Roswell L. Colt Family papers

Preliminary Container List

BOX 1 [3 loose-leaf binders]

Cholera Epidemic [about 33 items + typed transcripts and excerpts, all in plastic enclosures]: Letters, 1832-1833, sent to Roswell Colt by various individuals (especially John and labez Colt) from Paterson and New York.

Morris Canal [about 38 items + some typed transcripts, all in plastic enclosures]: Letters, 1823-1830 (bulk 1828-1830), sent to Roswell Colt or John L. Sullivan by Peter Colt, Roswell Colt,labez Colt or John S. Sullivan.

Paterson Stampless Covers [18 items (most folded and mounted two to a leaf), all in plastic enclosures]: Letters, 1792 and 1819-1845, sent from Paterson, chiefly to Roswell Colt, including 1792 and post-1833 letters that are possibly unrelated.

BOX 2 [8 folders]

Notable Autographs: Webster and Dickerson [5 items]: Letters sent, 1835, 1848 and undated, to R. Colt by Daniel Webster (2 letters: 1848) and Philemon Dickerson.

Covers [9 folded items; one additional item originally found here moved to "Cholera Epidemic" binder]: Letters, 1820s-1840s, sent to R.L. Colt or his gardener by various individuals (such as his brother) from Paterson, etc.

John to Roswell #1 [about 23 items + some typed transcripts and excerpts, all in plastic enclosures]: Letters, 1819-1825, sent to Roswell L. Colt in Baltimore by John Colt at Paterson and New York.

John to Roswell #2 [29 items + some typed transcripts and excerpts, all in plastic enclosures]: Letters, 1825-1828, sent to Roswell L. Colt in Baltimore by John Colt at Paterson, etc.

John to Roswell #3 [23 items + some typed transcripts and excerpts, all in plastic enclosures]: Letters, 1829-1834?, sent to Roswell L. Colt in Baltimore by John Colt at Paterson and New York.

Morris Canal #1 [17 items + typed transcripts and excerpts, all in plastic enclosures]: Letters, 1824-1827, sent to Roswell L. Colt in Baltimore by John Colt at Paterson and New York.

Morris Canal #2 [23 items + typed transcripts and excerpts, all in plastic enclosures]: Letters, 1826-1830, sent to Roswell L. Colt in Baltimore by John Colt at Paterson.

John to Roswell-Miscellaneous [1 original (not by John) + about 19 typed transcripts and excerpts, all in plastic enclosures]: Letters, 1826-1833, sent to Roswell Colt by John Colt; most with the note "NO GOT" [i.e., not in collection?] and some also with the added note "Canal".

BOX 3 [10 folders]

Untitled [about 43 items, many in plastic enclosures]: Letters, 1820-1833, sent to Roswell L. Colt in Baltimore by John Colt at (chiefly) Paterson [9 items]. Letters, undated, sent to Roswell L. Colt in Baltimore by John Colt at Paterson, etc. [11 items]. Letters, 1818-1836, sent to Roswell L. Colt in Baltimore by various individuals, including Elisha Boudinot (1 letter: 1818) and Richard Stockton (1 letter: 1819) [5 items]. Circular letter, 1832, sent to Isaac E. Haviland, Esq., in North Hempstead, N.Y., by friends and advocates of the American System at Paterson, including resolutions from a public meeting [1 item]. "A Map of three Lotts of Land in the Town of Fairfield, County of Herkemer [N.Y.], the property of Robert Adain Bell . . .Surveyed June 1st 1807" [1 item]. Financial documents (bond involving Elisha Boudinot, accounts, receipts, promissory notes and payment orders), 1810-1845, mostly relating to R.L. Colt [about 15 items]. Clipping (printed image depicting "Interior of the Old Passaic Hotel"), undated [1 item].

From Cousin [actually miscellaneous letters; 16 items in plastic enclosures + some (unrelated?) typed transcripts]: Letters, 1827-1836, sent to Roswell L. Colt by various individuals, including Samuel Miller of Princeton Theological Seminary (3 letters: 1831 and 1835-1836) [13 items]. Financial documents (e.g., receipts), 1863-1907, likely not related to the Colt family [3 items].

Andrew Jackson [6 items + transcript, all in plastic enclosures]: Letters, 1832 (parts mention politics) and 1837, sent to R.L. Colt by labez Colt and others [5 items]. Legal document (deed of transfer for canal shares), 1834 [1 item].

Joseph Smith [5 items + typed transcripts and excerpts, all in plastic enclosures]: Letters, 1823-1827, sent to R.L. Colt in Baltimore by Joseph Smith at Paterson.

Untitled [14 items + some typed transcripts and excerpts (not all matching items listed here), most not in plastic enclosures]: Letters (drafts), 1825 and 1830, written by R.L. Colt at Paterson, including one to John, presumably his brother [2 items]. Letters, 1822?-1832, sent to Roswell L. Colt in Baltimore by John Colt at Paterson [7 items]. Letters, 1836?, 1836 and 1845, sent to R.L. Colt by various individuals, including Asbury Dickins (1 letter: 1836?) [3 items]. Financial documents (receipted invoice and copy of a letter?), 1830 and 1832, concerning R.L. Colt [2 items].

Collet to R. Colt [4 items + typed transcripts and excerpts, all in plastic enclosures]: Letters, [1819] and 1821, sent to Roswell L. Colt in Baltimore by [John Colt in New Jersey] concerning finances of Mark W. Collet [2 items]. Letters, 1819 and 1827, sent to Roswell L. Colt in Baltimore by Mark W. Collet at Newark and Paterson [2 items].

Stock Material and Financial statements [10 items in plastic enclosures]: Financial documents (statements), 1816-1819 and 1819-1822, Roswell L. Colt in account with Peter Colt [2 items]. Financial document (statement), 1825, Roswell L. Colt in account with John Colt [1 item]. Letters, 1819, 1826 and 1833, sent to Roswell L. Colt in Baltimore by A.H. Lawrence & Co. and others [6 items]. Legal document (settlement agreement), 1845?, with American Life Insurance & Trust Company [1 item].

Ship Material [about 20 items in plastic enclosures]: Financial documents (invoices, receipts and bills of lading?), 1818-1845, pertaining to various goods (e.g., sugar and molasses) shipped by or to R.L. Colt.

Financial Paper [about 62 items in plastic enclosures]: Financial documents (checks, payment orders, promissory notes and bank notes), 1818-1900, some likely not related to the Colt family; one bank note is a later reproduction [about 54 items]. Envelopes (postally used: some with added stamps, others as stamped envelopes; includes 1 letter), 1863-1898, all postmarked at Paterson, N.J., and likely not related to the Colt family [8 items].

R. Colt addressed to Paterson (3 items]: Letters, 1848, sent to R.L. Colt [2 items]. Financial document (invoice), 1833, John O. Colt indebted to Townsend? (a tailor) [1 item].

BOX 4 [10 folders]

Peter Colt (Father) [7 items (one in plastic enclosure) + photocopy]: Letters, 1790 and 1794, sent to (at least) Nicholas Low in New York by P. Colt at Hartford and Paterson; from related display caption: one letter (als.o present as photocopy) "about laying out house lots and making a map of the town" [3 items]. Letters, 1786 and 1792, sent to Peter Colt in Hartford by different people [2 items]. Letter, 1790, sent to John C----- D[evereux?] in New York [1 item]. Financial document (receipt for money delivered to John Moore by Peter Coult), 1763 [1 item].

To Sarah Colt [about 53 items, some physically damaged; 2 different women]: Letters, 1798? and 1804, sent to Sarah Colt in Hartford by [her father] P. Colt at Albany and Rome [N.Y.] [2 items]. Letters, 1806-1868?, sent to Miss Sarah ("Sallie") Colt in (mostly) Rome [N.Y.], Paterson and Newark, chiefly from Mary Allen at Bethlehem and Nazareth [Pa.] [about 47 items]. Letters, 1839 and undated, sent to Mrs. Sarah Colt in Paterson from her daughter at (at least) Utica [4 items].

To Catharine Colt [about 90 items; at least 2 different women]: Letters, 1797, 1815 and 1817, sent to Miss Catherine Colt in Bethlehem and Utica by [her father] P. Colt at Rome and Paterson [3 items]. Letters, 1826-1876 and undated (bulk 1832-1834), sent to Miss Catharine Colt, in (mostly) Philadelphia (care of Richard Alsop, Esq.) chiefly by her mother and other family members, including one letter by (suitor) A.S. Pennington [name on some letters styled as Catharine Colt, Jr., as Catharine W. Colt or as Kitty; about 84 items]. Letter, undated, sent to Mrs. A.S. Pennington by Roswell L. Colt [1 item]. Letter, 1871, sent to Mrs. Catherine Pennington (and mentioning Sarah Colt) by John Maclean at Princeton [1 item]. Financial document (receipted invoice for payment by Miss Catherine Colt to Mrs. Mead, a milliner), 1843 [1 item].

To Mary Colt Devereux [3 items]: Letters, 1842, 1857 and undated, sent to Mary/Mrs. John C. Devereux in Utica by John Colt and Charles D. Miller at (at least) Paterson and Peterboro [N.Y.].

To Sort #1 [26 items]: Letters, 1812-1876, sent to and/or written almost entirely by Colt family women, among whom are Sarah Colt, Julia Colt and Mary Devereux; Mary Bainbridge is also represented [18 items]. Financial documents (accounts and receipts), 1831-1832 and undated [4 items]. Miscellaneous papers (notes, verse and remedy for damp walls), undated [4 items].

To Sort #2 [about 45 items + about 3 typed transcripts and excerpts, some in plastic enclosures] Letters, 1815, 1821 and 1823, sent to Roswell L. Colt in Baltimore by John Colt at Paterson and New York [4 items]: Letters, 1823-1832, sent to Roswell L. Colt in Baltimore by labez Colt at New York (politics mentioned in 1832 letter) [about 36 items; some letters lack address leaves]. Letters, 1819 and 1827, sent to R.L. Colt in Baltimore by A.H. Lawrence & Co. and William Dickey at New York and Paterson; includes integral draft of Colt's reply to Dickey [2 items]. Genealogical papers concerning the Colt family (including a letter sent to a Devereux), 1904 and undated [3 items].

To Sort #3 [about 60 items]: Letters, 1820, sent to Roswell L. Colt in Baltimore by John Hipkins at Norfolk [Va.] [2 items]. Legal documents (consular or shipping documents?), 1821, written at Baltimore (in French) [2 items in plastic enclosure]. Letters, 1834-1838 and 1855, sent to A.S. Pennington or his spouse Catharine Pennington, nee Colt (includes one related letter by Pennington to his future mother-in-law, letters exchanged by Mr. & Mrs. A.S. Pennington and undated verse that may or may not have accompanied the letters, together with a 1855 letter for whom the recipient is unclear) [25 items]. Letters, 1834 and undated, sent to Eliza P./Mrs. John Colt all or mostly by her daughters, plus an envelope addressed to her containing unused seals for envelopes [7 items]. Letters, undated, sent to an unknown person or persons by J. or S. Colt [2 items]. Letter, 1876, sent to Mrs. Webster by Cath. Pennington at Paterson [1 item; never folded]. Letter, undated, sent to Nellie? by Kittie B Stenison? at New York? with attached annotation by C. Pennington [1 item]. Family miscellany (verse), undated [1 item]. Circular letter, 1870, sent to Cooper Hewitt & Co. in New York by S.W. Hopkins & Co. at London (bears a one penny postage stamp) [1 Item; not related to Colt family?]. E. Boudinot Colt papers (mostly letters received and fewer draft responses), 1885-1889, primarily relating to water rights held by the Society for Useful Manufactures [about 17 items]. Genealogical paper on the Lyman family (ancestors of Mrs. Peter Colt), undated [1 item].

Hamilton Mfg. Co. Minute Book [1 volume]: Minute book, 1837-1867, of the stockholders and directors of the Hamilton Manufacturing Company of Paterson (persons represented include Philemon] Dickerson and Roswell L. Colt).

Reference Material [5 items]: Genealogical compilation ("A Chronology of the COLT FAMILY"), undated, incorporating the text of an autobiographical essay by Peter Colt [carbon copy of typescript]. Biographical essay on Peter Colt, undated [carbon copy of typescript]. Press clipping ("300 Colt Letters Prove Bonanza for Stamp Collector"), November 24, 1956 Auction catalog (Public Auction . . .March . .. 1976. .. Postage stamps of the World, H.R. Harmer, Inc., New York), 1976 [Colt materials listed as several consecutive lots]. Photograph (from an exhibit), undated, concerning "The Paterson Colt Revolver" and the factory in Paterson where it was made.

Paterson News Articles [12 leaves (all printouts of digitized microfilm); note on folder: "Not everything mentioned here remains in the collection!"]: Reference material: press articles ("Early Paterson" series) from The News (Paterson; N.J.), November 1956, based on Colt letters [many in this collection] owned by Howard Gilpin.