Description:

Business

The Commercial Network of Philadelphia Merchants Hamilton & Hood

This archive or original letters provides a glimpse into the emerging market economy of early national America, as Philadelphia merchants John Hamilton and John Hood provide goods to and collect debts from small store owners throughout the mid-Atlantic states.

[EARLY REPUBLIC.] Archive of 15 Autograph Letters Signed, 1813-1834, centering around the merchant partnership of John Hamilton and John M. Hood in Philadelphia. 21 pp., most approximately 8" x 10". Documents have expected folds and toning; a few documents have tears on folds or from breaking seals and holes with the loss of small amounts of text.

John M. Hood (1778-1848) was born in Northern Ireland and came to Philadelphia in 1799. He married Elizabeth Forepaugh (1784-1872) in 1805 in Philadelphia, and they had at least thirteen children. He started a wholesale grocery business and was a partner in the firm of Lentz & Hood from 1803 to 1806, and then a partner in the firm of Hamilton & Hood from 1816. In 1834, he built a mansion in Limerick, Pennsylvania, modeled after one he had known in Ireland.

Excerpts

John S. Whitall to John Hamilton, June 23, 1813, Woodbury, New Jersey

“Enclosed is thirty two Dollars and fifty cents, with your account, which [?] return to me under cover of a letter. I am really ashamed for not sending you this money long ago. Indeed I should have paid it, if you had been kind enough to have sent me the account when I wrote for it.”

William Jacobs to John Hamilton, February 7, 1817, Church Hill, Maryland

“Mr Burgess...stated to me that he would give an assignment on or note agt a man in this neighbourhood amounting to $600, but not due untill next Octr. the man I consider safe and a punctual man. the balance Mr Burgess states he will pay in cash in some short time  he has I know five or six hundred Bushels of corn on hand and in all probability he will not be able to pay untill he disposes of it, if you agree to take this note and give him a month or six weeks to pay the Balance in money, please to inform me, and I will urge the thing.”

Robert Patterson to John Hamilton, October 30, 1817, Jefferson, [Pennsylvania?]

“Mr Brown is establishing two new Stores One at Kingston about 6 miles Distant from this place the other at Tarleton 10 miles Dist. at both places we expect there will be a Tolerable good Business done as they are in a rich Settlement and few stores Convenient. We are doing a tolerable Good Business here Considering the scarcity of money, which is verry scarce in this place at present, on acct. that there is a verry poor Price for Grain of every kind.”

Samuel G. Osborn to Hamilton & Hood, October 4, 1818, Head of Chester, [Maryland]

“I was detained in Chester Town 2 weeks as Juror at Court which prevented my [forwarding?] the money sooner. I find it almost impossible to make Collections.... I shall do all I can to keep up a tolerable Credit.”

Robert Henderson to Hamilton & Hood, October 5, 1818, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

“Enclosed I send you a dft on the Bk of U.S. Philad for two Hundred fifty three Dollars and twenty cents the amt of my Note on which you will please give me credit & give the bearer H. Davis the Note  if he gets any thing from you please send me half a chest young Hyson Tea.”

James Pinks & Co. to Hamilton & Hood, August 19, 1819, Kittanning, Pennsylvania

“Gentelmen we expected to Been down Before this time But the schersty of money Prevented us  we donot expect to Be down Before the first of October  we send you By the way of Pitsburg the fowlowing produce 140 Bags 19 [?] Baging 692¾ yds all marked H H which you will please to make the Best you can of Baging in the [?] we Have Been in the Habit of sending to Baltimore it Commonly Brought About 31 cents per yd.”

John McKenney to Hamilton & Hood, November 14, 1823, Church Hill, Maryland

“I herewith inclose you the last halves of the Bank notes, for one hundred and fifty Dollars.... I see that the Bbl of coffee at 22p¢ has not been forwarded with the other goods. You will please send it on to the care of Cummins and Raymond (Smyrna) as soon as practicable. I am induced to make this request, from the circumstance of all our neighbouring merchants, having low priced coffee, which frequently induces persons to buy other groceries.”

G. Garrettson to Hamilton & Hood, October 15, 1823

“I will thank you to send by the Saturdays packet to Smyra two half Barrels of good Strong Beer and you will very much oblige yrs. Mr Osborn & myself.”

Samuel Hays to Hamilton & Hood, July 22, 1825, Franklin, Pennsylvania

“I have not seen the old man Lafferty (for whom I left the money with you last fall to be sent to his son in Ireland) since I come home this spring but he is constantly sending into me to know if I have any account of it & thinks he ought to have heard from Ireland before this time  these matters of doing favours are too generally attended with trouble to those who undertake to do them.”

“I have just commenced purchasing cattle for a drove & will again be to see you toward the fall  I am not certain at what time, if you could get an opportunity soon of sending on to Pittsburg one Barrel of Coffee & a half or quarter chest of young Hyson Tea this would supply me untill I would be down in the fall  I am entirely out of both those articles.”

Samuel Hays (1793-1868) was born in Ireland and immigrated with his mother to the United States. He settled in Franklin, Pennsylvania, where he held a variety of local and state offices. From 1843 to 1845, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat.

Dinsmore Kyle & Co to Hamilton & Hood, April 13, 1829, Baltimore, Maryland

“a sample of Imperial Tea we received on Saturday, but not in time to try it, and reply to your letter before the closing of the Eastern mail. Upon trial we think it very good, and will thank you to purchase & send to us over land as usual, 5 chests at 112½¢ Six months credit; & should that parcel be sold, just keep a look out for some as good & as cheap, and purchase the above quantity without further advice from us, unless previously instructed to the contrary.”

J. Church for Robert Smith to Hamilton & Hood, April 29, 1829, New York, New York

“I purchased some Bohea Tea at the Panama sale yesterday and can supply you with 10 ch. @33 Cts. it is a fine article & if you wish it shippd please say so by return of mail.”

William P. Hunt to John M. Hood, February 7, 1833, Trenton

“the price you ask is higher than I expected but I must take the lot—of 18 [Tones?]. Please let it lay until the navigation opens. I should like to give you my note 30 days with interest for the amount, but if you prefer I will send you my check.”

Mary [Cellinger?] to John M. Hood, March 12, 1834, Wrightsville, Pennsylvania

“Please to have the goodness to let me know of the first arrival of the Fashionable Hats as I intend of coming to your City then to perchase a stock.”

 This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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