Table of Contents

Historical Note

Scope and Content Note

Information for Researchers

Separations List

Administrative Information

Description

Subject Headings

Inventory of the Cory Family Papers

In the New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library

Historical Note

The Cory family papers document the activities of four generations of Corys in Westport, Massachusetts, between 1762 and 1929. The principal members – Captain Isaac Cory (1746-1830), Isaac Cory Jr. (1775-1855) and Alexander Hamilton Cory (1815-1897) – were successively the leading merchants of the village of Westpoint Point. From a store at the town landing they built ships, managed whaling and fishing voyages, engaged in coastwise and foreign trade, and served as general merchandisers to the community. One of them served as Inspector of Customs for the Port of Westport, another as the first postmaster of the village.

From a central position within the town, the Corys recorded much of the significant activity of the community. Their papers constitute not only the largest collection of non-public documents pertaining to Westport, but also cover a longer span of time than any other known group of papers from the area.

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Scope and Content Note

Papers pertaining to Isaac Cory consist of business and personal correspondence, 1762-1840; financial records, 1769-1833; legal documents, 1776-1837; weaving records, 1805, 1813-1815; business records for several companies in which he was a partner, 1790-1840; ships’ papers for 37 vessels for which he acted as agent, had partial ownership in or had an interest in vessel or cargo, 1778-1831; and a school notebook, memoranda and miscellaneous documents, 1762-1817. The majority of these papers reflect Cory's activities as a general store owner, a ship owner, and a merchant engaged primarily in the coastwise and West Indies trade. In addition, they reflect his activity in the fishing industry, as both a whaling agent and as a contractor with textile manufacturers for yarn for piece work weaving in individual homes.

An important series of accounts and letters document Cory's partnership with the black shipmaster Paul Cuffe (1759-1817) in ventures involving the bark Hero, brig Traveller and the importation of merino sheep. Another partner in the merino sheep trade was William Jarvis of Boston, Mass. Others with whom Cory dealt were John Avery Parker (1769-1853) and Walter Paine of Providence, R.I., who acted as broker for the textile manufacturers.

Records for Corys & Brownell , 1790-1818, contain financial records, 1790-1818; customs records, 1792-1796; shipbuilding records; 1793-1796; correspondence, 1792-1810; Abner Brownell's records; and lottery materials for the Newport Long Wharf Hotel and Public School Lottery along with an advertisement, 1795-1796. This company, formed by Isaac Cory, his brother Philip Cory (1741-1802), and Abner Brownell (b.1756), ran the general store and engaged in fishing, shipping and shipbuilding as well. Many of the records are concerned with the acquisition of lumber and the work done on and completion of the ships Joseph and Plato. Upon Abner Brownell leaving the partnership in 1796, the firm became Philip & Isaac Cory, whose records include financial records, 1791-1811; legal documents, 1796; customs records, 1797-1799; and correspondence, 1797-1802. The firm was primarily concerned with operating the general store and shipping.

Isaac Cory remained in business alone after his brother's death in 1802. Then in 1814, he formed a partnership with Isaac Cory Jr. and Nathaniel Tompkins (1729-1861). The firm of Corys & Tompkins engaged in the hand weaving trade, acquiring yarns from mills and contracting with individuals to weave the yarn at home. The finished cloth went to the same mills from which the yarn was acquired including the Danielson Manufacturing Company, Danielson, Connecticut, Troy Cotton & Wool Manufacturing Company, Fall River, Massachusetts, and the Central Manufacturing Company, Seekonk, Massachusetts. The firm also engaged in shipping. The partnership dissolved in 1817. Corys & Tompkins records consist of financial records, 1815-1826; production records, 1815-1816; legal documents, 1815-1816; and correspondence, 1815-1817.

In 1815, Isaac Cory formed a partnership with his son Isaac Jr. under the name of Isaac Cory & Son. This company operated the general store and was engaged in the fishing and whaling industries, in coastwise and West Indies trade and shipping. Records for the firm include financial records, 1806-1840, which includes bills and receipts addressed to Isaac Cory & Son that pre-date the firm; legal documents, 1824-1828; assignees records, 1828-1838; and correspondence, 1815-1829. There were numerous business dealings with N. Hathaway & Company, Nantucket, Massachusetts, Davenport & Allen, Richmond, Virginia, and Robert Adams in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The firm had financial difficulties by 1828 and Nathaniel Tompkins and Nathan Crary Brownell (1787-1862) became assignees to settle accounts due creditors.

The ships’ papers, 1778-1831, represent 37 vessels which were engaged in the fishing and whaling industries as well as the coast-wise and West Indies trade. The most notable of these are the Albert (Schooner), 1819-1822; Hero (Brig), 1802-1814; Hornet (Boat) and Prudence (Boat), 1778-1783. Albert (Schooner) was engaged in the West Indies trade and made voyage to Madeira, Gibraltar, and Malaga. It was captained by Asa Bly, Isaac Cory's brother-in-law, who carried freight for Robert Adams of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and had a crew composed mostly of blacks. It encountered problems in attempting to unload its cargo of tobacco due to health restrictions on vessels from the port of Philadelphia where there was an epidemic. The Hero (Brig) was engaged in the coastwise trade and made a voyage to Spain. Its final voyage, however, was whaling and it was condemned at Chile. The vessel was partially owned by Paul Cuffe and the records contain correspondence and accounts dealing with his business interests. The Hornet (Boat) and the Prudence (Boat) were privateers operating off-shore during the American Revolutions. Their records are concerned with the three British vessels which they captured and brought into New London, Connecticut. Isaac Cory acted as their agent and attorney in the settlement of the claims. Other vessels represented by records include Fame (Sloop), 1814-1830, involved in trade; Industry (Brig), 1812-1829, Rhoda (Schooner), 1801-1813, and Union (Sloop), 1795-1811, engaged in trade and whaling. Those involved in trade and fishing are Aurora (Sloop), 1803-1831, and Union (Sloop), 1795-1811, engaged in trade and whaling. Those involved in trade and fishing are Aurora (Sloop), 1803-1831; Lively (Sloop), 1794-1813; and Westport (Sloop), 1815-1829. The Polly and Eliza (Schooner/Brig), 1815-1830, was involved in trade, whaling and fishing. Also represented in the ships’ papers are records of four Cory vessel captains, Micah Dean, 1786-1807; Sylvester Gifford, 1806-1809; Abner Howland, 1807-1810; and Perce Tompkins, 1821. The two most notable are Micah Dean and Sylvester Gifford, who both served as captain on the Cory vessel Adventure (Brig) at one point. It should be noted that in the financial records of the firms previously described, accounts are also included for various vessels in the ships’ papers.

Papers pertaining to the settlement of Cory's estate offer a detailed picture of the tangible assets of a leading merchant in a small coastal community.

Isaac Cory Jr. papers consist of correspondence, 1800-1851; financial records, 1795-1860; legal documents, 1795-1842; insurance policies, 1842-1855; records of Inspector of the Port, 1805-1855; and a notebook consisting of his arithmetic lessons, 1790. Isaac Jr. was in partnership with his father in Corys & Tompkins and Isaac Cory & Son as well as having worked for Corys & Brownell. The records reflect his personal accounts as well as his business activities after his father's death. His correspondence reveals his activities in shipping and contacts with his cousins in Providence, R.I. The records as Inspector of the Port for the Customs Administration provides additional evidence of the importance of Westport harbor as a shipping center in this area. After settling with the assignees of Isaac Cory & Son, Isaac Jr. continued to operate the store and eventually brought his two sons, Alexander Hamilton and Albert B. (b. ca. 1819), into the business.

Papers for Alexander Hamilton Cory include personal papers, 1828-1897; business records, 1828-1897; ship owner records, 1835-1887; records for the firm Davis & Cory, 1838-1850; ships’ papers for 21 voyages of five whaling vessels and for several voyages of a merchant ship, 1838-1879; ships’ papers for nine vessels in which Alexander had a financial interest in the cargo, 1829-1855; records as postmaster, 1840-1887; and records as selectman, 1873-1880. The personal papers include correspondence regarding elections in Bristol County for the Whig party, deaths of relatives, meetings of Freemason organizations of which he was a member and letters from relatives in Quincy, Illinois, describing the area. There are also records of family expenses, legal documents, and insurance policies on his life and property.

The business records reflect Alexander's activities in the store especially in ordering and in prices of goods, settlement of accounts, solicitation of business via advertising circulars, and tailor accounts, especially of Oliver H. Childs who did work for Cory. A good portion of his business was transacted with Seth Padelford & Company, Alex F. Adie, and Congdon & Aylesworth, all of Providence, Rhode Island. The ship owner records reflect his activities in shipping coal and whale-oil, purchasing vessels, and lobstering. The correspondence contains letters of recommendation made, by, and sent to, him for men to serve as crew members aboard vessels.

Alexander formed a partnership with Gideon Davis Jr. (ca. 1803-1847), in 1841 under the name of Davis & Cory which took over the store from Isaac Jr. As Davis had been a whaling agent, the firm continued in that function along with shipping lumber, salt and whale-oil. Records for the firm consist of financial records, 1838-1850; legal documents, 1841-1845; insurance policies, 1842-1845; and correspondence, 1841-1847. The records reflect business activities with Richmond & Carr, Seth Padelford & Company, and Samuel Judd & Son, all of Providence, R.I. and with William Watkins (1814-1900), whaling agent of New Bedford, Mass. The firm was dissolved in 1847 with the death of Gideon Davis Jr.

The ships’ papers include records for fourteen whaling vessels, five of which concern both Alexander and Davis & Cory as agents. Three of the vessels met with ill fate: Barclay (Bark) was lost on Cape Antonio in 1856, Harbinger (Ship) was condemned at Paita in 1855, and Kate Cory (Schooner/Brig) was captured by the Alabama in 1863. The other vessels, Mexico (Brig) and Sacramento (Bark), were sold in 1848 and 1863 respectively. Several captains made careers in serving on Cory vessels. Weston Tripp served as captain for five voyages; Stephen Flanders and James King for two voyages each; and James Sowle served on one after coming up the ranks while employed by Cory. The merchant ship William H. Dewitt (Schooner) carried coal, wood, and other products for such markets as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Boston, Massachusetts, New York, the West Indies and Bermuda. Joseph A. Cory (b. 1831) served as captain for many years. In the correspondence for this vessel, there is discussion regarding the Civil War and privateers along the Atlantic coast and regarding business transactions. The remaining nine vessels included in the ships’ papers document voyages in which Alexander had a financial interest, most notably in the cargo. The most prominent of these vessels include the Catherwood (Brig), 1844; President (Bark), 1841; and Senator (Sloop), 1844 and 1848. These three ships each engaged in whaling as well as trade. Other vessels documented in the records include Alice (Sloop), 1829-1848; A.M.P. (Sloop), 1832-1850; Dr. Franklin (Bark), 1855; Gov. Carver (Bark), 1850; Solon (Brig), 1850; and Thomas Winslow (Brig), 1838. Records for the majority of these nine vessels are minimal, but include manifests of cargo.

Records for Cory's service as postmaster, 1840-1887, include correspondence regarding the establishment of the post office for that part of town. It also contains correspondence from individuals seeking information about Westport as a summer resort, mail to be forwarded, businesses seeking information for potential customers and official correspondence regarding rules and regulations. There is a substantial number of dead letters, mail sent to crew members aboard vessels from their friends and relatives which was never delivered. Records for Cory's service as town selectman, 1873-1880, are primarily concerned with the proposal and support of building a bridge between the Point and the Horseneck.

Also represented by materials in this collection are other Cory family members and relatives by marriage. Papers for Albert B. Cory consist of business and personal correspondence, 1839-1880, mainly addressed to his brother Alexander; financial records, 1831-1840; and personal correspondence of Elizabeth Cory (fl. 1845-1880), his wife. Albert, after establishing himself in New York City in 1860, aided Alexander in shipping and in the coal trade.

Papers for Mary Ann Prince Cory (1819-1896), Alexander's wife, contain personal correspondence, 1836-1896. The incoming correspondence consists of letters from her relatives in Brooklyn, Connecticut, and surrounding towns while she worked in Providence, Rhode Island, and after she has married and is residing in Westport. Mary Ann, during her time in Providence, served as a millinery worker, and her papers include a short poem written about the profession along with a cartoon illustration, ca. 1840. The outgoing letters are primarily to her children, especially Emma and Kate. Papers for ten of the eleven children of Alexander and Mary Ann are mainly correspondence, financial records, and school notebooks and lessons. Papers for Isaac Cory (1843-1872) consist of personal correspondence, 1863-1872. He went to work in the retail trade in Providence, R.I., but had tuberculosis and eventually went to Wayzatta, Minnesota, for his health, where he died in 1872.

Papers for Joseph Prince Cory (1845-1923) include personal correspondence, 1861-1893; financial records ca. 1865-1912; school notebooks and report cards, 1863; and an obituary, 1923. After attending school in Middleborough, Massachusetts, Joseph went to Providence and entered the retail trade but later changed to the jewelry trade. By 1871 he owned his own business under the firm name of Johnson & Cory which eventually became Reynolds & Cory.

Papers for Charles Burnett Cory (1847-1873) contain personal correspondence, 1868-1873; financial records, 1872-1873; and a poem, cards, train pass and a schedule, 1863, 1872. Charles also went to Providence and entered the retail trade, but by 1872, was peddling goods in Connecticut. He became ill, returned home and died in 1873.

Papers for Emma B. Cory (1849-1927) consist of personal correspondence, 1866-1927; bills and receipts, 1868-1880; and school records, 1868. Her correspondence is from relatives and school friends, two of whom became friends for life – Addie Buffinton Churchill (ca. 1850-1926) of Fall River, Massachusetts, and Annie F. Nichols Holmes (ca. 1849-1935) of Providence. Emma went to school at Wheaton Female Seminary, now Wheaton College, at Norton, Massachusetts, and then spent the next few years in New Bedford, Massachusetts, employed as a milliner. She also worked occasionally for firms in Providence. Emma traveled to visit relatives in the Boston area, Connecticut and Illinois and visited with her friends in Fall River and Providence.

Papers for Kate L. Cory Grinnell (1850-1939) include personal correspondence, 1867-1883; school report cards, ca. 1868; and papers for Philip L. Grinnell (ca. 1852-1932), 1833, 1884-1918, her husband. Kate also attended Wheaton and returned home afterwards. Her correspondence reports on the condition of her brother Thomas' daughter during the latter's illness.

Papers for Alexander Hamilton Cory Jr. (1852-1923) consist of personal correspondence, 1873-1897, and a memoranda book, ca. 1868. Alexander went to Providence in 1873 to work with his brothers Joseph and Thomas in jewelry trade. In 1894, he took a railroad excursion to California and his correspondence describes the West and areas of California which he visited. Papers for Thomas Brownell Cory (1854-1932) contain personal correspondence, 1867-1883; financial records, 1872-1873; legal documents, 1873, and personal correspondence of Mary A. Chatterton Cory (ca. 1863-1934), his wife. Thomas peddled goods from his father's store in 1872 and 1873; in 1873 he went to Providence to work with his brother Joseph in the jewelry trade. Some of his correspondence and all of his wife's relate to the illness of their daughter Florence Corrine (b. ca. 1880) whom they called "Flossy."

Papers for Mary Brownell Cory (1858-1950) consist of personal correspondence, 1879-1929, which mainly reflects her attendance at the Academy in Greenwich, Rhode Island as well as visits with her brother Thomas and his family in Providence. Papers for Bertha Belle Cory Kugler (1860-1939) include personal correspondence, 1880-1910; bills and receipts, 1880-ca. 1892; school notebooks and poems 1872-ca. 1875; a yearly planner, 1867; and papers for her husband, William E. Kugler (b. 1852), which include personal correspondence as well as a newspaper clipping describing their daughter Hester Cory's (b. ca. 1892) wedding to George Owen Dexter Jr. (b. ca. 1890). Bertha's correspondence reflects her lifestyle as a minister's wife and the different town in which they resided. Papers for Helen C. Cory (1864-1950) contain personal correspondence, 1873-1885, 1926 and school notebooks and lessons, ca. 1882.

This collection also contains papers for Ruth Cadman (1762-1845), Isaac Cory's sister-in-law, and for Asa Bly, (d. ca. 1823), Isaac Cory's brother-in-law. Ruth Cadman's papers consist of personal correspondence, 1828-1835; financial records, 1772, 1827-1845; school records as a teacher, 1803-1824; estate records, 1845-1847; and a copy of birth notice, ca. 1795. Ruth worked in Westport as a school teacher for numerous years. The estate was settled by Alexander H. Cory. Papers for Asa Bly include correspondence, 1814-1823; financial records, 1810-1824; legal documents, 1809-1811; estate records, 1822-1831; guardianship records, 1823-1832; and one poem written by his son Christopher, 1821. Bly served as captain of the following Cory vessels – Adventure (Brig), Albert (Schooner), and William Penn (Ship) – and records for those vessels contain further correspondence and accounts regarding his business ventures. Isaac Cory settled his estate and acted as guardian to his three children.

Materials in the Cory Family Papers have been arranged in sub-groups representing members of the Cory family and other individuals related by marriage. The sub-groups have been listed in chronological order by the date of birth of the individual. Correspondence, whenever possible, is arranged within each year by the name of the writer. Other papers, organized into series by type of document, are arranged in chronological order except for ships’ papers, which are grouped alphabetically by name of vessel. Researchers should note that there are logbooks and journals for 24 voyages of Cory vessels in the logbook collection of the Museum. There are also photographs of the family and of Westport in the photograph collection and a scale model of the Kate Cory (Brig) in the Museum collection.

This collection consists of 101 boxes whose contents span seven separate accessions. Boxes 1 to 90 contain the initial 1982 accession, while boxes 91 to 101 consist of the latter six accessions of the Research Library during the years 1987 to 1992.

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 80 [sub-group, series, sub-series, folder/volume as appropriate], [item]

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Separations List

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Administrative Information

Provenance

Materials in this collection were donated to the Old Dartmouth Historical Society by an anonymous donor in 1982 as well as by Richard C. Kugler through a series of six donations within the years 1987-1992.

Processing Information

Processed by: Judith Downey with assistance from Barbara Austen and eight library volunteers, ca. 1982. Later accessions B87-32, B88-45, B89-39, B90-02, B91-37, and B92-29 were processed and incorporated into the existing manuscript collection by Mark Procknik, 2010.

Encoded by: Mark Procknik, 12 March 2012

Funds for initial processing 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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