Table of Contents

Historical Note

Scope and Content Note

Information for Researchers

Administrative Information

Description

Subject Headings

Inventory of the George S. Homer Business Records

In the New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library

Historical Note

George S. Homer, the son of carpenter and ship builder George Homer, was born in 1838 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. In 1859, he was employed as a clerk at the offices of Sylvanus Thomas & Company of New Bedford, a merchant firm which, in about 1860, entered into the business of manufacturing oil and candles. By 1867, Homer had become a partner with Thomas, and later carried on the business in partnership with his brother, Frederick A. Homer, following Thomas' death in 1866. In addition to his oil business, which was known simply by his name, George S. Homer was also active as president or director of several area manufacturing companies, banks, and the New Bedford Board of Trade. He retired from business prior to his death in 1912.

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Scope and Content Note

The business activities of George S. Homer are reflected in day books, ledgers, and invoices dating from 1874 to 1911. The day books, which cover the entire period of 1874-1898, include two "oil books" as well was a "blotter." The single ledger, ledger "C," contains entries from 1884 to 1911. A volume of "Invoices Inward," 1890-1911, includes entries for such items as crude sperm and whale oil, naptha, soap, whalebone, coal, caustic soda, and candles, as well as olive, herring, and salad oil. The final series in this collection consists of financial records concerning the settlement of the estates of Sylvanus Thomas and George S. Homer, 1866-1869, ca. 1912.

Arrangement of Collection

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Information for Researchers

Access to Collections

Unrestricted. Consult librarian for an appointment.

Preferred Citation

New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library Mss 54, [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

Records in this collection were given to the Old Dartmouth Historical Society by Ashley Clark on 12 December 1940, and by Thomas B. Card on 14 May 1946.

Processing Information

Processed by: Barbara B. Austen, ca. 1982

Encoded by: Kermit Dewey, 04 April 2012; box list appended by Mark Procknik, 10 April 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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