The firm of Nicholas Brown and
Company was renamed Brown and Benson
after George Benson joined the company. The
original firm was founded by the four Brown brothers; Nicholas
Sr., Joseph, John,
and Moses. After the death of
Nicholas Sr. in 1790, his son Nicholas Brown, Jr. took over the reins of
the firm which was then joined by his sister's husband Thomas
Poynton Ives and in 1791 the firm became known as Brown
and Ives.
In 1764 Nicholas Brown and
Company fitted out the brig Sally, (Commanded
by Esek Hopkins - later Commander in Chief of the fledgling Continental
Navy) and entered the slave trade. The voyage was a
disaster with 88 African slaves dying during the Atlantic crossing. The
majority of the Brown family quit the slave trade with the exception of
John who continued in the trade until the early 19th century. The Brown
family shipped goods world-wide and in 1787 John Brown's "General
Washington" became the first Rhode Island ship to
enter the "China Trade."
The 1789 letter text reproduced below indicates some
financial difficulties for the Brown firm, however it must be remembered
that the "War of Independence"
had just been fought and that Great Britain did not formally sign a
treaty recognizing that independence until November 30, 1782. During the
war, American commerce had also suffered greatly due to the British
blockade of the Eastern Seaboard ports and by 1787 a deep depression had
set in. In addition, it wasn't until a
month after this second letter was mailed that the United States elected
it's first President; George Washington on
March 4, 1789.
Separate American financial institutions were just
starting up, our new congress was meeting and laws for the new republic
were being drawn up as this letter was being drafted. The firm of
Brown and Benson//Brown and Ives went on to become one of
the most successful American companies of the 19th Century.
See also:
1834
Brown & Ives Letter from Amsterdam Factor
1852 Brown & Ives Letter from Baring Brothers - London, England
(With
Brown Family Chronology)
Letter Text Follows:
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View Full Size LTR
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Msrs Brown &
Benson
London
29 Jan 2026
Above is Copy of our last since Msrs Lauchou & Co.
have remitted us Livres 3013.19.0 in Two Bills on Paris, which
went over immediately and we are advised
they were accepted. 7/8 of their produce will therefore be in due
time placed to your credit within present year. |
| This remittance,
they advise us is the
balance of your accts. with
them and tho we cannot have the
satisfaction of hearing from you – we Cannot – will not
doubt, that something by way of remittance is on the
way. You must have observed with what delicacy we have avoided
pressing you with repeated Importunity, this with gentlemen of
honor – in which light we have always considered you, should
have its true weight and we trust it will. The fore stated, (I
believe this refers to an earlier letter) will
merely Cement in the
general union, which must be mutually advantageous to
the
whole – and from which circumstance undoubtedly efficient laws
will result and these will
doubtless enable you to recover the
long withheld property of your house which must be great from
your larger Connections. (Most likely
refers to company property (ships, etc) seized by the British
Government during the war.) |
Msrs Burgess letter, we received
last came too late to include the
final settlement of ship Hope in the
last year in our Books, we have therefore sent him the current open, as
it stood with our signature and have requested he would fill it in and
strike a balance with you to which you will be pleased to make your
books agree and signify your word to us. We shall only add our request
that we may hear from your best wishes that you may enjoy the
return of many happy & successful years with our Company.
The second
Half of letter was written 17 days later on February 16th and
continues in
the
same vein.
View Full Size P.S. |
There is an interesting part in
the
second section that states “we sincerely hope your vessel
gone on a whaling voyage to the
Cape of Good Hope
will be fortunate.” They further state that whale oil is selling from “60 to 57.10 pounds
the
lowest.” |
The letter is
signed
Gentlemen
Your most humble Sr.
Champion &
Dickason |