Table of Contents

Historical Note

Scope and Content Note

Information for Researchers

Related Materials

Administrative Information

Description

Subject Headings

Inventory of the Rotch Family Papers

In the New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library

Historical Note

Between the years 1760 and 1900, members of the Rotch family of Nantucket and New Bedford, Massachusetts, played a vital role in the development of their communities as centers of the whaling industry. The family's close association with New Bedford began in 1787 with the emigration of William Rotch Jr. (1759-1850) from Nantucket, where he had been trained in the counting house of William Rotch Sr. & Sons. William Rotch Jr. eventually established his own business that launched the careers of three of his sons: William Rodman (1788-1860), Joseph (1790-1839), and Thomas (1791-1840), who all served as merchants involved in different aspects of the whaling industry.

William James Rotch (1819-1893), son of Joseph Rotch, graduated Harvard College with honors in 1838, and, together with his brother, Benjamin (1817-1882), founded the New Bedford Cordage Company. The brothers were also among the first to recognize the value and aided in the development of the McKay sewing machine that won worldwide acclaim. In 1852 at the age of 33, he was elected Mayor of New Bedford, being the second person to hold that office after the City’s incorporation. William J. Rotch married Emily Morgan, the daughter of Charles W. Morgan (1796-1861), in 1842 and had seven children. After her death in 1861, Rotch married Emily’s younger sister Clara in 1866, and by her had one child. Additional published works to consult for further information on William Rotch Jr. and William J. Rotch include The Rotches, by John M. Bullard (1947) and Joseph L. McDevit Jr.'s The House of Rotch (1978).

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Scope and Content Note

Materials in this collection primarily consist of records documenting the property transactions of William Rotch Jr. during the years 1811 – 1850, with the majority of records consisting of deeds and indentures/leases of land. These records include two deeds documenting land sold by William Rotch Jr. to Elijah Winslow in 1822 and Allen Kelley in 1843. This collection also contains nine deeds for land purchased by William Rotch Jr. during the years 1811 – 1845 from the following land owners:

This collection also includes indentures signed by William Rotch Jr. leasing designated amounts of land to several recipients. These documents span the years 1830 – 1850 and include a list of leases signed by William Rotch Jr. during the years 1830–1850 in addition to 26 indentures signed by the following organizations and individuals:

In addition to the deeds and indentures, papers related to William Rotch Jr. include handwritten notes documenting various plots of land sold at auction during the years 1829–1831 as well as accounts kept by William Rotch Jr.’s estate, including estate records kept with Thomas Rotch for the years 1825 to 1836 and William Rotch Sr. for the years 1828 to 1836. Papers for William Rotch Jr. also include one handwritten copy of an indenture dated 1812 conveying a plot of land in the town of Halfmoon, New York, from Elizabeth Allen, John C. Young, and Ebenezer Allen to Jeremiah Miller of Fairhaven.

The remaining materials in this collection relate to William Rotch Jr.’s grandson, William J. Rotch, and consist of various receipts documenting his attendance at Harvard College during the years 1834 – 1838. These papers consist of tuition bills and receipts, in addition to receipts for boarding, boot cleaning, laundry, postage, tailoring services, medical services, transportation, rent, daily expenses, and a subscription to the Harvard publication Harvardiana. In addition to the Harvard related materials, William J. Rotch’s papers also include an 1846 receipt for the purchase of a land plot at the Oak Grove Cemetery.

The contents of the collection have been organized into two sub-groups, with Sub-group 1 containing materials relating to William Rotch Jr. and Sub-group 2 containing all materials pertaining to William J. Rotch. Materials in each sub-group are arranged by series according to a document’s subject material. Within each series volumes and folders are arranged chronologically from earliest to most recent.

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 130, [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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Related Materials

Related Manuscript Collections

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Administrative Information

Provenance

Materials in this collection were donated to the New Bedford Whaling Museum on August 13, 2012 by Mrs. William Rotch (Jane Whitehill Rotch), Accession #2012.11.

Processing Information

Processed by: Mark Procknik, 2014

Encoded by: Mark Procknik, 4 April 2014

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Description

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Subject Headings

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