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Alex. Brown & Sons RecordsA Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of CongressPrepared by Manuscript Division staffRevised by Harry G. Heiss and Mary A. Lacy2000
Organizational History
Return to the Table of Contents Scope and Content NoteThe records of Alex. Brown & Sons span the years 1796-1908, with the bulk of the material dating from 1796 to 1884. Included are business records of successor companies, subsidiaries, and allied business. The records document the commercial and financial activities of Alexander Brown, his sons, and their successors, showing the development of their banking house in conjunction with extensive import-export operations, the building of ships and worldwide trade activities, and the building of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. They also reflect the company's change from a mercantile to an international banking house having connections with Brown, Shipley & Company of Liverpool, and with Brown Brothers & Company, of New York,Philadelphia, and Baltimore. The records are organized into the following series: Lettercopy Books,Letterpress Books,Daybooks,Cashbooks,Ledgers,Sterling Ledgers,Ledger Sight Bills,Journals,Sales Books,Waste Books,Accounts Current,Blotters, and Miscellany. The firm of Alex. Brown & Sons was founded by Alexander Brown, an Irish immigrant who came to Baltimore in 1797 and engaged in the mercantile business as an importer of Irish linen. The records are largely confined to the operations of the firm's outlets in Baltimore, which served as the American headquarters for the firm's chain of offices from 1800 to 1840. Lettercopy and letterpress books generally provide a continuous, daily record of the branch's outgoing correspondence with other offices in the organization and with the branch's out-of-town customers from 1800 to 1879. Letterbooks, in the collection contain detailed information concerning political, civil, and military affairs affecting the firm. The Lettercopy Books series, consisting of letters sent, includes records of the Falls and Brown Company, 1803-1804, and of Campbell McIlvaine & Company, 1830-1837. The Letterpress Books series is organized into three subseries. Set A includes records similar to those in the Lettercopy Books series and is distinguished from them chiefly by the copying method. Set B is comprised of letterpress copies of letters sent to Brown Shipley & Company,London, England. The letterpress copies in Set C are of letters sent to Brown Brothers & Company,Boston,New York, and Philadelphia offices. The collection also includes financial records in a variety of formats. Daybooks are daily journals of business transactions in the order of their occurrence. Cashbooks record money received and paid out, showing date of transaction, name of customer or client, description of the transaction, and amounts received and expended. Ledgers contain postings to accounts receivable and accounts payable; they include ledgers of Falls & Brown,Baltimore, 1796-1810. Sterling Ledgers contain postings to accounts receivable and accounts payable of Alex. Brown & Sons sterling operations. Ledger Sight Bills contain a record of journal postings by bill number. Journals contain daily entries from daybooks and blotters. Sales Books appear to be logs of customer sales. Waste Books are daily journals of business transactions in the order of their occurrence; one book is from Stewart Brown,Philadelphia, and Falls & Brown,Baltimore.Accounts Current appear to be summaries of accounts receivable and accounts payable. Account entries include account name, transaction date, and description. Blotters are daily journals of business transactions. The Miscellany series includes journals and ledgers of the Union Railroad Company sinking fund, credit rating and statements books, minute books of the Aransas Pass Harbor Company of which Brown and Sons Company was a bondholder and trustee, and of the Female Orphan Asylum,Baltimore. Also in the series is a book containing signatures of persons authorized to conduct business with Brown & Sons Company. The collection also includes records of other Brown family firms, such as the firms of Stewart Brown, of Philadelphia, an older brother of Alexander Brown, 22 April 1796- 30 May 1797; and of Moore Falls and Stewart Brown of the firm of Falls & Brown, of Baltimore, 1797-1810. These records are not necessarily noted specifically in the descriptions below Return to the Table of Contents Selected Search TermsPeople
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Return to the Table of Contents Organization of the PapersThe collection is arranged in thirteen series:
Return to the Table of Contents Container ListLettercopy Books, 1802-1863Copies of letters sent. Some volumes contain an alphabetical index of correspondents. Arranged chronologically. Dec. 1802-May 1804(Falls & Brown) Jan. 1803-Aug. 1804Dec. 1810-May 1814Apr. 1818-Apr. 1819Apr. 1819-May 1820June 1819-May 1821Jan. 1822-Dec. 1823Dec. 1823-Dec. 1825Nov. 1823-Mar. 1831Dec. 1825-May 1828July 1826-July 1830Mar. 1828-May 1831(Campbell McIlvain & Co.) July 1830-June 1832Mar. 1831-Jan. 1836May 1831-May 1833(Campbell McIlvain & Co.) June 1832-Jan. 1834Dec. 1833-Sept. 1835(Campbell McIlvain & Co.) Jan. 1835-Nov. 1837Sept. 1835-Jan. 1838Jan. 1836-Aug. 1839Jan. 1838-Apr. 1840Aug. 1839-Apr. 1844Apr. 1840-Sept. 1842Oct. 1842-Oct. 1845Apr. 1844-Dec. 1847Oct. 1845-May 1851Dec. 1847-May 1850June 1850-Sept. 1853May 1851-Apr. 1852Jan. 1853-Mar. 1853Mar. 1853-Sept. 1854Sept. 1853-Apr. 1856Apr. 1854-Jan. 1856June 1856-Oct. 1857May 1856-Oct. 1859Oct. 1856-July 1859July 1859-Feb. 1861Oct. 1859-Apr. 1863Mar. 1861-Jan. 1863Jan. 1863-May 1863Letterpress Books, 1841-1880Set A, 1841-1879Letterpress copies of letters sent. Some volumes contain an alphabetical index of correspondents. Arranged chronologically. July 5, 1841-Mar. 8, 1845Mar. 2, 1865-Mar. 2, 1868Dec. 19, 1867-July 15, 1868July 16, 1868-Mar. 31, 1869Mar. 31, 1869-Oct. 9, 1869Oct. 9, 1869-Mar. 3, 1870Mar. 4, 1870-July 5, 1870July 6, 1870-Nov. 21, 1870Nov. 21, 1870-Feb. 17, 1871Feb. 17, 1871-June 16, 1871June 16, 1871-Nov. 11, 1871Nov. 13, 1871-Feb. 28, 1872Feb. 24, 1872-June 27, 1872June 27, 1872-Oct. 18, 1872Oct.. 17, 1872-Feb. 1, 1873Feb. 1, 1873-May 12, 1873May 13, 1873-Aug. 16, 1873Aug. 18, 1873-Nov. 10, 1873Nov. 10, 1873-Feb. 2, 1874Feb. 3, 1874-May 19, 1874May 20, 1874-Sept. 10, 1874Sept. 11, 1874-Dec. 30, 1874Dec. 31, 1874-Apr. 19, 1875Apr. 20, 1875-July 28, 1875July 29, 1875-Oct. 26, 1875Oct. 26, 1875-Jan. 3, 1876Jan. 3, 1876-Mar. 15, 1876June 17, 1876-Oct. 9, 1876Oct. 9, 1876-Jan. 27, 1877Jan. 27, 1877-May 14, 1877May 15, 1877-Sept. 3, 1877Sept. 3, 1877-Dec. 22, 1877Dec. 22, 1877-Apr. 5, 1878Apr. 5, 1878-July 12, 1878July 12, 1878-Nov. 4, 1878Nov. 4, 1878-Feb. 21, 1879Feb. 21, 1879-June 18, 1879June 18, 1879-Oct. 27, 1879Set B, 1863-1879Letterpress copies of letters sent to Brown Shipley & Co., London, England. Some volumes contain an alphabetical index of correspondents. Arranged chronologically. May 22, 1863-Dec. 30, 1864Jan. 4, 1867-Oct. 14, 1867Oct. 12, 1867-Nov. 24, 1868Nov. 24, 1868-July 2, 1869July 6, 1869-Jan. 28, 1870Feb. 1, 1870-Sept. 2, 1870Sept. 6, 1870-Mar. 7, 1871Mar. 7, 1871-Aug. 15, 1871Aug. 15, 1871-Jan. 23, 1872Jan. 23, 1872-June 14, 1872June 14, 1872-Nov. 8, 1872Nov. 8, 1872-Mar. 19, 1873Mar. 31, 1873-Aug. 12, 1873Aug. 12, 1873-Feb. 6, 1874Feb. 6, 1874-Aug. 17, 1874Aug. 7, 1874-Feb. 19, 1875Feb. 23, 1875-Sept. 29, 1875Sept. 29, 1875-Apr. 12, 1876Apr. 12, 1876-Oct. 31, 1876Oct. 31, 1876-May 29, 1877May 29, 1877-Jan. 16, 1878Jan. 18, 1878-Aug. 21, 1879Aug. 23, 1878-Mar. 17, 1879Mar. 17, 1879-Oct. 6, 1879Set C, 1865-1880Letterpress copies of letters sent to Brown Brothers & Co., Boston, Mass., New York, N.Y., and Philadelphia, Pa., offices. Some volumes contain an alphabetical index of correspondents. Arranged chronologically. June 21, 1865-May 21, 1866May 23, 1866-June 15, 1867Jan. 2, 1867-Nov. 15, 1867Nov. 16, 1867-Aug. 1, 1868Aug. 1, 1868-Apr. 26, 1869Apr. 24, 1869-Nov. 23, 1869Nov. 24, 1869-Aug. 4, 1870Aug. 4, 1870-Apr. 18, 1871Apr. 18, 1871-Jan. 2, 1872Jan. 3, 1872-Sept. 26, 1872Sept. 27, 1872-May 12, 1873May 13, 1873-Dec. 10, 1873Dec. 11, 1873-July 29, 1874July 30, 1874-Mar. 19, 1875Mar. 20, 1875-Oct. 26, 1875Oct. 26, 1875-May 5, 1876May 6, 1876-Dec. 14, 1876Dec. 15, 1876-Aug. 21, 1877Aug. 22, 1877-Apr. 9, 1878Apr. 10, 1878-Oct. 23, 1878Oct. 24, 1878-July 14, 1879July 15, 1879-Mar. 31, 1880Daybooks, 1800-1867Daily journals of business transactions in the order of their occurrence showing store location, date of transaction, folio number, name of customer or client, nature of transaction, description of merchandise, quantities, and amounts received and expended. Arranged chronologically by date of business transaction. 1800-18041806-18071809-18101813-18161816-18171818-18191824-18251825-18271828-18301830-18321832-18341833-18371834-18361836-18371837-18381838-18401840-18411841-18421842-18431843-18451845-18461846-18481848-18491849-18511851-18541852-18531852-18551853-18541854-18561855-18581856-18581858-18601858-18621860-18641860-18631862-18661863-18661866-1867Cashbooks, 1829-1876Record of money received and paid out showing date of transaction, name of customer or client, transaction description, and amounts received and expended. Arranged chronologically by date of business transaction. 1829-1831, 1833-18351835-18371838-18401840-18421842-18461843-18471847-18491849-18521850-18701852-18531853-18561856-18591859-18611860-18631861-18651863-18651865-18661863-18671866-18681867-18681868-18691868-18691869-18711871-18721872-18731873-18751875-1876Ledgers, 1796-1878Volumes contain postings to accounts receivable and accounts payable. Account entries include account name, transaction date, description of transaction, folio number, and amounts credited and debited. Some volumes contain alphabetical indexes of account, customer, and client names. Arranged chronologically. (Falls & Brown, Baltimore, Md.) 1796-18101821-18241825-18331826-18291833-18391837-18381838-18431843-18491849-18521852-18541852-18551853-18681854-18581854-18561857-18591858-18611861-18661867-18681868-18701870-18711871-18721872-18731873-18741874-18751875-1878Sterling Ledgers, 1867-1876Volumes are labeled "supplementary sterling ledgers" and appear to contain postings to accounts receivable and accounts payable of Alex. Brown & Sons sterling operations. Entries include account name, transaction date, description of transaction, folio number, and amounts credited and debited. Some volumes contain alphabetical indexes of account, customer, and client names. Arranged chronologically. 1867-18681870-18721872-18731873-1876Ledger Sight Bills, 1852-1884Contains a record of journal postings by bill number. Entries include transaction date, bill number, date paid, amount paid, and folio number. Arranged chronologically by business transaction date. 1852-18561856-18651868-18791868-1884Journals, 1824-1848Volumes contain daily entries from daybooks and blotters. Entries include folio number, date of transaction, transaction description, and amounts credited or debited. Arranged chronologically by business transaction date. 1826-18291829-18321832-18341834-18351835-18381837, Apr.-Sept.1848Sales Books, 1824-1838Volumes appear to be logs of customer sales. Entries include folio number, date of transaction, name of customer, description of merchandise, quantities purchased, and amount of money received. Arranged chronologically by business transaction date. 1824-18321826-18361830-18341832-1838Waste Books, 1796-1806Daily journals of business transactions in the order of their occurrence. Entries for each transaction include folio number, date, nature of transaction, name of customer or client, and amounts received and expended. Arranged chronologically by date of business transaction. (Stewart Brown, Philadelphia, Pa., and Falls & Brown, Baltimore, Md.) Apr. 1796-Dec.1806Oct. 1796-Dec. 1802Accounts Current, 1826-1881Volumes appear to be summaries of accounts receivable and accounts payable. Account entries include account name, transaction date, description of transaction, and amounts credited and debited. Some volumes contain alphabetical indexes of account, customer, and client names. Arranged chronologically. 1826-18341826-18381824-18381830-18421842-18471858-18661871-18721872-18731873-18741877-18791879-1881Blotters, 1805-1839Daily journals of business transactions in the order of their occurrence showing store location, date of transaction, folio number, name of customer or client, nature of transaction, description of merchandise, quantities, and amounts received and expended. Arranged chronologically by date of business transaction. 1805-18061821-18231823-18241838-1839Miscellany, 1802-1908Union Railroad Company Sinking Fund Journals and Ledgers, 1870-1886Journals and ledgers for ground rent accounts held by trustees of the sinking fund of the Union Railroad Co., Baltimore, Md. Volume entries include date of transaction, account number, description of transaction, and amounts debited and credited. Volumes are arranged as journals and ledgers and chronologically therein. Journal, 1871-1886Ledger, 1871-1872Ground rents, 1870-1875Credit Rating Book, undatedSingle volume denoting credit worthiness of customers and clients. Entries show date, customer or client name, and opinion concerning ability to pay, business practices, and reliability. Arranged alphabetically by name of customer or client. Statements Book No. 9, 1899-1900Letterpress copies of customers' statements of account containing date, customer name and address, description of merchandise purchased, quantities, and amounts credited and debited to account. Volume also contains weekly financial statements of Alex. Brown & Sons sterling operations and an alphabetical index of customers. Arranged chronologically. Aransas Pass Harbor Company Minute Book, 1897-1908Contains minutes of meetings and copies of resolutions adopted by the board of trustees of the Aransas Pass Harbor Co., Aransas Pass, Tex., of which Brown & Sons Co. was a bondholder and trustee. Laid in are correspondence, resolutions, notes, lists, and agreements concerning acquisition of Aransas Harbor City & Improvement Co., Aransas Pass, Tex. Female Orphan Asylum Minute Book, 1802-1857Single volume containing minutes of meetings of the board of directors of the Female Orphan Asylum, Baltimore, Md. Also included are financial reports and a newspaper clipping concerning the founding of the organization. Signature Book, circa 1871-1888Contains signatures of persons authorized to conduct business with Brown & Sons Co. and includes letters of introduction, business cards, receipts, and signatures cut and pasted from other documents. Items entered alphabetically by name of customer or client, although some entries are not in proper order. Return to the Table of Contents |
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