US Merchant Trade in 1791
- Jeff Abbas
- Apr 2
- 4 min read
Nicholas Brown & Company
Born in 1729, the second child of James Brown II and Hope Power Brown, Nicholas Brown Sr. was apprenticed to his uncle Obadiah Brown from the age of 16. Just before his 21st birthday, his older brother Captain James Brown died at sea. Nicholas delayed his marriage to Rhoda Jenckes until he was 33 years old. Following the death of his uncle Obadiah, the family business conglomerate that included maritime trade along the Eastern Seaboard, with the Caribbean and with England; a rum distillery; spermaceti candle manufacturing; an iron foundry (the Hope Furnace); and a network of shops, was renamed Nicholas Brown & Co. Until 1771, Brown worked in partnership with his three younger brothers Joseph, John, and Moses, who were known in Rhode Island annals as the "Four Brothers." Thereafter, the brothers continued to collaborate on ventures but were no longer partners.
Brown served in the Rhode Island Legislature and became a civic leader, funding or fundraising for the paving of Providence streets, a library, a market house, the College of Rhode Island's first building, the First Baptist Church, a fire engine and other civic improvements. During the Revolution, he speculated in war bonds, supplied the Continental Army with gunpowder and foodstuffs, transformed the Hope Furnace into cannon works, and funded several privateering ventures. During the post-war "critical period," Brown was a leader of the Federalist faction in Rhode Island that opposed paper money and supported ratifying the U.S. Constitution.
As head of the family business, Nicholas Brown Sr. made a number of controversial decisions regarding smuggling, attempting to corner the tobacco market in Surinam, rigging elections, and most notably attempting a slave trading voyage in 1764 to fund his new iron foundry. The disastrous 1764 voyage of "The Sally" is described in detail in the final report of Brown University's Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice. Thereafter, Brown never again attempted slave trading and ensured his son was mentored by George Benson, an ardent abolitionist.
Upon Nicholas Brown Sr.'s death in 1791, his son Nicholas Brown Jr. and partner George Benson were joined by Thomas Poynton Ives. The firm was subsequently renamed Brown, Benson & Ives.
That same year, brothers John and Moses Brown led a group of business leaders to establish the Providence Bank, the first bank in Rhode Island. John Brown served as its first president.
The firm was heavily involved in global trade, including ventures to China, South America, and later "legitimate commerce" with Africa (trading commodities rather than enslaved people).
Murray & Wheaton Company of Alexandria, Virginia
Murray & Wheaton acted as merchants and shipping agents, handling various commodities. Historical records from the era, such as ship manifests, list them as consignees for diverse cargo ranging from West Indian sugar to European dry goods.
The firm moved in the same circles as prominent Alexandrians like George Washington. In June 1791, members of the firm were noted in personal journals traveling alongside other influential local figures, reflecting their status in the community.
Isaac McPherson
In 1791, Isaac McPherson (1759–1827) was a merchant and miller who had recently established himself in Alexandria, Virginia.
McPherson was actively operating as a merchant in Alexandria by 1792, just after the city was surveyed to become part of the new District of Columbia.
In 1796, he married the daughter of Andrew Ellicott, the famous surveyor who helped map the District of Columbia and laid the south cornerstone in Alexandria in 1791.
By 1798, he was operating the Occoquan Mills in nearby Prince William County before eventually moving to Baltimore in 1803 to manufacture millstones.
The details of the companies involved and short bios of the main characters I was able to retrieve online are the most rewarding and valuable features of stampless folded letters. Those like me who love spending time sussing them out from the many different sources available to us will understand. It's all about the history for us.
Then, there is the other value.
Estimated value for the 1891 McPherson folded letter from Alexandria, Virgina
From the catalog entry below, we have the second listing on cover. The
16x3 mm dimensions are larger than the catalog listing at 42x4mm. The font matches that of our cover, but much crisper. What does the size difference mean?
It is possible that it is an unlisted postmark. It is also possible it could be a fake. Here are the reasons I believe it is not the latter.
The design of the postmark on cover is a near exact match.
The month abbreviations are clearly from the same era.
The last numerals of both are larger than the postmark's font size
The content of stamples folded letters range from
Requests for payments of charges past due
"I cannot remit past due money because..."
Business proposals needing investments
Business transactions
Depositions provided for legal cases
Letters between friends
Family letters
The value of content is highly suggestive. We do not all value the same things. I look for the following
Cultural/historical significance such as Civil War Letters or letters describing life at home
Well known/famous individuals
Travel descriptions by any means - ship, stage, rail, or horseback
Named merchant ships, rail lines, roads, etc.
Social occasions - theater, concerts, lectures, etc.
Finally, the catalog value of the postmark - the content is historically significant with two companies well known enough to be easily located online. The same is said for all parties mentioned in the letter.
$250.00
Here is the letter in its entirety - it is unusually easy to read.
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