Table of Contents

Biographical Note

Scope and Content Note

Information for Researchers

Administrative Information

Description

Subject Headings

Inventory of the John Russell Thornton Business Records

In the New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library

Biographical Note

John Russell Thornton (1808-1893) was an apothecary, merchant, and whaling agent active at New Bedford, Mass., between 1841-1894. He learned the trade of druggist from his father, Elisha Thornton (1780-1854), and was in business with his father and brother, Elisha Thornton Jr. (1815-1879), under the firm name of Elisha Thornton & Son, through 1845. Thornton then became interested in mercantile affairs and formed a business association with Wood & Nye, New Bedford, Mass., whaling agents, acting as partial owner for many vessels between 1846-1893. He also served as whaling agent for several vessels during this period.

In 1835, he married Sophia Baxter Spooner (1786-1862), daughter of Dr. Paul Spooner (1786-1862) and Sarah H. Grinnell Spooner (1789-1855). Their son, Walter Spooner Thornton (1841-1905), was partial owner of several vessels and managed his father's business affairs after his death in 1893.

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Scope and Content Note

Records in this collection chiefly concern the business activities of John Russell Thornton between 1841-1894. Financial records include day books, journals, ledgers, accounts current, and cash books, 1841-1894. These volumes contain accounts for Wood & Nye, jointly and individually; William James Rotch (1819-1893); investments in real estate, railroads, and mines by Thornton and several family members; and the settlements of estates of several family members including Elisha Thornton, Paul Spooner, Walter Sprague Spooner (ca. 1816-1841), and family associate William Rodman Rotch (1788-1860). The estate accounts for Sarah Walter Spooner Bullard (1841-1866) include accounts for her husband, John Lincoln Bullard (1840-1899), as guardian of the two children, John Thornton Bullard (1864-1927) and Sarah Spooner Bullard Delano (1866-1941). These volumes also contain accounts for family expenses and for individual members of the Thornton and Spooner families. They also include accounts for various vessels of which Thornton was a partial owner; such as Alfred Gibbs (Ship/Bark), Desdemona (Ship), Draco (Bark), Elizabeth (Ship), Eunice H. Adams (Brig), Illinois (Ship/Bark), Laetitia (Bark), Mount Wollaston (Ship/Bark), Stamboul (Bark), Tropic (Ship), and Windward (Ship), as well as those vessels represented by the ship's papers in individual vessels series.

Records of five vessels for which Thornton acted as agent consist of ship's papers, 1841-1869, which include correspondence; agent/owner accounts; outfitting books; crew papers and account books; insurance policies; consular and customs records; bills of exchange and of lading; bills and receipts; and volumes dealing with equipment and supplies, cargoes and of oil and bone stowed and shipped. Records for the Messenger (Ship/Bark) represent ship's papers for five voyages and also include a protest and disbursements for damage to vessel, 1853; a workmen's account book which records the names of men, hours worked and wages for preparing vessel for next voyage, 1855; and memoranda of crew promotions during 1859-1863 voyage. Records for the Montpelier (Ship) represent ship's papers for three voyages and also include protests and accounts for damages from ice storm and collision with Junior (Ship), 1856-1857, and correspondence with Daniel C. Waterman of Honolulu regarding shipping of oil and bone, condition of vessel and repairs, and accounts of vessel while in port, 1855-1857. Records for the Ocean (Ship) represent ship's papers for five voyages and also include accounts for storm damage, 1859, 1863; workmen's account books, 1856, 1865; a sketch of oil stowage, 1856; correspondence from Lyles & Polhamus & Company, New York City, N.Y. discussing sales of whalebone for gold, 1867-1868; and a letter from captain regarding mutiny aboard vessel, 1865; and a hand drawn map of the Arctic region, 1868.

Records for the Petrel (Ship) represent ship's papers for two voyages and also include accounts with Josiah Holmes Jr. & Brother, Mattapoisett, Mass., for construction of vessel, 1852-1855; protest for storm damage, 1854; sketch of oil stowage, 1853; workmen's account book, 1857; and correspondence regarding incident with Swift (Ship), 1862. Records for the Sophia Thornton (Ship) represent ship's papers for four voyages and also include correspondence, financial accounts and memoranda with Trufant, Drummond & Company, Bath, Me., concerning the construction of vessel, 1850-1851; settlement of crew member's estate, 1854-1857; a workmen's account book, 1855; and a letter describing capture of the vessel by Confederate raider Shenandoah, 1865. Records for other vessels represented in this collection for which Thornton also acted as agent are an insurance policy, 1848, and bills and receipts, 1852-1853, for the Phocion (Ship); and an outfitting book, 1853, and a Bill and receipt, 1863, for the Sea Gull (Ship).

Arrangement of Collection

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Information for Researchers

Access to the Collection

Unrestricted. Consult librarian for an appointment.

Preferred Citation

New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library Mss 16 [sub-group, series, sub-series, folder/volume as appropriate], [item]

Copyright Notice

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials. The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 United States Code 552a) governs the use of materials that document private individuals, groups, and corporations.

Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a reproduction if the document does not infringe the privacy rights of an individual, group, or corporation. These specified conditions of authorized use include:

If the researcher later uses a copy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," the researcher is personally liable for copyright. privacy, or publicity infringement and agrees to indemnify the New Bedford Whaling Museum from any legal action as a result of the error. Permission to obtain a photographic, xerographic, digital, or other copy of a document does not indicate permission to publish, exhibit, perform, reproduce, sell, distribute, or prepare derivative works from the document without permission from the copyright holder and from any private individual, group, or corporation shown or otherwise recorded.

Permission to publish, exhibit, perform, reproduce, prepare derivative works from, sell, or otherwise distribute the item must be obtained separately in writing from the holder of the original copyright (or if the creator is dead, from his/her heirs) as well as from any individual(s), groups, or corporations whose name, image, recorded words, or private information (e.g. employment information) may be reproduced in the source material. The holder of the original copyright is not necessarily the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The New Bedford Whaling Museum is not legally liable for copyright, privacy, or publicity infringement when materials are wrongfully used after being provided to researchers for "fair use."

This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if fulfillment of the order is judged in violation of copyright or federal or state privacy law. This institution also places restrictions on the use of cameras, photocopiers, and scanners in the research room.

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Administrative Information

Provenance

Most of the records in this collection were donated to the Old Dartmouth Historical Society by Mrs. Charles Weston on 9 April 1976 and Helen R. Gray on 2 November 1976. Records for the Ocean (Ship) were received from John M. Bullard prior to 1956. The majority of the records for the Montpelier (Ship) were purchased by the Old Dartmouth Society in August 1983.

Processing Information

Processed by: Judith Downey with assistance from Margaret Brightman, Barbara Groves, and Henry Kettel, ca. 1982

Encoded by: Kermit Dewey, 24 June 2011; box list appended by Mark Procknik, 8 February 2012

Funds for processing this collection were provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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Description

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Subject Headings

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Vessel Names

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