|  | | | | Guide to the John A. Thomson Family papers
The print copy of the finding aid was prepared by the New York State Library.2004
Overview of the CollectionRepository: | New York State Library Manuscripts and
Special Collections | Sponsor: | Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the
Humanities. | Collection Number: | SC10637 | Creator: | Thomson, John A. | Title: | John A. Thomson Family papers | Dates: | 1783-1852 | Physical Description: | 6.0 cu. ft. of textual records, 1 map | Summary: | John A. Thomson was a Catskill businessman, who operated a
store on Main Street and passenger and cargo ferries on the Hudson River. He was also an avid horticulturist.
Thomas T. Thomson was also a businessman, who worked as an agent for a trader in New York City and South
America, and in later life, built homes, owned property and worked with his brother in Catskill. The John A.
Thomson Family papers consist of business and personal correspondence; business records; land records;
financial records; legal papers relating to business agreements, property holdings, and lawsuits; estate records; and
notebooks, belonging to John A. Thomson, brother Thomas T. Thomson, and other members of John A.
Thomson's immediate and extended family. | | |
Arrangement
The papers consist of three series: I. John A. Thomson papers; II. Thomas T. Thomson papers; and III. Family correspondence and financial papers.
Overview
The John A. Thomson Family papers consist of business and personal correspondence; business records; land records; financial records; legal papers relating to business agreements, property holdings, and lawsuits; estate records; and notebooks, belonging to John A. Thomson, brother Thomas T. Thomson, and other members of John A. Thomson's immediate and extended family. The papers consist of three series: I. John A. Thomson papers; II. Thomas T. Thomson papers; and III. Family correspondence and financial papers.
Biographical/Historical Note
Dr. Thomas Thomson was born in 1750 and married Sarah Harvey, born in 1744, circa 1774. The couple resided at Catskill, New York, where Thomson had a small medical practice. The couple had eight children: John Alexander, James H., Mary (Maria), Thomas T., Harriet, Catherine, Fanny, and Sally. Sarah died in 1790 and Thomson died in 1805.
John Alexander Thomson was born in 1776 at Catskill, the son of Dr. Thomas and Sarah Thomson. He owned a store on Main Street at Catskill, where he sold stoves, crockery, and hardware. With his brother Thomas, he operated several passenger and cargo ferries on the Hudson River. Thomson had an interest in horticulture and was a member of the Horticulture Society of the Valley of the Hudson. He had a farm outside of Catskill where he grew a variety of fruit, apples and potatoes. In 1835 Thomson imported the Rohan species of potato from France and successfully cultivated them. This success drew the attention of other horticulturists and farmers, and Thomson was often in demand for potatoes for cultivation. Thomson was a founding member and a shareholder of the Catskill Mountain Association, which was founded in 1823 to build the Catskill Mountain House, on South Mountain near the town of Catskill. Thomson was also a shareholder of the Canajoharie and Catskill Railroad. Thomson never married, but shared a home at Catskill, with sister Catherine and occasionally other siblings. Thomson died in 1846.
ThomasT. Thomson was born in 1778 at Catskill, the son of Dr. Thomas and Sarah Thomson and brother of John Thomson. For a time he worked as an agent for trader William Radcliffe at New York City, Demerara, (presently Georgetown), and other parts of British Guiana (presently Guyana), where he traded rum, molasses, textiles, horses, and fish. Thomson returned to Catskill circa 1815, and built a home, which became known as Cedar Grove. Here he operated ferries on the Hudson River with his brother John and became a member of the Aqueduct Association at Catskill, established to supply water to Catskill. Thomson never married and after his death in 1821 Cedar Grove became home to his brother John, sister Catherine and sister Maria (Thomson) Bartow and several of her daughters. Cedar Grove also became the home of Harriet Thomson and her husband Mark Spencer, who was also a Catskill merchant and member of the New York State Legislature from 1854-1857. Cedar Grove would eventually become home to Thomson's niece, Maria Bartow who married artist Thomas Cole.
Custodial History
Papers were acquired from Frank M. Thomas in March 1935.
Processing Information
This collection's description was enhanced as a part of the New York State Archives Environmental History
Virtual Research Collection Project, 2004. The National Endowment for the Humanities provided funding for this
project.
Use of Collection
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.
Available Alternate Formats
none
Related Information
Related Material
Material relating to the Thomson family can be found in the Florence Cole Vincent Memorial Collection at the
Bronck Museum at Coxsackie, New York and at Vedder Memorial Library at Greene County Historical Society. A
map showing land owned by the Thomson Family can be found at New York State Library Manuscript Special
Collections. Map number (74737) [1823?] 99-6458.
Other Finding Aids
A folder list is available at the repository
Access Terms
Subjects
Merchants -- England -- Liverpool
Merchants -- New York (State)
Real estate investment -- New York (State)
Land titles -- New York (State)
Stoves -- New York (State)
Geographic Names
New York (State) -- Commerce
South America -- Commerce
Personal Names
Thomson, Thomas T., 1750-1805
Thomson, John Alexander, 1776-1846
Thomson, Thomas T., 1778-1821
Spencer, Mark
Buel, Jesse, 1778-1839
Detailed Description
| Series: | John A. Thomson papers | | 1786-1844 | | | | | | |
| Subseries: | Business correspondence | | 1802-1844 | | | | | | |
Container List:
| Dates | Contents | Box | Folder |
|---|
| 1802-1844 | John A. Thomson papers - business correspondence | 1 | 1 | | 1802-1844 | John A. Thomson papers - business correspondence | 1 | 2 | | 1802-1844 | John A. Thomson papers - business correspondence | 1 | 3 | | 1802-1844 | John A. Thomson papers - business correspondence | 1 | 4 | | 1802-1844 | John A. Thomson papers - business correspondence | 1 | 5 | | 1802-1844 | John A. Thomson papers - business correspondence | 1 | 6 | | 1802-1844 | John A. Thomson papers - business correspondence | 1 | 7 | | 1815-1844 | John A. Thomson papers - business correspondence re: nephew Thomas
Thomson | 2 | 1 |
| Subseries: | Business records regarding Catskill store and ferries | | 1815-1829 | | | | | | |
Container List:
| Dates | Contents | Box | Folder |
|---|
| 1815-1819 | John A. Thomson papers - business records re: Catskill store
orders | 2 | 2 | | 1815-1819 | John A. Thomson papers - business records re: Catskill store
orders | 2 | 3 | | 1815-1819 | John A. Thomson papers - business records re: Catskill store
orders | 2 | 4 | | 1815-1819 | John A. Thomson papers - business records re: Catskill store
orders | 2 | 5 | | 1817-1826 | John A. Thomson papers - business records re: Catskill ferry
accounts | 2 | 6 | | 1817-1826 | John A. Thomson papers - business records re: Catskill ferry
accounts | 2 | 7 | | 1827-1839 | John A. Thomson papers - business records re: Catskill ferry
accounts | 3 | 1 | | 1817-1829 | John A. Thomson papers - business records re: Catskill horseboat records
and ferry books | 3 | 2 |
| Subseries: | Rohan potato correspondence | | 1837-1840 | | | | | | |
Container List:
| Dates | Contents | Box | Folder |
|---|
| 1837-1840 | John A. Thomson papers - Rohan potato correspondence | 3 | 3 | | John A. Thomson papers - Rohan potato correspondence | 3 | 4 | | 1837-1840 | John A. Thomson papers - Rohan potato correspondence | 3 | 5 | | 1837-1840 | John A. Thomson papers - Rohan potato correspondence | 3 | 6 |
| Subseries: | Horticultural correspondence | | 1824-1841 | | | | | | |
Container List:
| Dates | Contents | Box | Folder |
|---|
| 1824-1841 | John A. Thomson papers - horticultural correspondence | 4 | |
| Subseries: | Land records | | 1807-1838 | | | | | | |
Container List:
| Dates | Contents | Box | Folder |
|---|
| 1828-1837 | John A. Thomson papers - land records re: Tioga lands | 4 | 2 | | 1807-1838 | John A. Thomson papers - land records re: Tennessee lands | 4 | 3 | | 1807-1838 | John A. Thomson papers - land records re: Tennessee lands | 4 | 4 |
| Subseries: | Legal records | | 1797-1846 | | | | | | |
Container List:
| Dates | Contents | Box | Folder |
|---|
| 1797-1846 | John A. Thomson papers - legal records | 4 | 5 | | 1797-1846 | John A. Thomson papers - legal records | 4 | 6 |
| Subseries: | Thomas T. Thomson Estate records | | 1820-1838 | | | | | | |
Container List:
| Dates | Contents | Box | Folder |
|---|
| 1820-1838 | John A. Thomson papers - Thomas T. Thomson estate records re: William
Radcliff | 4 | 7 | | 1820-1838 | John A. Thomson papers - Thomas T. Thomson estate records re:
Demarara | 5 | 1 | | 1820-1838 | John A. Thomson papers - Thomas T. Thomson estate records re:
Demarara | 5 | 2 |
| Subseries: | Dr. Thomas Thomson Estate records | | 1786-1809 | | | | | | |
Container List:
| Dates | Contents | Box | Folder |
|---|
| 1786-1809 | John A. Thomson papers - Dr. Thomas Thomson estate records | 5 | 3 |
| Subseries: | Notebooks | | 1812-1826 | | | | | | |
Container List:
| Dates | Contents | Box | Folder |
|---|
| 1812-1826 | John A. Thomson papers - notebooks | 5 | 4 | | 1812-1826 | John A. Thomson papers - notebooks | 5 | 5 |
| Series: | Thomas T. Thomson papers | | 1803-1821 | | | | | | |
| Subseries: | Business correspondence | | 1803-1820 | | | | | | |
Container List:
| Dates | Contents | Box | Folder |
|---|
| 1803-1814 | Thomas T. Thomson papers - business correspondence | 5 | | | 1814-1815 | Thomas T. Thomson papers - business correspondence | 5 | 7 | | 1815 | Thomas T. Thomson papers - business correspondence | 6 | 1 | | 1815-1816 | Thomas T. Thomson papers - business correspondence | 6 | 2 | | 1816 | Thomas T. Thomson papers - business correspondence | 6 | 3 | | 1817 | Thomas T. Thomson papers - business correspondence | 6 | 4 | | 1818-1820 | Thomas T. Thomson papers - business correspondence | 6 | 5 |
| Subseries: | Business records | | 1804-1821 | | | | | | |
Container List:
| Dates | Contents | Box | Folder |
|---|
| 1804-1807 | Thomas T. Thomson papers - business records | 6 | 6 | | 1808-1815 | Thomas T. Thomson papers - business records | 7 | 1 | | 1815-1816 | Thomas T. Thomson papers - business records | 7 | 2 | | 1816-1821 | Thomas T. Thomson papers - business records | 7 | 3 |
| Subseries: | Notebooks | | 1806-1821 | | | | | | |
Container List:
| Dates | Contents | Box | Folder |
|---|
| 1806-1821 | Thomas T. Thomson papers - notebooks | 11 | 1 | | 1806-1821 | Thomas T. Thomson papers - notebooks | 11 | 2 | | 1806-1821 | Thomas T. Thomson papers - notebooks | 11 | 3 | | 1806-1821 | Thomas T. Thomson papers - notebooks | 11 | 4 | | 1806-1821 | Thomas T. Thomson papers - notebooks | 11 | 5 | | 1806-1821 | Thomas T. Thomson papers - notebooks | 11 | 6 |
| Series: | Family correspondence and financial papers | | 1783-1849 | | | | | | |
| Subseries: | Financial records | | 1783-1843 | | | | | | |
Container List:
| Dates | Contents | Box | Folder |
|---|
| 1783-1812 | Family correspondence and financial papers - financial records | 7 | 4 | | 1812-1815 | Family correspondence and financial papers - financial records | 7 | 5 | | 1815-1816 | Family correspondence and financial papers - financial records | 7 | 6 | | 1816 | Family correspondence and financial papers - financial records | 8 | 1 | | 1817 | Family correspondence and financial papers - financial records | 8 | 2 | | 1817 | Family correspondence and financial papers - financial records | 8 | 3 | | 1818 | Family correspondence and financial papers - financial records | 8 | 4 | | 1818 | Family correspondence and financial papers - financial records | 8 | 5 | | 1819 | Family correspondence and financial papers - financial records | 8 | 6 | | 1820-1821 | Family correspondence and financial papers - financial records | 9 | 1 | | 1821-1824 | Family correspondence and financial papers - financial records | 9 | 2 | | 1825-1835 | Family correspondence and financial papers - financial records | 9 | 3 | | 1835-1839 | Family correspondence and financial papers - financial records | 9 | 4 | | 1839-1843 | Family correspondence and financial papers - financial records | 9 | 5 |
| Subseries: | Family correspondence | | 1798-1844 | | | | | | |
Container List:
| Dates | Contents | Box | Folder |
|---|
| 1816-1832 | Family correspondence and financial papers - financial records re:
Bartow | 10 | 1 | | 1798-1844 | Family correspondence and financial papers - financial records re:
Bartow | 10 | 2 | | 1815-1844 | Family correspondence and financial papers - family correspondence re:
Mark Spencer | 10 | 3 | | 1815-1844 | Family correspondence and financial papers - family correspondence re:
Mark Spencer | 10 | 4 | | 1815-1844 | Family correspondence and financial papers - family correspondence re:
Mark Spencer | 10 | 5 |
| Subseries: | Notebooks | | 1789-1849 | | | | | | |
Container List:
| Dates | Contents | Box | Folder |
|---|
| 1789-1849 | Family correspondence and financial papers - notebooks | 11 | 7 | | 1789-1849 | Family correspondence and financial papers - notebooks | 11 | 8 | | 1789-1849 | Family correspondence and financial papers - notebooks | 11 | 9 | | 1789-1849 | Family correspondence and financial papers - notebooks | 11 | 10 | | 1789-1849 | Family correspondence and financial papers - notebooks | 11 | | | 1789-1849 | Family correspondence and financial papers - notebooks | 11 | 12 | | 1789-1849 | Family correspondence and financial papers - notebooks | 11 | 13 | | 1789-1849 | Family correspondence and financial papers - notebooks | 11 | 14 |
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