A Norwich, Connecticut native and merchant Joseph Williams began his career by selling
necessities to Revolutionary War soldiers. In 1778 he married Abigail Coit and switched to
privateering and the West Indies trade as well as other maritime enterprises.
Williams soon owned two warehouses, a shipyard and a fleet of over twenty vessels. He
subsequently became actively involved in the government affairs. In 1783 he was appointed a
lieutenant in the Home Guards. In 1796 he became brigadier general. Meanwhile his vessels
began to feel the ill effects of the French Revolution. Many were either lost at sea or seized by
the French. Williams' wealth declined until his death in 1800.
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Papers for specific vessels; 1779-1792
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Box
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Folder
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| 1 |
1 |
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Accounts, NANCY (Brig); 1779 Jul - Aug |
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2 |
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Papers, NANCY (Brig), including accounts and sailing instructions; 1779 Sep |
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3 |
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Accounts, NANCY (Brig); 1779 Oct, and undated |
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4 |
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Papers, ARGUILE (Brig), including bill of sale, agreements, and accounts; 1779-1780, and undated |
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5 |
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Papers, SURPRISE (Sloop), including outfitting accounts and a prize receipt; 1780 Jun - Sep |
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6 |
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Journal, SURPRISE (Sloop); 1780 Jul 31 - Sep 6 |
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7 |
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Accounts, NIMROD (Sloop); 1781 Sep - Dec. and undated |
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8 |
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Accounts, POLLY (Sloop), BETSY (Brig), PEGGY (Brig), PILGRIM (Brig); 1781-1782 and undated |
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9 |
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Papers, LITTLE JOE (Sloop), including accounts, agreements, a bond and sailing instructions; 1781 Jan - 1782 Jun |
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10 |
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Papers, LITTLE JOE (Sloop), including accounts and sailing instructions; 1782 Aug - 1787 Mar and undated |
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12 |
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Accounts, VICTORY (Sloop); 1786-1792 and undated |
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13 |
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Papers, POLLY (Brig), including registration, bill of sale, sailing instructions, accounts, and agreements; 1787-1790 and undated |
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14 |
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Papers, SWALLOW (Sloop), including registration, sailing instructions, clearance papers, accounts, and agreements; 1788 May - Aug and undated |
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Box
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Folder
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| 2 |
1 |
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Papers, NABBY (Sloop), including bills of lading, accounts, agreements, and sailing instructions; 1783 Oct - 1785 Jul |
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2 |
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Papers, NABBY (Sloop), including bills of lading, accounts, agreements, and appointment to command; 1785 Aug - Dec |
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3 |
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Papers, NABBY (Sloop), including bills of lading, accounts, and an agreement; 1786 Feb - Jun |
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4 |
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Papers, NABBY (Sloop), including bills of lading, accounts, sailing instructions, and a clearance paper; 1786 Jul |
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5 |
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Papers, NABBY (Sloop), including bills of lading, and accounts; 1786 Sep - Nov |
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6 |
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Papers, NABBY (Sloop), including bills of lading, accounts, agreements, and sailing instructions; 1787 Jan - Apr |
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7 |
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Papers, NABBY (Sloop), including bills of lading, and accounts; 1787 May - Jun |
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8 |
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Papers, NABBY (Sloop), including bills of lading, accounts, agreements, and sailing instructions; 1787 Jul - Oct |
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9 |
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Papers, NABBY (Sloop), including bills of lading, and accounts; 1787 Nov |
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10 |
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Papers, NABBY (Sloop), including bills of lading, and accounts; 1787 Dec |
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11 |
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Papers, NABBY (Sloop), including bills of lading, and accounts; 1788 Feb - May |
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12 |
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Papers, NABBY (Sloop), regarding master and the molasses trade in Port-au-Prince; 1788 Mar |
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13 |
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Papers, NABBY (Sloop), including bills of lading, accounts, and sailing instructions; 1788 Jun |
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14 |
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Papers, NABBY (Sloop), including bills of lading, and accounts; 1788 Jul - Nov |
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15 |
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Papers, NABBY (Sloop), including bills of lading, and accounts; undated |
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Papers, Joseph Williams; 1782
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Box
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Folder
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| 1 |
11 |
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Miscellaneous papers; 1782 Apr - Sep and undated |
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Papers, re French Spoliation Claims; 1797-1899
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Box
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Folder
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| 2 |
16 |
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Papers, HOPE (Brig), and PROSPERITY (Ship) regarding French Spoliation Claims; 1797-1798 |
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17 |
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Papers, regarding French Spoliation Claims legislation, including letters and circulars; 1833-1850 |
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18 |
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Papers, regarding French Spoliation Claims, including letters pertaining to re-submission; 1885 Jan - Aug |
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19 |
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Papers, HOPE (Brig), regarding French Spoliation Claims settlement; 1886-1899 |
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NOTE: The fraction(s) indicate the Box and Folder numbers where that particular reference can be found. For example, the researcher will find information about Isaac Abel in Box 1, Folder 1 of the collection.
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Abel, Isaac |
1/1 |
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Allen, Thomas |
2/10 |
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Andras, William |
2/3, 2/4, 2/5, 2/15 |
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Babcock, Adam |
1/11 |
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Backus, Ebeneser |
1/2 |
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Bailey, Nathan (Jr.) |
1/5, 1/10 |
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Barrett & Swaddle |
1/12, 2/6, 2/9 |
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Billings, Alpheus |
1/13 |
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Braddick, John |
1/12, 1/13 |
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Breed, Simeon |
1/12, 1/13 |
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Brooks, Guy |
1/4, 1/10, 1/11, 1/13, 2/13, 2/14 |
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Bushnell, Jabez |
2/8 |
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Byrne, John |
1/9 |
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Carew, Elijah |
1/13, 2/10 |
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Carew, Joseph |
2/4 |
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Caustin, James H. |
2/17 |
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Chandler, T.C. |
2/19 |
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Chapel, ? |
2/15 |
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Chapman, John |
2/2 |
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Chapman, Phinehas |
1/13 |
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Church, H. |
2/16 |
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Clark, John |
1/4 |
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Clement, Joseph |
1/13 |
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Coit, Benjamin |
1/13 |
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Coit, Elisha |
2/4, 2/5, 2/6, 2/7, 2/8, 2/9, 2/10, 2/11, 2/12, 2/13, 2/14, 2/15 |
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Coit, William |
2/1, 2/2, 2/6, 2/8, 2/9, 2/10, 2/13 |
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Culver, Stephen |
1/9 |
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Davison, Alpheus |
1/1, 1/2, 1/3 |
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Davison, William |
1/13 |
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Day, John |
2/1 |
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Delano, ? |
2/14 |
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Denison, Thomas |
1/12 |
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Denison, William |
2/9 |
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Dennis, George |
1/8 |
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Dennis, Russell |
2/10 |
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Deshon & Colfax |
2/10, 2/13, 2/15 |
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Earle, William E. |
2/18, 2/19 |
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Elderkin, Frederick |
2/6 |
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Elderkin, John |
1/13, 2/8, 2/11 |
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Ewen, Edward |
2/3 |
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Ewen, John |
2/9, 2/10 |
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Felemory, Timothy |
1/12 |
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Fitch, A. |
2/15 |
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Fitch, Ebeneser |
2/2 |
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Freeman, Hezekiah |
2/2, 2/3 |
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Fuller, H.A. |
2/19 |
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Gale, Joseph |
1/2 |
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Geer, Squire |
1/2, 2/2, 2/9, 2/11 |
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George Phillips & Co. |
1/13 |
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Girand & Co. |
1/10 |
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Green, Timothy |
1/8, 1/9 |
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Greene, Benjamin |
1/7 |
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Griffith, Joshua |
1/5 |
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Grover, John |
2/10 |
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Guy Richards & Son |
1/8 |
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Hall, Daniel |
2/4 |
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Hallam, Edward |
1/1, 1/5, 1/8, 1/9, 1/11, 2/4 |
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Hamilton, Jonas |
1/1, 1/2, 1/7, 1/10, 1/12, 2/3, 2/7, 2/9, 2/13 |
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Hamilton, Solomon |
1/5, 1/10, 1/11 |
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Hancock, Thomas |
1/9, 1/11 |
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Haughton, James |
1/13, 2/10 |
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Hero & Bradford |
1/10 |
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Herrick, Elijah |
1/12, 1/13, 1/14, 2/10, 2/11 |
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Hewitt, Solomon |
1/5 |
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Hommedieu, Giles L. |
1/12 |
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Hommedieu, Grover L. |
1/13, 2/7, 2/11 |
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Hommedieu, Samuel |
2/2 |
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Hosmer, Stephen |
1/5 |
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Howard, John |
1/9 |
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Howland & Coit |
1/1, 1/4, 1/5 |
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Hunter, William |
2/18 |
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Huntington, I. |
2/17 |
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Huntington, John (Jr.) |
2/4 |
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Huntington, Levi |
2/15 |
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Huntington, Samuel |
1/11, 1/13 |
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Ingraham, Allen |
1/7, 1/11, 2/1 |
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Jackson, William |
2/4, 2/14 |
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Jeffers, Peter |
2/7, 2/8 |
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Jenkins, Samuel |
1/8 |
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John Swaddle & Co. |
2/2 |
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Johnston, Samuel |
1/13 |
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Joseph Gilbert & Co. |
1/13 |
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Joy, William |
1/12, 1/13, 2/4, 2/6, 2/8, 2/10, 2/11 |
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Kelly, Daniel |
1/5, 1/11 |
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Kelly, John |
2/6 |
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Kimble & Thomas |
1/7 |
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Laffingwell, Benajah |
1/9, 2/11 |
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Laffingwell, Christopher |
1/13 |
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Latham, Edward |
1/14 |
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Lathrop & Luke |
1/14 |
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Lathrop, Elisha |
1/8, 1/9, 1/10, 1/13, 2/1, 2/3, 2/5 |
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Lester, Jesse |
2/10 |
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Lindsey, Benjamin |
1/8 |
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Lord, Elias |
2/6, 2/8 |
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Loring, William |
2/1, 2/2 |
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Manwaring, David |
2/13 |
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Merrell, Alexander |
1/2 |
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Miner, Ephraim |
2/1, 2/4 |
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Mitchel, Francios |
2/5 |
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Murray, James |
1/3 |
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Murray, Seymour |
2/1 |
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Newels, David |
1/13 |
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Norman, Joshua |
1/5, 1/9, 1/10, 1/12, 2/5, 2/11 |
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Parkinson, William |
1/13 |
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Parkman, Samuel |
1/7 |
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Perkins, Samuel |
1/7 |
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Phillips, Thompson |
1/13 |
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Plumb, Samuel |
1/13, 2/13 |
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Porter, Joseph |
2/18 |
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Price, Micheal |
2/8 |
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Prince, William |
1/9 |
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Rose, Ransford |
1/10, 1/11 |
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Samuel Latimer & co. |
1/5 |
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Sebore, Joseph |
1/13 |
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Shaler & Sebore |
2/9 |
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Smith, Ephraim |
1/9, 1/10, 1/11 |
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Smith, Jonathan |
1/8 |
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Smith, Joseph |
1/13 |
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Smith, Josephus |
1/13 |
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Starr, Joshua |
1/2, 2/2, 2/10, 2/13 |
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Story, L. |
1/11 |
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Thomas, James |
1/1 |
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Tilly, James |
1/2, 2/6, 2/10, 2/13 |
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Troop, George |
1/11 |
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Tucker, George F. |
2/19 |
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Vail & Hamilton |
2/15 |
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Vandoorn, William |
1/13 |
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Wade, James |
2/13 |
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Wall, William |
1/4 |
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Ward, John |
1/3 |
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Waterman, G. |
1/4 |
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Waters, Edward Emerson |
2/19 |
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Way, John |
2/10 |
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Willet, John |
1/7, 1/11, 1/12, 2/4, 2/6, 2/10, 2/14 |
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William Foster & Co. |
2/5 |
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Williams, Christopher |
1/1, 1/13 |
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Williams, Isaac |
1/13, 1/14 |
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Williams, John |
1/1 |
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Williams, Joseph |
1/1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, 1/7, 1/8, 1/9, 1/10, 1/11, 1/12, 1/13, 1/14, 2/1, 2/2, 2/3, 2/4, 2/5, 2/6, 2/7, 2/8, 2/9, 2/10, 2/11, 2/12, 2/13, 2/14, 2/15, 2/16 |
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Williams, Rebbeca C. |
2/18 |
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Williams, Timothy D. |
2/16, 2/18, 2/19 |
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Winthrop, William |
1/13, 2/6, 2/7, 2/10, 2/13 |
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Wood, Jasper |
1/12 |
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Woodworth, D. |
2/4 |
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Wright, D. |
1/13 |
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Young, John (Jr.) |
2/3 |