arrangement
Series I Volumes and printed materials, 1698-1880, n.d. 4 boxes,
350 vols. a. Letterbooks, 1778-1819, n.d. b. Account books,
1772-1855, n.d. c. Coxe, Furman & Coxe, 1776-1796 d. Coxe &
Frazier, 1783-1798, n.d. e. Miscellaneous Coxe family
volumes,
1810-1871, n.d.
account books, 1759-1849, n.d.
9 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
h. Printed materials, 1698-1880, n.d. Series II Tench Coxe,
1638-1885, n.d. 138 boxes, 3 vols.,
22FF a. Correspondence and general papers,
1638-1879, n.d.
b. Unmicrofilmed Tench Coxe materials, 1775-1885, n.d.
c. Writings, c. 1775-c. 1824, n.d. d. Financial, 1782-1869, n.d.
Series III Charles Sidney Coxe, 1754-1871, n.d. 33 boxes, 4 vols.,
2 FF a. Legal, 1754-1871, n.d. b. Financial, 1809-1870, n.d. c.
Miscellaneous, 1814-1840, n.d. Series IV Edmund Sidney Coxe,
1788-1864, n.d. 6 boxes, 2 vols., 1FF a. Legal, 1788-1848, n.d. b.
Personal papers, 1819-1864, n.d. Series V Alexander Sidney Coxe,
1808-1825, n.d. 7 boxes, 3 vols. a. Legal, 1814-1820, n.d. b.
Personal papers, 1808-1825, n.d. Series VI Thomas Ruston,
1736-1824, n.d. 25 boxes, 2 vols., 18 FF a. Correspondence and
general papers,
1750-1824, n.d.
b. Land, 1739-1814, n.d. c. Financial, 1786-1795, n.d. d. Legal,
1789-1812, n.d. e. Other Ruston family members, 1736-
1798, n.d.
f. Miscellaneous, 1804, n.d. Series VII William Harrison,
1790-1799, n.d. 3 boxes, 2 vols. Series VIII Other related
individuals and family members,
1679-1970, n.d. 8 boxes, 27 vols., 8 FF
a. Alexander B. Coxe, 1894-1906, n.d. b. Anne B. Coxe, 1945 c. Anne
Rebecca Coxe, 1830-1849 d. Brinton Coxe, 1679-1893, n.d. e. Charles
B. Coxe, 1873 f. Eckley B. and Sophia G. Coxe, 1895-1924 g.
Elizabeth A. Coxe, 1918 h. Franklin Coxe, 1877 i. Mary Rebecca
Coxe, 1830-1857 j. Rebecca Coxe, 1931 k. Richard Coxe, 1796-1857,
n.d. l. Sarah A. Coxe, 1879 m. William Coxe, 1805-1820 n.
Unidentified Coxe papers, 1817-1938 o. Fisher family, 1821-1895,
n.d. p. James McCalley, 1787-1814, n.d.
Coxe Family Papers Collection 2049
10 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
q. Arthur and Harriet McClellan, 1880-1934, n.d.
r. Oliver Pollack, 1782-1789 s. Miscellaneous, 1730-1970,
n.d.
Series description Series 1. Volumes and printed materials,
1698-1880, n.d. (Boxes 1-4, Vols. 1-332)
a. Letterbooks, 1778-1819. The nine letterbooks in this subseries
are almost entirely commercial and professional correspondence,
which document Tench Coxe’s mercantile career, political
appointments, and land interests. Some notations of his personal
life are also included in his business letters. Volumes 1 through 6
cover a period from 1778 to 1799 and provide brief insight into
Tench’s participation in three mercantile companies: Coxe, Furman,
& Coxe (1776-1780), his self-named firm (1780-1783), and Coxe
& Frazier (1783-1790). (See also subseries 1c and d.) These
letters address the difficulties affecting trade both during and
after the American Revolution as well as Tench’s personal political
struggles. The beginning of volume 3 was also used as an invoice
book to record the receipt of goods. Volumes 7 through 9 date from
1779 to 1819, and document the settling of Tench’s affairs with his
merchant houses, his participation in several land speculation
endeavors, his official responsibilities as collector of the
revenue (1801-1803), and the aftermath of his tenure as purveyor of
public supplies (1803-1812). (See also Series 2a.) The first
letters begin in May 1778, a few months after Tench had returned to
Philadelphia from New York, where he had sought refuge as a Tory
supporter with like-minded relatives. His return coincided with the
British occupation of Philadelphia, following which he immediately
resumed his commercial activities. Tench’s correspondence relates
chiefly to mercantile matters and reflects wartime disruptions to
business and trade, which included difficulty remitting goods as a
result of the movements of the army and an inability to collect
debts. Tench also used a few of these letters to discuss personal
matters with his business contacts, some of whom were his close
personal friends. In 1778, the British began to evacuate the city
and Tench anguished over whether he should remain. His wife
Catherine McCall had been seriously ill for several months, and he
feared an attempt to relocate her would prove fatal. Though a
difficult decision Tench stayed, but faced the scrutiny of his
peers for his Loyalist political activities. In a letter dated
November 29, 1778, he wrote to Benjamin Yard that a grand jury had
found nothing exceptionable in his conduct during the occupation,
adding, “However cencurable many people may have thought me, I feel
the fullest conviction of my meaning no injury to any private man,
or public body.” Tench professed his oath to the colonial cause
shortly thereafter, but his wife had died in July. The
correspondence relating to this brief and tumultuous period ends in
December 1778.
Coxe Family Papers Collection 2049
11 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
The next letterbook resumes in February 1783, and reflects Tench’s
renewed energy and optimism in his independently run trade house.
(His activities with Coxe, Furman & Coxe had ended in 1780,
when Moore Furman dissolved the partnership.) Tench wrote of the
business climate and the prospects for the growth of trade after
the peace settlement. He was able to reestablish trade with
merchants and agents in Europe (especially Great Britain), the West
Indies, and had also increased his trade with American merchants.
Other important topics were ships’ arrivals, supplies and prices of
commodities, and ship disasters. In addition to Tench’s success in
business, he had also remarried and begun a family with his cousin,
Rebecca Coxe. In November 1783, Tench took on partner Nalboro
Frazier of Boston to expand his business, and by December 1783 his
correspondence reflects that joint venture. It is important to note
that this was Tench’s letterbook and much of the correspondence
relating to Coxe & Frazier was written and signed by him. (Coxe
& Frazier’s other letterbooks can be found in Series 1d.)
Throughout 1784, Tench’s letters to traders discuss the
overabundance of goods in the American market and advised them to
send only goods of medium quality, because the top goods were not
fetching adequate prices. That problem continued into 1785 and
created widespread financial instability in the business community.
Coxe & Frazier felt these effects, and their financial
difficulties eventually led to the firm’s dissolution in 1790.
While engaging in business with Coxe & Frazier, Tench was also
actively pursuing a political career. Letters in volumes 4 through
7 provide some evidence of his support for the new country and the
Constitution, and document his increasing communications with
several influential politicians. Tench also began administering
financial matters for several of his family members and close
friends. Some of those responsibilities included procuring shares
in the Bank of the United States for E. Gerry and Joseph Bartlett;
and also administering the following estates: Rebecca Coxe (Tench’s
aunt), Thomas Ruston, William Harrison, and Nalboro Frazier. Most
of the correspondence in volumes 4 through 7 however, document
Tench’s land speculation, both in his own right and in
partnerships, in Pennsylvania, New York, Georgia, Maryland, North
Carolina and Virginia. He also managed properties on behalf of
others, including Alexander Hamilton and David Franks. Tench’s
correspondence to Franks evidences the lingering negative effects
of his political affiliations during the Revolution. Tench wrote to
him on August 30, 1785, to recommend another candidate for his
position as land administrator stating, “I could not have asked
this had I thought I could do justice to the business of that
nature. My character in politicks during the war would be
remembered on these occasions, and would occasion interruptions.”
Correspondence relating to Tench’s own lands documents the receipt
of rent, tax payments, and improvements made on the properties.
Tench had bought much of his land on credit, which became a major
financial strain. His monetary troubles were compounded by
lingering debts from his dissolved merchant firms, and his
obligations to Thomas Ruston, a land speculation partner who went
bankrupt and defaulted on notes Tench had secured. (See also Series
1f
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12 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
and Series 6.) The correspondence documents several of Tench’s
attempts to sell his North Carolina land holdings to potential
buyers, and those letters often contain descriptive details of his
lands. Tench noted that the plots were located on rivers or had
large creeks running through them and was adamant about their
potential as cotton land, flat land, or meadow land. In an April 7,
1802 letter to several unnamed potential buyers, he boasted, “I am
perfectly satisfied that this property is rendered so valuable by
its situation healthiness fine water navigation by the river and
Canal wood and timber and its fitness for cotton vines and tobacco
that there is no superior objects at the same low price in the
United States and that in your hands and mine it may be made a very
grand object for both our families.” Unfortunately, all of his
attempts to sell the land proved fruitless. Tench’s appointments as
collector of the revenue and the aftermath of his position as
purveyor of public supplies are documented in volumes 8 and 9. As
collector of the revenue, Tench was responsible for collecting
taxes from distilleries, sugar refineries, and auctioneers, as well
as revenue earned from carriages and licenses. Tench wrote to his
collectors about their responsibilities for this position, to
distillers who were improperly licensed with warnings they would be
shut down, and to stop individuals who were not authorized to
collect tax money on behalf of the United States. There are also
several references to Tench’s predecessor, James Ash, and the
settling of his accounts. All of the letters in volume 9
(1813-1816) date after Tench’s position as purveyor of public
supplies was abolished during the War of 1812. Upon termination,
Tench was asked to furnish a full account of the funds spent during
his tenure. Tench protested that he was unable to provide the
information because he was refused access to his official record
books by Commissary General Callender Irvine, who had taken over
several of Tench’s purveyor responsibilities. Letters documenting
this dispute are addressed to Secretary of the War John Armstrong,
Accountant of the War Department William Simmons, and Secretary of
the Treasury William Jones, whom Tench sought assistance from.
Several of the letters are also addressed to General Irvine. Tench
was eventually granted access to his records, and the last few
letters in the volume document the settling of that account. There
are very few letters with dates after 1813 in the last volume. b.
Account books, 1772-1855, n.d. This subseries is comprised of a
variety of financial volumes and memorandum books, which were used
by Tench Coxe to record his personal finances, contributions to
charitable organizations, mercantile expenditures, and the earnings
on his land holdings. It is important to note that the financial
volumes relating to Tench’s mercantile adventures included in this
subseries, differ from those found in Series 1c and 1d in that they
are typically a combination of business and personal expenditures.
However, a few of the commercial volumes in this subseries
including a receipt book (vol. 58), two cash books (vols. 118-119),
an invoice book (vol. 124) an alphabet (vol. 122), and bills books
(vols. 123-125), are strictly business related. Those particular
volumes appear to have been recorded by Tench for his own use, and
not by office clerks for the benefit of Tench and his partners.
Also present are
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13 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
financial volumes documenting Tench’s responsibilities and the
record keeping practices of the revenue department and the
purveyor’s office. Records documenting Tench’s personal and
business expenditures include daybooks (vols. 10-14), journals
(vols. 15-18), ledgers (vols. 23-24), checkbooks (vols. 29-30, 38,
40-41), bankbooks (vols. 42-48), a receipt book (vol. 60), a fee
book (vol. 105), a cashbook (vol. 120), and memorandum books (vols.
126-131). Personal expenses in the daybooks, journals, and receipt
book included pew rentals, repairs made to Coxe property, music
lessons for his children, groceries, the tailoring of clothing,
servants’ wages, letter postage, and donations to charitable
organizations including the Poor House and the Abolition Society.
The dues and account books (vols. 107-111) and a bankbook with the
Farmers and Mechanics Bank (vol. 55), also record Tench’s
participation and contributions to the Pennsylvania Society for the
Encouragement of Manufactures and the Useful Arts and the Defense
Fund. The names of several other Philadelphia members are also
recorded in these volumes including R. Patterson, Benjamin Rush,
and Henry Simpson. Tench used his memorandum books to jot down
helpful reminders such as court sessions he needed to attend, lists
of calculations, and also hypothesized on how cotton production
could be improved. The last memorandum book (vol. 131) is a summary
of Tench’s estate and the whereabouts of important documents, which
he wrote down for the benefit of his estate’s executors following
his death. Business entries in the daybooks, journals, and ledgers
record the receipt of money for goods including tea, Spanish
pistols, lemons, needles, threads, ribbons, rum, linen, sealing
wax, petticoats, bibles, necklaces, fans, garters, and looking
glasses. Several silver or metal plated items are also mentioned
such as candlestick holders, tea pots, coffee urns, goblets, and
vases. Most of the goods were sold on Tench’s behalf by Colburn
Barrell. Other business related entries record the receipt of money
on bills of exchange, the purchase of shipping insurance, and fees
paid to lawyers for prosecuting debtors. Other business volumes
include a receipt book (vol. 58), two cash books (vol. 118- 119),
an invoice book (vol. 121), an alphabet (vol. 122) and bill books
(vols. 123- 125). All three of Tench’s mercantile adventures
involved shipping goods to various American and overseas ports, and
the specifics of those transactions can be found in the receipt
book, invoice book, and alphabet. They provide information on the
name of the ship, the name of the ship captain, the intended
destination, and details on the quantity and type of cargo. The two
cashbooks record money paid for invoices and sometimes mention the
type of merchandise purchased. The bill books trace the exchange
and remittance of bills and indicate the drawer’s name, where the
money was drawn, to whom the bill was payable, who and where it was
drawn on, when and to whom the bill was remitted, and the type of
currency and rate of exchange used to settle the bill. Volumes
documenting Tench’s land investments in Pennsylvania, New York,
Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia begin as early as
1777 and include both financial and official land documents. This
group of records consists of
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14 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
daybooks (vol. 67, 112-114), ledgers (vols. 25, 68-71), a bankbook
(vol. 53), survey books (vols. 72-77), a letterbook (vol. 78),
account books (vol. vol. 115-117) and several notebooks or
memorandum books (vols. 79-82). The daybooks, ledgers, bankbook,
and account books document monies paid for the following types of
transactions: the drawing of deeds, payments to individuals
managing the Coxe land estate at Oswego, tax payments, surveyors’
fees, and the receipt of rent. Speculation partners who are
frequently mentioned in these volumes include Samuel Hodgson,
Timothy Pickering, Andrew Craige, Miers Fisher, Duncan Ingraham,
James Potter, Issac Wikoff, David Franks, and James Wilson. The
survey books are a land record and do not provide financial
information. Entries in the survey books are a copy of the
surveyor’s field notes and provide detailed descriptions of the
acreage of plots, list the names of owners with neighboring plots,
note land markers, and indicate special features that increased the
value of the property, such as the presence of lumber. Most of the
surveys are signed and dated by the surveyor, include a notation of
the county that the property was located in, and include notations
of how the property could be improved. Most of the lands mentioned
in these volumes were located in the following Pennsylvania
counties: Wayne, Luzerne, Pike, Northampton, Rutherford, and
Bedford. Correspondence in the letterbook (vol. 78) begins in 1822,
and is mostly addressed to Peter S. DuPonceau, who managed the Coxe
family landed trust, and letters to him outline instructions for
the sale of those properties. Also recorded in the letterbooks is a
list of all the deeds owned by Tench. Similar information can be
found in the land notebooks, which were created for the use of the
executors of Tench’s estate following his death. Entries in the
notebooks document the names of individuals with warrants on the
lands, the number of tracts owned, the acreage, and the names of
the township and county where the property was located. The
remaining financial volumes in this subseries reflect Tench’s
political appointments as a collector of the revenue for the city
and county of Philadelphia, his promotion to supervisor of the
revenue, and also his position as purveyor of public supplies. A
bankbook (vol. 45) with the Bank of New York also reflects Tench’s
responsibilities as the assistant secretary of the treasury under
Alexander Hamilton from July to October 1790. Volumes illustrating
Tench’s responsibilities to the revenue office include a journal
(vol. 19); bankbooks with the Bank of the United States, the Bank
of Pennsylvania, and the Stephen Girard Bank (vol. 49-52, 56-57); a
receipt book (vol. 59) and several account books (vols. 83-100).
Records begin as early as 1791 and end in 1814, although his
official titled position in that office only lasted from 1801 to
1803. The journal and account books document the names of the
collectors of the revenue, the districts in which they worked, and
the amount of money turned over to the revenue office. Besides
Tench, other revenue supervisors who are mentioned in the volumes
include George Clymer, Henry Miller, and head supervisor Peter
Muhlenberg. Tench took over that position of head supervisor in
1802, following which all entries were recorded by him. Other
individuals listed in the volumes are J. Nevill, inspector
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15 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
of the revenue; and William Ewing, John Wills, Benjamin Wells, John
Webster, H. Wertz, and James Brice, who were collectors. Some
account statements between the United States and head supervisor
Peter Muhlenberg, and between the United States and Tench when he
became head supervisor, are also included in a few of the account
books. They document monthly totals of cash received by the
collectors, contingent expenses, and payment and remittances paid
to the collectors. Duties could be paid in cash or bonds, and were
collected on stills, carriages, sugar refineries, distilleries,
retailer’s licenses, sales at auction, and on snuff. Duties were
also collected on properties and those records provide the name of
the land owner, the number of occupants on the property, the
location of the property, the amount of the tax, and from whom the
money was received. Land tax records also document the name of
individuals who failed to pay their taxes and the amount of money
owed. The records relating to land are typically broken up by
county and township. Two of the revenue account volumes (vols.
98-99) and the receipt book (vol. 59) were Tench’s personal record
books during his collectorship. Tench used the account volumes as
notebooks while he was out in the field, and recorded a variety of
helpful job reminders such as how to measure the proof of spirits.
Tench also recorded the names of individuals issued fines for being
improperly licensed, and jotted down information on merchant houses
that had relocated out of his collecting district. The receipt book
documents tax money that Tench turned in to his supervisor Peter
Muhlenberg from 1801 to 1802. The last of the revenue account books
(volume 100), documents the final settling of Tench’s account with
the revenue department in 1814. Tench served as the purveyor of
public supplies from 1803 until the position was terminated in
1812, and records documenting that office include journals (vols.
20- 22), ledgers (vols. 26-28), checkbooks with the Bank of the
United States and the Bank of Pennsylvania (vols. 31-37, 39), a
bankbook with the Bank of Pennsylvania (vol. 54), receipt books
(vols. 61-66), and a variety of purveyor account books (vols.
101-104). The journals and ledgers document payments made on a
variety of goods distributed to the United States military. The
journals are a helpful guide to goods purchased on a daily basis,
while the ledgers provide more information on individual department
expenditures and on the purveyor department suppliers. The ledger
entries also record the location of the supplier and the products
they supplied. The receipt books records similar information. The
purveyor department purchased a variety of goods including soap,
trunks, rifles, uniforms, shoes, blankets, horse bells, cooperage,
swords, rifles and pistols, cartouche boxes, and clothing. Other
expenses recorded in the purveyor financial volumes are employee
salaries. Several females were employed by the department as
seamstresses, and among those listed in the ledgers and receipt
book were Anne Wood, Ann Hurley, Ester Davison, and Sarah Ogden.
Information on these women and the quantity and types of clothing
(shirts, socks, pants, etc.) each produced can also be found in the
orderly account book (vol. 101). The cost of producing these
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16 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
goods was charged to the following departments: the Indian
department, the ordinance department, the clothing department, the
war department, the committee of distribution, and the hospital
department. The appropriations account book contains calculations
of total money expended by the purveyor department in 1810 compared
with the amount of money appropriated for that year. Also present
is a miscellaneous notebook Tench used to record notes and
calculations on ordered goods. c. Coxe, Furman & Coxe,
1776-1796. This subseries is comprised of a letterbook, waste book,
journal, ledger, invoice book, and cash book, which document Tench
Coxe’s business activities with the Philadelphia merchant house
Coxe, Furman & Coxe from 1776 to 1796. Prior to 1776, the
enterprise had been known as Coxe & Furman, and had been
established in 1762 by Tench’s father William Coxe and partner
Moore Furman. Tench began working as a merchant in this
establishment in 1775 and was taken as an official partner in 1776.
The firm was dissolved in 1780 by Furman, following several
unprofitable years during the American Revolution. Records dating
after 1780 document the settling of Coxe, Furman & Coxe
accounts, and also Tench’s individual mercantile efforts from 1780
to 1783. (See also series 2a.) The period of operation for Coxe,
Furman & Coxe was wrought with trade difficulties as a result
of the American Revolution. Evidence of their struggles is most
apparent in the letterbook dating from 1776 to 1779, which
documents the capture of foreign vessels consigned to Coxe, Furman
& Coxe by American privateers, unstable market prices,
difficulty collecting on debts, and trouble receiving and sending
mail. From 1776 to 1777, Tench spent much of his time in New York,
where it is believed he fled because of his political beliefs. He
returned to Philadelphia following the British occupation in 1777,
and most of the correspondence in the letterbook after that date is
signed solely by him. In light of these difficulties, Coxe, Furman
& Coxe still managed to execute a fair amount of trade and the
letterbooks provide information on their clients, the goods they
bartered, the market value of those goods, the status of sales
transactions, and shipping information. The wastebook, journal,
ledger, and cashbook also provide financial information on these
topics. Some of the more popular clients were Benjamin Andrews,
Nathaniel Carter, Duncan Ingraham, and Edward Goold. Coxe, Furman
& Coxe traded a variety of goods including chocolate, coffee,
sugar, pork, flour, rum, beeswax, iron, indigo, tea, salt, and
tobacco. Tench continued trading these types of goods after the
dissolution of Coxe, Furman & Coxe. The invoice book also
included in this subseries was used solely to document Tench’s
flour account with Dr. Thomas Ruston and William Harrison (see also
series 1f). Entries state the number of flour barrels sold, the
name of the supplier, and the price received per barrel. d. Coxe
& Frazier, 1783-1798, n.d.
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17 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Records in this subseries document Tench Coxe’s third and final
mercantile adventure under the moniker Coxe & Frazier from
November 1783 to 1798. Representing this enterprise are
letterbooks, journals, accounts current, a shipping receipt book, a
store book, and memorandum books. Coxe & Frazier disbanded in
1790 for financial reasons and to pursue other career interests.
All of the records dating after that event document the settling of
their accounts. (See also series 2a.) Coxe & Frazier recorded
outgoing letters in two separate volumes, distinguishing
correspondence sent to their American (vols. 138, 140, 142) and
foreign contacts (vols. 139, 141, 143). Because so many of their
transactions incorporated both groups of clients, the information
in the foreign and American letterbooks overlaps to some degree. It
appears that the letterbooks were recorded by Nalboro Frazier’s
clerks as some notations in the margins of the letterbooks read,
“letters which were written by our own T. C.,” or, “see Tench
Coxe’s letterbook.” Tench most likely acquired the letterbooks in
1790, when the firm dissolved. Many of the letters after that date
were recorded by Tench’s brother Daniel Coxe, who acted as Tench’s
attorney in the liquidation process, or by Tench. Addresses
recorded in the American letterbooks indicate that Coxe &
Frazier traded with clients in Newburyport, New York, Savannah,
Boston, Richmond, Baltimore, and Charleston. The commercial
correspondence addressed to these traders discusses the sale of
arms and other goods including lemons, limes, oranges, sugar,
flour, rice, rum, candles, and cotton. Most of the early letters
announce the newly formed house of Coxe & Frazier, express
optimism about the unrestricted trade environment, inquire after
the status of shipments and sales on cargo, and discuss the
competitiveness of the market. Letters to their foreign contacts
located in Amsterdam, Tortola, London, Liverpool, St. Croix,
Barbados, and Kingston, also discuss the specifics of shipping and
sales of merchandise. Goods traded to the foreign clients were the
same as merchandise mentioned in correspondence to American
traders, except for the case of two “negro wenches,” who were sent
to St. Croix merchant Benjamin Yard for sale. The letter addressed
to Yard in April 1787 indicated that the slaves were the property
of Mr. Stephen Prosser, but the profits of the sales were to be
directly credited to Coxe & Frazier. This is the only mention
of that type of transaction in these volumes. The business
operations of Coxe & Frazier were mostly profitable throughout
1784, but that success was short-lived. By 1785, a large portion of
their correspondence begins to address their struggles collecting
on debts owed to them and their own resulting financial
difficulties. Much of the strain was caused by increased
restrictions placed on American commerce by Great Britain,
protested payments on bills of exchange resulting from unstable
United States currency, and unregulated business practices, all of
which were tarnishing American business credibility. Letters
addressed to their foreign contacts attempted to express the firm’s
dedication to principled and regulated business practices, but
their inability to collect on the debts of some of their American
clients, most specifically that of Messrs. Scarbrough & Cooke,
were making it difficult for Coxe & Frazier to meet their own
financial responsibilities. In April 1787, they wrote to Capt.
Elliot, Messrs. Crocketts &
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18 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Harris, “We must repeat our earnest desire that the reimbursement
we requested in our last may be made without delay-our situation is
cruel and distressing.” By 1788, Coxe & Frazier’s trade
correspondence became scarce, and some of the letters document the
firm selling off some of their ships to cover their debts. The few
trade orders they did complete were mostly for muskets and other
weapons, as well as fine china, potash kettles, tea, and leather
provided to them by John R. Livingston. In May 1790, Coxe and
Frazier decided to quit their business. In both the American and
foreign letterbooks, the reported reason for the dissolution was
Tench’s newly acquired position as assistant secretary to the
treasury. The final letters in both sets of volumes regard suits
brought against individuals for unpaid bills, fulfilling final
contracts of goods consigned to them, and paying off Coxe &
Frazier debts. The financial volumes also included in this
subseries provide a concise view of Coxe & Frazier’s client
base, the types of goods supplied by individual contractors, the
receipt of shipments, and the exchange of cash and goods. Three
journals covering a period from December 1783 to July 1798,
document Coxe & Frazier’s daily transactions and offer clear
summaries of individual accounts. Two indices for ledgers are also
present, but the ledgers themselves are not included in this
collection. Two record books labeled accounts current provide
similar information to that found in the ledgers. Records are
entered by the name of the client and act as an invoice, with debts
entered on the left hand side of the page and credits on the right.
Unlike a ledger however, the accounts current detail the goods
exchanged between the client and Coxe & Frazier, and provide a
balance of outstanding debts. The first few pages of the account
book dating from 1784 to 1791 (vol. 148), was also used as a sales
book. Sales book entries list the name of the ship on which cargo
was carried, the name of the ship’s captain, the merchant
purchasing the goods, and the quantity and type of goods purchased.
Other shipping information can be found in the shipping receipts,
which cover a period from 1783 to 1787. The receipts are written
out to Tench Coxe, and document the quantity of goods being
shipped, the name of the ship captain, the name of the sailing
vessel, and the intended destination. The remaining financial
volumes include a store book and two memorandum books. The store
book provides a record of goods sent to a store located on Water
Street (now Front Street), and another store titled Pearson, Hunt
& Company, the location of which was not indicated. The two
memorandum books record outstanding debts owed to Coxe &
Frazier as well as some of Tench’s personal expenses including
house repairs. e. Miscellaneous Coxe family volumes, 1810-1871,
n.d. Materials in this subseries represent four of Tench Coxe’s
children: Alexander Sidney, Charles Sidney, Edmund Sidney, and Mary
Rebecca. The volumes relating to these individuals highlight their
legal careers, the distribution and maintenance of Tench Coxe’s
estate, and their personal finances. One volume cover attributed to
another son Henry Sidney Coxe, and a schoolbook containing notes on
politics, the
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19 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
economy, astronomy, and electricity, for which the creator could
not be identified, are also included. Alexander Sidney Coxe pursued
a legal career and relating to him are a notebook in which he
recorded legal lectures (vol. 154A) and a docket book for the
District and Common Pleas Court (vol. 154). The docket book records
the names of individuals involved in the court case, the charges,
the presiding lawyers, and often a brief note about the outcome.
Alexander used the back of the docket book to record the receipt of
his legal fees. Charles Sidney Coxe followed in his brother’s
footsteps in the legal profession, and records relating to his
career include a docket book from the Court of Common Pleas and
Mayor’s Court (vol. 155). Some of the cases tried before the courts
were for unpaid debts, larceny, and assault and battery. Upon Tench
Coxe’s death in 1824, Charles took on additional responsibility as
the primary executor of his father’s estate. An account book and a
personal memorandum book (vols. 157-158) document the dispersal of
the estate’s land earnings to his siblings, and his personal
expenses accrued while traveling to evaluate the quality of the
Coxe mining lands and other properties. One additional volume
belonging to Charles Sidney records the minutes of a public meeting
held in 1826 to relieve Thomas Jefferson from his debts (vol. 156).
The minutes also document the names of individuals who participated
at the meeting and subscribed to the “Jefferson Fund.” This group
was later dubbed the Committee of Superintendence. Edmund Sidney
Coxe also pursued a legal career, which is documented by a case
book (vol. 160) in which he recorded the details of legal suits he
represented. Most of the cases were tried in the Court of Common
Pleas. Edmund’s personal finances including household expenses and
his personal investments are also documented in his personal
account book (vol. 161). A large portion of his income was earned
on rent from his father Tench Coxe’s estate. Representing Mary
Rebecca Coxe is an account book (vol. 162), which records her
household expenses including rent, groceries, and pew rentals. f.
Thomas Ruston, 1762-1802, n.d. This subseries documents the
medical, mercantile, and land speculation career of Philadelphian
Thomas Ruston. Ruston’s involvement in land speculation led to his
ultimate demise and bankruptcy in 1796, when he defaulted on
several bank notes and land deals. Tench Coxe, one of Ruston’s
speculation partners, became one of the administrators of the
bankrupt estate and many of the entries dating after 1796 were
created by him. Some of the record books also belonged to Ruston’s
wife Mary, and reflect her actions on the bankrupt estate as well
as her daily activities. Additionally, there is one memorandum book
(vol. 179) recording Ruston’s position as executor and land
administrator of the Virginia Suffolk estate, and one notebook
(vol. 165),which he used as a diary during a trip to Paris and
London in 1785. Entries in the notebook chronicle his daily
activities, provide copies of letters of
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20 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
introduction to individuals in the two locations, and record essays
Ruston wrote on United States political topics. Thomas Ruston’s
primary occupation was medicine, and reflecting that vocation are
several memorandum books of medical notes (vols. 183-184,
186-186d), which he recorded while attending lectures at the
University of Edinburgh. He received a Master’s degree from that
institution in 1765. The lectures cover a variety of topics
including prescribed treatments of fevers, the benefits of mineral
water over seltzer water, the qualities of various medicines,
chemistry notes, anatomy notes, and characteristics of many 19th
century diseases. Also present are memorandum books (vols. 185 and
185a) in which Thomas recorded the medical conditions of patients
he treated. These volumes document the name of the patient, their
age, previous medical problems, detailed descriptions of the
current symptoms, and prescribed medications and treatments. Some
of the more frequent medical conditions he treated were gonorrhea,
stomach pain, excessive coughing, and swollen limbs. Thomas became
involved in land speculation and the wheat industry sometime in the
early 1790s, while he was living in the Philadelphia countryside.
Much of the wheat Ruston traded was produced in the grist mill
located on his farm. Records documenting his involvement in the
wheat trade include a journal (vol. 169), a ledger (vol. 170), and
account books (vols. 171-172). Entries in these volumes document
Ruston’s purchase of large quantities of wheat, provide the names
of his wheat suppliers, record grist mill operating expenses, and
payments made to ship captains and other individuals for
transporting the wheat. Some of the accounts in the ledger and
account books are a grist mill account, a farm account, household
accounts, and individual accounts for farm and grist mill
employees. Evidence of Thomas’s land investments can be found in
the letterbook (vol. 166) and two daybooks (vols. 167-168), which
record the receipt of money collected on land sales and rent, money
paid for surveys, and expenses for maintaining his properties. The
earliest correspondence dates to 1793, and are mostly letters
regarding the settling of bills; the renting and selling of his
properties located in Wythe County, Virginia; Northampton County,
Pennsylvania; and Franklin County, Georgia; for the acquisition of
warrants and surveys; and instructions to individuals surveying his
properties. Some of the individuals with whom he corresponded
include Edward MacCullock & Company, Benjamin Thomson, deputy
surveyor Alexander McClain, Thomas Norwell, and Moses Austin.
Thomas also joined another Philadelphia flour merchant, Levi
Hollingsworth, in promoting the sale of his American properties to
European buyers. Letters relating to this are addressed to Stephen
Austin, to whom Ruston and his wife granted power of attorney, and
Mr. Phillip Sansom, another American land owner. The attempt to
sell American lands to wealthy Europeans was very unsuccessful and
became a major financial burden for Ruston when he was unable to
pay his property taxes in 1796. Shortly thereafter, he went
bankrupt. Records documenting Ruston’s bankruptcy were mostly
created by Tench Coxe and include two memorandum books (vols. 164,
180-181). The memorandum books
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21 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
contain copies of ads and other official documents issued for the
sale of Ruston’s property and belongings, and provide notes on the
legal proceedings of Ruston’s bankruptcy trials. (vols. 164,
180-181). One memorandum book (vol. 182) belonging to Mary Ruston
also documents some aspects of her husband’s bankruptcy. She used
the memorandum book to record her social obligations such as
dinners, theatre events, and balls. She also scribbled down
occasions when potential suitors visited her daughters. Toward the
end of the memorandum book her social obligations were sparse, and
most of the entries record visitors collecting on her husband’s
debts. Other volumes that reflect Mary Ruston’s record keeping
practices and the Ruston family’s personal expenses include
household receipt books (vols. 174-178) and a bankbook with the
Bank of the United States. Entries in the receipt books illustrate
goods purchased for the farm and also house expenses including
groceries. Some of their purchases included hay, clothing, bushels
of lime, bread, sugar, eggs, oysters, mutton veal, goose, lobster,
sausage, fowl, tea, yeast, and soap. Other expenses were worker’s
wages, blacksmithing, and money paid to surveyors. The receipt book
dating from 1800 to 1803 (vol. 176) also documents room and board
paid to Margaret Evans. g. Miscellaneous letterbooks and account
books, 1759-1849, n.d. This subseries is comprised of a
conglomeration of record books, including financial records, land
records, letterbooks, notebooks, and writings. These volumes belong
to individuals who had business interactions with Tench Coxe in one
or more of his many career interests, are the records of estates
for which Tench became executor, are the records of individuals
with no clear connection to Tench or his family, or are
miscellaneous volumes for which the creator could not be
identified. A few of the volumes in this subseries were created by
Tench Coxe, although it is unclear why they were microfilmed in
this subseries and not with his other account books in series 1b.
Among those volumes are a receipt book, an unidentified index,
memorandum books, and records of Tench’s administration of the
Francis family estate. The receipt book and memorandum books record
Tench’s personal expenses such as money paid for the poor tax,
militia fines, street and paving tax, and groceries, as well as
personal reminders such as “have the chimneys swept out.” Tench
Coxe conducted business with a number of American and foreign
merchants, whose commercial records are present in this subseries.
Merchants James McCally; Beekman, Son & Goold, Colburn Barrell,
James Abercrombie, Shippen & Yates, A.C. Cuyler, Clark &
Nightingale, and M. Coulougnae are represented by commercial
volumes, which document the goods they sold, their clients, and
their accounts with other merchants. Some of the record books
representing these merchants include sales books, daybooks,
journals, ledgers, invoice books, and accounts current. All of
these firms traded similar types of goods, which included textiles,
coffee, tea, liquor, necklaces, and ink powder to name a few. Also
present are shipping records for the ships Canton, Ritchie,
Elegant, and Bella. One “account of seamen’s wages” belonging to
Captain M. Powers is also present for the year 1793. This volume
documents cash issued to the sailors at various ports, deductions
against their wages for the loss or damage of goods aboard the
ship, and deductions for medical attention. A few
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22 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
miscellaneous volumes documenting goods exported from Philadelphia
ports from 1759 to 1794, and a prices current of the Province of
Languedoc are also included. Some of the records in this subseries
belonged to Tench’s supervisors and to fellow revenue department
workers. The records of the following collectors are included in
this subseries: E. Forman, James Newport, and John Webster.
Representing these individuals are their personal account
statements with the revenue department, and memorandum books, in
which they listed the names and locations of distilleries they
visited. Two letterbooks belonging to revenue supervisors George
Clymer and James Ash are also present. Their correspondence was
written to their collectors to update them on the changing tax laws
and to acknowledge the receipt of duty money. A few of the letters
were also addressed to individuals being tried for tax evasion.
Henry Miller, another supervisor from the revenue department is
represented by an account statement of all the duties gathered by
his collectors for the years 1791 to 1801. A similar account
statement is present for Tench Coxe, while he was serving as
commissioner of the revenue from 1792 to 1797. A list of
applications for licenses to retail merchandise, which was signed
by Charles Sidney Coxe, is also included. One miscellaneous volume
documents the activities of the Pennsylvania land office. The
volume was used as a register of warrants on all properties located
in districts under the control of Anthony Crothers and George
Palmer in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. The following townships are
represented in this volume: Buckingham, Damascus, Palmyra,
Lackawaxen (now in Pike County), Mount Pleasant, and Canaan. There
are also a number of financial and land records representing
individuals hired to administer, maintain, or survey Tench’s
properties, or who were land owners in their own right. The
following individuals are included in this category: H.
Wiederholdt, Andrew Allen Jr. and his wife Sarah, (employees on
Tench’s property in Mount Airy, Pennsylvania); Benjamin Morgan,
Francis Manfield and Finch Bovell (renters); David Franks, Captain
Ball, George Harrison, and Moses, David, and Jacob Franks (land
owners); and John Smith (surveyor). John Smith’s field notes of a
survey conducted on Tench’s property known as “Coxe’s Patent,”
(located on the south side of the Susquehanna River in Tioga and
Broom Counties), provide detailed descriptions of those properties
and also offer suggestions for improvements to be made to the land.
Other miscellaneous surveyor notes, not necessarily created by John
Smith, also describe Coxe family property known as the “Owego
Patent,” which was located in New York. A miscellaneous deed poll
of twenty-five tracts of land in Northampton and Luzerne Counties,
Pennsylvania, and a rent and tax account book for which the creator
could not be identified, are also present. Also noteworthy are
additional records belonging to the land owner George Harrison,
which document his responsibilities as a representative of the
Office of the Naval Agent. Relating to this position are a
letterbook and a journal, which both document the navy’s purchase
of goods including sheep skins, timber, bread, beef, and other
groceries to stock United States naval ships before their
departure, provide
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23 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
information on navy suppliers, and also the payment of sailor’s
wages. In one instance in June 1802, Harrison also acted as a
liaison between sailors’ wives and the navy accounting department,
to request advanced payment of wages to the wives of sailors who
were delayed at sea. Records of payments made to these wives in the
journal also list their names and the name of their husbands, who
were aboard the frigate Philadelphia. Also present in this
subseries are land records belonging to William Harrison, who was
one of Thomas Ruston’s land speculation partners. (See also series
1f, 2a, and 7.) Land records belonging to Harrison are two ledgers
(1793-1796), which document improvements made on his properties,
money earned from the sale or renting out of those lands, and tax
payments. Most of these transactions mention Thomas Ruston, who was
Harrison’s speculation partner. Ruston and Harrison were unable to
sell those properties, and both eventually declared bankruptcy. One
case book and a volume labeled “Accounts rendered against his
estate,” document legal suits brought against Harrison for unpaid
debts, and the dispersal of his estate by administrators Tench Coxe
and William Hunt. Other individuals represented in this subseries
include Thomas Cucask, Anthony Bleeker, Thomas Wood, Francis
Corbin, and Dr. Jacob Frederick Hummel. Financial records for these
individuals are notations of their personal purchases,
contributions to various organizations, or document debts they
owed. The entries in these volumes contain limited information. A
subscription book and ledger belonging to the Philadelphia Society
for the Promotion of American Manufactures, a register of the
shareholders of the state bank, a biography of the life of Major
Edward Duffield Ingraham (2nd Battalion, Pennsylvania militia), and
the constitution and by-laws of the female benevolent daughters of
Wesley (an organization comprised of African American women) are
other record books present in this subseries. Also of note is a
volume labeled “Principles of the Plan for making an Appian Way or
National Portage.” This volume dates between 1804 and 1812 and
describes a plan to unite the extensive inland navigation of the
western lakes with an Atlantic port. The plan offers specific
details for the location of the path, reasons for preferring that
route, a proposal for funding, projected profits that would result
from increased trade, and suggestions for civilizing the natives
along the designated route. The address is directed to President
Thomas Jefferson, Vice President George Clinton, Congress, and the
citizens of Pennsylvania. Other miscellaneous volumes for which the
creator could not be identified include a school book of math
problems, bible lectures, a notebook written completely in Latin,
unidentified check stubs from the Bank of Pennsylvania, and several
unidentified indices. h. Printed materials, 1698-1880, n.d..
Printed materials in this subseries date from 1698 to 1880, and
were collected by Tench Coxe and other members of his immediate
family. Records include books,
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24 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
pamphlets, circulars, form letters, broadsides, and newspapers; and
cover a variety of topics. Some of the more noteworthy volumes are
a bound copy of the laws of North Carolina (1802), a volume of
British trade statistics (1698-1764), and a volume of reports and
letters to congress from the president, the secretary of the
treasury, and the post master general (1803-1804). Four of the
books, and a number of the smaller pamphlets are written in German,
and mostly concern manufacturing. About eighty of the pamphlets
included in this subseries were authored by Tench Coxe, although
not all of his writings are represented. Common topics are cotton
production, manufacturing, the Connecticut Claims controversy, the
disruption to trade during the War of 1812, and debates on
Missouri’s application for statehood. Also present are circulars
and form letters used in Tench’s position as purveyor of public
supplies and collector of the revenue, and also land forms.
Government forms and blank legal forms include licenses and
treasury forms, blank bills of sale, powers of attorney, deeds,
bonds, leases, naturalization petitions, and articles of agreement.
Several form letters Tench received as a shareholder in the North
American Land Company are also present. Broadsides pertain to land
sales, politics, and trade statistics. Most of the newspapers
included in this subseries were published by the Federalist or
Republican parties.
Series 2. Tench Coxe, 1638-1879, n.d. (Boxes 5-142, Vols. 333-335,
FF 1-22) a. Correspondence and general papers, 1638-1879, n.d. The
correspondence and general papers for Tench Coxe span a period from
1638 to 1879. Tench was born in Philadelphia in 1755 and died in
the same city in 1824. Although several of the materials in this
subseries were created outside his lifespan, all records that
outdate him have a clear connection to the Coxe family land
holdings or Tench Coxe’s personal estate. The earliest materials
(1638-1774) include powers of attorney, wills, and various land
papers, which belonged to Tench Coxe’s grandfather Colonel Daniel
Coxe, and commercial correspondence addressed to Tench’s father
William Coxe, who was a partner in the merchant house Coxe &
Furman (est. 1762). Some of the materials dating before 1775 also
belong to the Franks family and to Joseph, John, and William
Shippen, and document their interests in the Oxford furnace.
Correspondence and financial records housed at the end of this
subseries dating from 1824 to 1873, are mostly addressed to Tench
Coxe’s son Charles Sidney Coxe and reflect his administration of
his deceased father’s estate. Charles’s career as a judge in the
Philadelphia Court of Quarter Sessions and his interest in prison
reform is also briefly addressed. During his life, Tench Coxe was a
man of many talents and business interests. His correspondence,
which begins in 1768, highlights all of his aspirations to some
degree, including his mercantile activities in the house of Coxe,
Furman & Coxe (1776-1780) and later Coxe & Frazier
(1783-1790); his land speculation in Pennsylvania, New York,
Georgia, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina; and his political
affiliations with the Federalist and Republican parties, political
writings, and also appointments including assistant secretary of
the treasury under Alexander Hamilton (1790-1792), commissioner of
the revenue (1792-1797), secretary of the
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25 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania land office (1800-1801), collector of the revenue for
the city and county of Philadelphia (1801-1803), purveyor of public
supplies (1803-1812), and clerk of the Philadelphia Court of
Quarter Sessions (1815-1818). Tench’s papers also address his
personal finances and his relationships with various members of the
Coxe family. Because of the variety of noteworthy topics addressed
in this body of papers, Tench’s most significant accomplishments
have been grouped into four major categories: Mercantilism and the
American Revolution, Political Appointments, Land Speculation, and
Family and Estate. The dates and topics included in these
categories overlap to some degree. Mercantilism and the American
Revolution Correspondence and general papers relating specifically
to Tench Coxe begin about the time that he was abandoning his youth
and becoming active in business. One of the earliest documents
relating specifically to Tench is dated 1768, and is a power of
attorney from Samuel Kirk authorizing Tench to receive rent on his
behalf. In his early years, Tench also received a great deal of
personal correspondence from his friends and family members, who
commissioned him for small business tasks and also reported on
their daily activities. In 1775, Tench turned twenty-one and was
hired in his father’s merchant house Coxe & Furman. Commercial
correspondence addressed to Tench highlight his responsibilities
and document Coxe & Furman’s trade with overseas clients in the
West Indies, Spain, Portugal, and England; and also trade with
American merchants, most who were based out of New York. Business
for Coxe & Furman was profitable and Tench was taken as an
official partner in his father’s establishment in 1776, which then
became known as Coxe, Furman & Coxe. Correspondence forms the
majority of materials relating to this enterprise, but also present
are sales accounts, bills of exchange, mariners’ contracts and
sailors’ wage accounts, invoices, bills of lading, and marine
insurance policies. These records collectively provide financial
information on Coxe, Furman & Coxe’s trade of wheat, salt,
tobacco, iron, sugar, rum, and other goods to the locations listed
above. Also well documented is the Fame, a ship owned by Coxe,
Furman & Coxe and captained by John Gensell. Business contacts
who were popular correspondents included Edward Goold, Benjamin
Yard, John Pringle, William Tilghman, Colborn Barrell, Robert
Watts, Isaac Low, Richard Yates, Gerald Beekman, A. C. Cuyler,
Robert Wingram, Isaac Hartman, Isaac Ogdon, and Walter Livingston.
The leading topics in Tench’s business correspondence address the
market value of goods, the status of sales transactions, and the
shipping of goods; however, many of his correspondents also used
their letters to discuss the conduct of the British toward the
colonists and the desirability of the impending Revolution. The
opinions regarding these issues range from the Tory sentiments of
some of Tench’s New Jersey relatives and New York friends, to the
expression of commitment to the cause of American independence
voiced by others. John Pringle wrote to Tench on December 24, 1775
in regards to a bill passed by Parliament which would restrict
American trade, “It is the most cruel and oppressive of all the
most cruel and oppressive acts they have passed; it will greatly
prejudice and as plainly evinces they
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26 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
have thrown away the scabbard and that their pretended desires and
declarations for a just reconciliation are only to amuse and to
serve their devilish purposes-it will I trust spur us on in our
martial course-throw oil (if any be wanting) upon the glorious
flame which burns among us.” Most of Tench’s correspondents
expressed hopes for a moderate and peaceful solution, especially in
the face of halted business activity. Tench’s outgoing
correspondence does not explicitly indicate his personal opinion
regarding British policies and the war. Letters addressed to him do
provide some evidence that he was most likely a loyalist, but he
appears to have wavered in his viewpoint. In a letter dated March
10, 1775, from H. Coxe (a female cousin), she commented on
sentiments he had expressed in a letter to her, “and so you have
kindly determin’d not ‘to starve poor Britain all at once’ she is
to die by Inches! Well, it is quite agreeable to ye present modes
of Torture and is worthy of a tarring feathering race. Bring her to
her senses.” Letters dating from December 1776 to August 1777 are
addressed to Tench in New York City, where it is believed he was
exiled for his loyalist tendencies. He returned to Philadelphia
following the British occupation in September 1777. Upon his
return, Tench became much more active in business, and some of his
letters contain messages that were to be transmitted to British
officers. Tench’s loyalty to the British later became a problem
when English troops withdrew from Philadelphia in June 1778. Tench
wrote to his good friend William Tilghman that he would remain in
the city because of his wife Catherine McCall’s (wed in February
1778) terminal illness. Shortly thereafter, in May 1778, he took an
oath of allegiance to the United States. Tench wrote several other
letters to Tilghman that year describing his subsequent treatment
by local authorities and private citizens, his opinions on the
course of the war, the progress of American diplomacy and political
developments, the Philadelphia social scene, and his personal
struggles following the death of his wife Catherine on July 22,
1778. From 1779 to 1780, Tench mostly engaged in small scale
domestic commerce on behalf of Coxe, Furman & Coxe with traders
in New York, Newburyport, and Baltimore; and his letters address
the state of the markets and scarcity of goods, trade regulation
and proposed and attempted state regulation of prices. Tench also
engaged in limited foreign trade with merchants in the West Indies,
France, and Amsterdam, and began receiving more personal
correspondence from his New York and New Jersey relatives, and also
from his friends James and William Tilghman, Henry W. Pearce, and
William Hemsley, for whom Tench often acted as agent in business
matters or in procuring scarce household supplies. Their letters
contain comments on the length of the war and prospects for peace,
the confidence George Washington inspired, the scarcity of money
and comparative values of various currencies, the requisition acts
of Congress, the confiscation of flour and wheat in Maryland for
use by the army, and other disruptions caused by the war. These
disruptions so affected the business activities of Coxe, Furman
& Coxe, that Moore Furman dissolved the partnership in October
1780.
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27 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Tench had endured financial, social, and personal hardship during
the early years of the Revolution, but the years 1781 to 1784 were
a period of renewed vigor for his private life and business. In
1781, he began receiving correspondence from friends and family
congratulating him on his engagement to his cousin Rebecca Coxe,
whom he married on January 26, 1782. Some letters from Rebecca
about the beginnings of their young family are also present. Tench
also began operating his own merchant house (although the official
announcement of his succession to the Coxe, Furman & Coxe trade
house was not sent out until Jan. 1, 1783), and expanded his circle
of business contacts to include traders in the Far East, Amsterdam,
London, Havana, St. Croix, and Cadiz. Correspondence from Amsterdam
contacts Ingraham & Bromfield is especially informative; they
were hopeful of replacing England as America’s chief trading
partner and urged that ports attractions. Tench bartered tobacco,
lace, butter, soap, ham, tea, violins, and fans, among other
commodities. For a short time in 1783, he, along with Jacob Broom,
David S. Franks, and George Meade, also purchased a surplus of
lead, gun powder, and carriages from French Commissary of War,
Monsieur de Chesnel. Letters and documents about the acquisition
and disposition of those goods, and the problems and controversy
attendant thereto, continued throughout that year. As the rumors of
peace with Britain began to spread throughout the latter half of
1782, Tench’s business correspondents began to speculate on the
probable effects on trade. News of peace typically indicated a fall
in the market value of goods, but most of the merchants were
skeptical about the likelihood of England’s surrender, as the
number of vessels seized by the enemy began to increase. In
December 1782, Jonathan Williams wrote to Tench that the
preliminaries of peace had been concluded. Both American and
European contacts became eager to exchange information about the
mercantile climate, new business opportunities, and the value of
state currencies. Optimistic about the future of American trade,
Tench formed a partnership with Nalboro Frazier of Boston in
November 1783, following which some of the correspondence is
addressed to Coxe & Frazier. The majority of their commercial
ventures were focused on West Indian and European trade. Their
business was mostly profitable throughout 1784, but Tench’s
optimism was short-lived and Coxe & Frazier began to receive
warnings that British restrictions on American commerce and
protested payments on bills of exchange resulting from unstable
currency and unregulated business practices, were beginning to
tarnish American business credibility. Many of Coxe & Frazier’s
European correspondents began to withdraw from American trade or
delayed future investments until market conditions became more
settled. Coxe & Frazier also received word that many of the
business houses with whom they were associated were failing
financially and were unable to remit payments. These problems
continued in 1785 and much of Coxe & Frazier’s correspondence
concerns the settlement of accounts, the collection of outstanding
debts, and legal battles. In response to the hardship befalling
American commerce and Tench’s own merchant house Coxe &
Frazier, he became heavily involved in private and
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28 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
corporate efforts to promote the development of manufacturing.
Correspondence and meeting notes document his participation in
organizations such as the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and the
Philadelphia Society for Encouraging Manufacturers and the Useful
Arts. He also became a subscriber to the Bank of Pennsylvania, and
supported legislation to establish patent protection for inventors.
In August 1797, Tench sponsored the efforts of Andrew Mitchell and
George Parkinson to go to Englan