Henry Hastings & Company Records, 1853-1896, undated
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Not requestable
Scope and Content Note
The Henry Hastings & Company Records include account books spanning more than forty years, business correspondence covering thirty years, and ships’ papers. The records have been arranged into three series.
Series I. Account Books includes 67 account books documenting the voyages of the Henry Hastings & Company ships between 1853 to 1895. The books include building agreements, invoices, freight lists, and contracts for voyages from Boston to cities around the world. These ports include New York, San Francisco, London, Calcutta, and Hong Kong. Over 30 of the Henry Hastings & Company vessels are documented in the account books including the ships Midnight, Charger, Cutwater, Noonday, Pilgrim, Invincible, North American, and South American. The account books are arranged chronologically. The folder titled “Columbian Insurance Company” contains loose papers, not an account book.
Series II. Business Correspondence includes letter books, correspondence, and telegrams written and received by the Henry Hastings & Company between 1866 and 1896. This series has been arranged into two subseries. Subseries A. Correspondence Received includes correspondence from merchants, agents, and ship captains that document the global business dealings of Henry Hastings & Company. These letters provide detailed accounts of voyages and discuss goods being shipped along with other financial issues. For preservation purposes, letters have been removed from bound letter books and arranged chronologically. Original letter book numbers have been maintained; when unknown, numbers have been assigned within brackets. Correspondence not found within letter books has been interfiled chronologically. Subseries B. Telegrams Sent includes four bound volumes of telegrams sent by the Henry Hastings & Company to various business partners.
Series III. Ships’ Papers contains papers for individual ships. These papers include charter party agreements, protests, and crew lists. This series is arranged alphabetically by ship.
Dates
- Creation: 1853-1896, undated
Creator
- Hastings, Henry B., 1818-1887 (Person)
Restrictions on Access
This collection is open for research use.
Biographical Sketch
Henry B. Hastings was born in Townsend, Massachusetts on September 2, 1818 to Colonel Walter Hastings (b.1790) and Roxanna Warren (b.1797). Hastings entered Harvard University at the age of 13, continuing the family tradition since a relative, John Hastings, first graduated in 1681. After leaving Harvard, Hastings studied law for two years with Henry A. Wise. At age 27, Hastings married Sarah Marchant (1826-1884) and together they had five children: Edward Hastings (1846-1882); Martha Ann Hastings (b. 1848); Katherine Hastings (b. 1850); Helen Hastings (b.1855-1895); and Henry C. Hastings Jr. (1857-1917).
After 1845, Hastings became interested in commerce and navigation. He established Henry Hastings & Company and became one of the largest ship owners in Boston, Massachusetts. At the height of his career, Hastings owned over 40 sailing vessels including the ships Charger, North American, and South American, and the bark Kate Hastings. Hastings died in his home in West Medford on August 9, 1887.
Extent
21.25 linear feet (36 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Henry Hastings & Company Records include account books spanning more than forty years, business correspondence covering thirty years, and ships' papers.
Series List
SERIES I. Account Books
SERIES II. Business Correspondence
- A. Correspondence Received
- B. Telegrams Sent
Physical Location
Phillips Library Stacks
Provenance
The majority of this material was donated by George H. Smith in 1936. Additional letters were acquired from William J. B. Burger on June 18, 1987 (acc. 24,391).
Processing Information
Collection processed and cataloged by Halley Grogan, September 2012; updated by Hilary Streifer, June 2015.
Subject
- Hastings, Henry B., 1818-1887 (Person)
- De Witt, Kittle & Co. (Organization)
- Henry Hastings & Co. (Organization)
- Russell & Sturgis (Organization)
- Gillchrest, Smith & Co. (Organization)
Geographic
- Boston (Mass.)
- United States -- Commerce -- Akyab (Burma: District)
- United States -- Commerce -- Australia
- United States -- Commerce -- China
- United States -- Commerce -- Chincha Islands (Peru)
- United States -- Commerce -- Hong Kong (China)
- United States -- Commerce -- Kolkata (India)
- United States -- Commerce -- Liverpool (England)
- United States -- Commerce -- London (England)
- United States -- Commerce -- Manila (Philippines)
- United States -- Commerce -- New York (N.Y.)
- United States -- Commerce -- San Francisco (Calif.)
- United States -- Commerce -- Valparaiso (Chile)
Topical
- Aetna (Tug boat)
- Agate (Bark)
- Agenor (Ship)
- Akbar (Ship)
- America (Steamer)
- Amy Turner (Bark)
- Annie H. Smith (Ship)
- Archer (Ship)
- Astoria (Tug boat)
- Canada (Ship)
- Cashmere (Ship)
- Charger (Ship)
- Chatsworth (Ship)
- Clipper ships
- Cutwater (Ship)
- Daring (Ship)
- Dashing Wave (Ship)
- Fame (Tug boat)
- Glide (Steamer)
- Harry Hastings (Ship)
- Huntress (Steamer)
- Invincible (Ship)
- J. Jewett (Propeller)
- John Worcester (Bark)
- Kate Hastings (Ship)
- Letters
- Madawaska (Brig)
- Midnight (Ship)
- Monarch (Ship)
- N. B. Starbuck (Propeller)
- Nellie Hastings (Brig)
- Nonantum (Bark)
- Noonday (Ship)
- North American (Ship)
- Pilgrim (Bark)
- Pilgrim (Ship)
- Ship's papers
- Shipbuilding
- Shipping
- South American (Ship)
- Springfield (Ship)
- Velocity (Bark)
- Warrior (Steamer)
- Western Star (Ship)
- Title
- HENRY HASTINGS & COMPANY RECORDS, 1853-1896
- Author
- Inventory prepared by Halley Grogan; updated by Hilary Streifer
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- Processing of this collection was funded by a grant from the NHPRC (National Historical Publications and Records Commission).
Repository Details
Part of the Phillips Library Repository