Joshua Greenleaf Family Papers, 1768-1842, undated
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Not requestable
Scope and Content Note
The Joshua Greenleaf Family Papers consist of business correspondence, legal documents, family estate papers, and account books for this merchant and ship chandler of Newburyport, Massachusetts. The collection has been organized into three series.
Series I. Abner Greenleaf Papers contains deeds and other legal papers plus the estate papers of Abner Greenleaf, including inventories.
Series II. Joshua Greenleaf Papers contains correspondence, legal documents, receipts, and estate papers for other family members, mainly his son, Charles. The business correspondence includes letters from Boston merchants discussing trade, finances, and the construction of a building on Greenleaf's property in Newburyport. Three account books record Greenleaf's extensive mercantile activity in Newburyport, including the outfitting of ships during the War of 1812.
Series III. Other Family Papers contains accounts and receipts for Joshua's brother, James Milk Greenleaf (1770-1831), correspondence and a pew deed for Joshua's son, Charles Greenleaf (1790-1821) and a receipt for Joshua's son, Rufus Greenleaf (1805-1859).
Dates
- Creation: 1768-1842, undated
Creator
- Greenleaf, Joshua, 1767-1852 (Person)
Restrictions on Access
This collection is open for research use.
Biographical Sketches
Abner Greenleaf was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, on February 5, 1742, the son of Joshua and Judith (Moody) Greenleaf. He was a blacksmith. In 1762, he married Elizabeth Dole (1743-1764) and they had a son, Samuel (1764-1815). In 1765, he married Elizabeth Milk (1748-1787) of Falmouth, Maine. They had six children: Joshua (1767-1852); James Milk (1770-1831); Elizabeth (1775-1817); Sarah (born before October 8, 1780); Abigail (1780-circa 1788); and Abner (1785-1868). On October 12, 1788, he married Anna Beck. He died in Newburyport on March 31, 1805.
Joshua Greenleaf, son of Abner and Elizabeth (Milk) Greenleaf, was born on January 1, 1767, in Newburyport. He was a merchant and ship chandler. In 1789, he married Jane Ordway (1768-1789); they had no children. In 1790, he married Sarah Armstrong and they had seven children: Charles (1790-1821); Henry (born 1792); Franklin (born 1793); Dolly (1796-1828); Eliza Ann (born 1798); William Henry (1802-1826); and Rufus (1805-1859). He must have served in the militia because he died with the rank of Major on November 3, 1852.
Extent
3.75 linear feet (4 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Joshua Greenleaf Family Papers consist of business correspondence, legal documents, family estate papers, and account books for this merchant and ship chandler of Newburyport, Massachusetts.
Series List
SERIES I. Abner Greenleaf Papers
SERIES II. Joshua Greenleaf Papers
SERIES III. Other Family Papers
Physical Location
Phillips Library Stacks
Provenance
The bulk of this material was purchased on December 26, 1929. Two receipts (Joshua Greenleaf, Rufus Greenleaf) were purchased on November 12, 1997.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Conway Felton, Ellen D. Mark, July 1978 and Tamara Gaydos, May 2018.
Subject
- Greenleaf, Abner, 1742-1805 (Person)
- Greenleaf, Charles, 1790-1821 (Person)
- Greenleaf, James Milk, 1770-1831 (Person)
- Greenleaf, John, 1688-1778 (Person)
- Greenleaf, Rufus, 1805-1859 (Person)
- Little, Moses P. (Person)
- Marston, Stephen Webster, 1787-1873 (Person)
- Morton, Nathaniel, Hon. (Person)
- Noyes, Dorcas (Person)
- Tracy, Nathaniel (Person)
- Wood, Abner (Person)
- Wood, David, Jr. (Person)
- Aurora (Ship) (Organization)
- Dummer Academy (Organization)
- Echo (Ship) (Organization)
- Greenleaf's Wharf (Organization)
- Harriet (Ship) (Organization)
- Sally (Schooner) (Organization)
- Teresa (Spanish brig) (Organization)
- William Henry (Vessel) (Organization)
- Title
- JOSHUA GREENLEAF FAMILY PAPERS, 1768-1842, undated
- Author
- Processed by: Conway Felton, Ellen D. Mark and Tamara Gaydos; machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan.
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Phillips Library Repository