Williams, Jonathan mss., 1738-1869
Papers of Jonathan Williams at the Lilly Library, Indiana University,
Bloomington, Indiana
Summary Information
Repository
Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
Lilly Library
Indiana University
1200 E. Seventh St.
Bloomington, IN 47405-5500
Phone: 812-855-2452
Fax: 812-855-3143
Email: liblilly@indiana.edu
Creator
Williams, Jonathan, 1750-1815.
TitleWilliams, Jonathan mss., 1738-1869
Collection No.
LMC 2441
Extent
7,203 items
Language
Materials are in English.
Abstract
The Williams, Jonathan mss., 1738-1869,
consist of letters and papers of Jonathan Williams, 1750-1815, merchant and soldier,
grand-nephew of Benjamin Franklin and first superintendent of the U.S. Military
Academy at West Point.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research.
Biographical Note
Jonathan Williams, 1750-1815, was a merchant and soldier, the grand-nephew of
Benjamin Franklin and the first superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West
Point.
Career: born, May 26, 1750 in Boston; son of Jonathan Williams, merchant, and Grace
(Harris) Williams, daughter of Benjamin Franklin's sister, Anne; educated in Boston
schools; in 1770 went to London to complete training and to make contacts under
Franklin's tutelage; in 1776 joined Franklin in France and was immediately appointed
by the commissioners of the Continental Congress to France as their agent at Nantes;
became involved in a controversy between Silas Deane and Arthur Lee and resigned as
agent, but remained in Europe engaged in various business ventures until Franklin
returned home in 1785; married Marianne Alexander of Edinburgh, Scotland, on
September 12, 1779; in 1796 became associate judge in the Court of Common Pleas,
Philadelphia; served at different times as secretary, councillor, and vice-president
of the American Philosophical Society; scientific interests brought him into contact
with Thomas Jefferson, who appointed him Inspector of fortifications and
superintendent at West Point with the rank of major in 1801; resigned, 1803;
reappointed in 1805 with the rank of lieutenant colonel of engineers; planned and
supervised the construction of defenses of New York Harbor; resigned from army, July
31, 1812; in War of 1812 served as brevet brigadier general of New York Militia and
on a committee in Philadelphia for preparing defenses for the Delaware River;
elected to Congress in 1814 but died on May 16, 1815 before taking office.
Arrangement
The manuscripts in the collection have been divided into two chronological
arrangements, the first comprising the main body of the manuscripts, 1738-1869, the
second being the bills, receipts, checks, notes, etc. The bulk of the latter are for
the years, 1790-1814, but there are scattered ones for 1782-1862.
The bound materials in the collection are in a separate series.
Over-size letters and papers and some manufacturer's samples of cloth are in a folio
case.
Scope and Content Note
The bulk of the manuscripts in this collection fall in the period after 1800 and
concern themselves with Williams' military service, particularly as Superintendent
of West Point and as Inspector of Fortifications. There are many letters and papers
relating to the affairs of West Point and numerous letters, documents, plans and
drawings of fortifications, coast defenses and harbors of the Eastern United States.
There are also a good many family letters, especially correspondence between
Jonathan Williams and his wife. Included among these is his so-called "Niagara
Journal" in the form of letters from Williams to his wife in the spring and summer
of 1801 while he was on a journey to Niagara Falls with General James Wilkinson for
the purpose of laying out a road from Buffalo to Niagara and on a trip down the Ohio
River.
For the period of Williams' sojourns in England and France there are some accounts,
business letters, memoranda, etc., relating to his commercial activities and
scientific papers along the line of Benjamin Franklin's interests, particularly
those concerned with thermometrical navigation.
Included also are law papers relating to cases before the Court of Common Pleas in
Philadelphia of which Williams was an associate judge, notes relating to the court
martial of General James Wilkinson, which began on September 2, 1811, at
Fredericktown, Maryland, and letters to and from Wilkinson.
Some of Williams' financial records are contained in the collection. Among these are
account books, bank books, a cash book, and bills, receipts, checks, notes, etc.
Material connected with Benjamin Franklin includes a journal of a tour made by
Benjamin Franklin, Jan Ingenhousz and Williams in 1771 to observe manufacturing and
the marble industry in England; letters of Benjamin Franklin to Jonathan Williams,
Senior, September 28, 1774, Jonathan Williams, Junior, November 19, 1781, and Jean
Louis Girard Soulavie, September 22, 1782, a draft of a "Memoir on Trade" for Dr.
Franklin, by Jonathan Williams, Junior, September 15, 1782; a plan for a kitchen
fireplace and chimney, 1784, from an idea given to Williams by Franklin; and an
undated defense of Franklin's hypothesis for solving the phenomena of light against
that of James Bowdoin in a paper presented by Williams to the American Philosophical
Society.
For Jonathan Williams, Senior, -1796, father of Jonathan Williams, 1750-1815, and
merchant trading to the West Indies, the collection contains records of his
transactions as agent for Massachusetts Bay for the Continental lottery of 1776.
Also included in the collection is Benjamin Rush's journal, August 31, 1766-June 23,
1768, as a student at the University of Edinburgh.
Note on Indexing Term - "Art": There are plans and drawings of
fortifications, coast defenses and harbors of the Eastern United States.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Acquired: 1944, 1946-1947, 1948, 1950, 1954, 1955, 1981
Usage RestrictionsPrior arrangements are not necessary before coming to the Library, however,
patrons from out of town are encouraged to communicate with the Library in
advance of their visits to ascertain availability of materials.
Photocopying permitted only with permission of the Curator of Manuscripts, Lilly
Library.
Preferred Citation
[Item], Williams, Jonathan mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington,
Indiana.
Series:
Manuscript material, 1738-1869
The first chronological arrangement comprises the main body of the
manuscripts, including correspondence, documents, plans, drawings,
memoranda, legal papers, and some journals.
1804
Oct. 18-1805 Nov. 6 Survey of New York Harbor
View item(s)
Box 5
1807
Aug. 1-15
1807
Aug. 16-31
1807
Sept. 1-19
1807
Sept. 20-30
1807
Oct. 1-7
1807
Oct. 8-18
1807
Oct. 19-31
1807
Nov.
1807
Dec.
1807
1808
Jan. 1-20
1808
Jan. 21-31
1808
Feb. 1-14
1808
Feb. 15-29
1808
Mar. 1-19
1808
Mar. 20-31
1808
Apr. 1-15
1808
Apr. 16-30
1808
May 1-12
1808
May 13-31
1808
June 1-15
1808
June 16-30
1808
July
1808
Aug.
1808
Sept.
1808
Oct.
1808
Nov. 1-15
1808
Nov. 16-30
1808
Dec. 1-14
1808
Dec. 15-31
1809
Jan. 1-12
1809
Jan. 13-31
1809
Feb.
1809
Mar.
1809
Apr. 1-15
1809
Apr. 16-30
1809
May 1-15
1809
May 16-31
1809
June
1809
July
Box 6
1809
Aug. 1-15
1809
Aug. 16-31
1809
Sept.
1809
Oct.
1809
Nov.
1809
Dec. 1-13
1809
Dec. 14-31
1810
Jan. 1-10
1810
Jan. 11-31
1810
Feb.
1810
Mar. 1-15
1810
Mar. 16-31
1810
Apr. 1-19
1810
Apr. 20-30
1810
May
1810
June 1-15
1810
June 16-30
1810
July 1-15
1810
July 16-31
1810
Aug.
1810
Sept.
1810
Oct.
1810
Nov.
1810
Dec. 1-15
1810
Dec. 16-31
1811
Jan.
1811
Feb.
1811
Mar.
1811
Apr. 1-15
1811
Apr. 16-30
1811
May 1-15
1811
May 16-31
1811
June
1811
July-Aug.
1811
Sept. 1-2
1811
Sept. 3-30
Box 7
1811
Oct.
1811
Nov.
1811
Dec.
1812
Jan 1-15
1812
Jan. 16-31
1812
Feb.
1812
Mar. 1-15
1812
Mar. 16-31
1812
Apr. 1-15
1812
Apr. 16-30
1812
May 1-15
1812
May 16-31
1812
June 1-15
1812
June 16-30
1812
July 1-15
1812
July 16-31
1812
Aug.
1812
Sept.
1812
Oct.-Dec.
1813
Jan.-Feb.
1813
Mar.-Apr.
1813
May-June
1813
July-Aug.
1813
Sept.-Oct.
1813
Nov.-Dec. 15
1813
Dec. 16-31
1814
Jan.-Mar.
1814
Apr.
1814
May
1814
June-July
1814
Aug.
1814
Sept.
1814
Oct.
1814
Nov.
1814
Dec.
1815
Jan.
1815
Feb.
1815
Mar.-June 26
1815 June
26 Papers relating to Jonathan Williams'
estate.
1815
July-Dec.
Box 8
1818
Notebook, S. Rush
1816-1819
1820-1823
1824-1829
1830-1834
1835
1836-1840
1841-1846
1847-1869
undated.
American Philosophical Society papers.
undated.
Leonard, Gilberto. Testimonial on behalf of James
Wilkinson.
undated.
Williams, Jonathan, Sr. papers
undated.
Williams, Mrs. Mariamne (Alexander) letters
undated.
Letters to Mrs. Mariamne (Alexander) Williams
undated.
Plans and drawings of Philadelphia
undated.
Williams, Jonathan, Jr. on slavery.
undated.
Williams, Jonathan, Jr. To Franklin, Benjamin.
undated.
Williams, Jonathan miscellaneous papers.
(11 folders)
undated.
Papers relating principally to the fortification of New York
harbor
Series:
Financial documents, 1782-1862
(bulk
1790-1814)
The second chronological arrangement ncludes principally bills, receipts,
checks, and notes.
Box 8
1782
1784
1789
1790
1791
1792
Jan.-June
1792
July-Dec.
1793
1794
Box 9
1795
1796
1797
1798
1799
Box 10
1800
1801
1802
1803
1804
1805
Jan.-June
1805
July-Dec.
Box 11
1806
1807
1808
1809
1810
1811
1812
1813
1814
1822-1862
undated.
Series:
No Box
Bound materials, 1738-1869
Account book of house expenses, 1797-1800.
Account book, circa
1799.
Account book, 1790-1791.
Account book, 1800-1807.
Account book, 1803 July 19-1809 Apr. 6
Bank book, 1796 Oct. 1-1803 Apr. 12.
Bank book, 1812 Apr. 7-1813 July 17.
Bank of New York book, 1804 Dec. 15-1807 Dec. 11
Benjamin Rush's journal, 1766 Aug. 31-1768 June 23, as a student
at the University of Edinburgh
(includes original, bound photostat copy, Xerox copy of
photostat, copy-flow from microfilm)
Capt. and Miss Manners. Fort Clarence, near Rochester, Kent,
England.1849-1866
Cash Book, 1799-1801.
Journal of Miss Christine Alexander on a tour of Italy, 1817-1819
Series:
Reference materials
Benjamin Franklin, Jonathan Williams and
the United States Military Academy
, Dorothy Zuersher
(Dissertation, Doctor of Education, University of North Carolina at
Greensboro, 1974)