The William Jarvis Papers is a collection of business records, 1793-1845, kept by Jarvis as U. S. Consul to Portugal, international trader, and Vermont farmer. The collection was a bequest of Arthur H. Keyes of Rutland, Vermont, and was received in 1953. The papers are housed in two boxes and occupy two linear feet of shelf space.
This finding guide was prepared as part of project funded by the NHPRC in 1995.
William Jarvis was born February 4, 1770, son of Charles and Mary (Chapman) Jarvis (d. ca. 1786), in Boston, Massachusetts. He attended school in Boston, New Jersey and Philadelphia, in pursuit of the necessary education to enter the mercantile business. After some unsuccessful business dealings that required his father's financial intervention, he invested in a ship in 1797 and sailed to Europe to become involved in the trading business. He settled in Lisbon in 1802, establishing a trading house there, and was appointed United States charge d'affaires and consul to Portugal. He actively maintained his business and served as consul until 1811 when he returned to the United States. During his tenure in Lisbon he helped resolve trading problems experienced by fellow shippers. He was also involved in the more mundane tasks of settling accounts, and keeping track of markets for various products.
Towards the end of his stay in Portugal, Jarvis was able to acquire a large flock of merino sheep for export to America. There were few merino sheep in the U.S. at this time, although the high quality wool they produced made them highly desirable. They were most plentiful in Spain but their export was carefully guarded by the government. While in Portugal Jarvis gained some knowledge about the sheep and their availability and took advantage of the political and military unrest in 1809 to purchase and export a large flock. He sold some of them but kept many for himself in preparation for a new business venture upon his return to the United States. He purchased a farm in Weathersfield, Vermont, upon the recommendation of his Jarvis relatives, and moved there in 1811.
In Weathersfield Jarvis bred and sold the merino sheep throughout the country, while promoting the interests of American agriculture and manufacture through his business and political activity. He loaned money to farmers to improve their productivity and was a spokesman for those wanting tariffs imposed on imported goods to create a more favorable market for American products.
In 1808 William Jarvis married Mary Pepperell Sparhawk, of Boston, and they had two daughters, Mary Pepperell Sparhawk (b. 1809), and Elizabeth Bartlett (1811- 1848). Mary died in 1811. In 1817 Jarvis married Ann Bailey Bartlett, and together they had ten children: Ann Eliza (1818-1849); Harriet Bartlett (b. 1820); Charles (b. 1821); William (1823-1825); Thomas Jefferson (1824-1842); Margaret (1826-1847); Sarah (1826-1855); Catherine (March, 1830-April, 1830); Catherine Leonard (1831-1916); Louise Bailey (b. 1835).
William Jarvis died in 1859 and is buried in Weathersfield, Vermont.
This collection is comprised of correspondence and business papers, 1793-1845, of William Jarvis (1770-1859) of Boston, Massachusetts, Lisbon, Portugal, and Weathersfield, Vermont. There is also correspondence of Lucy Wheeler, 1840-1843, Willis Gaylord, 1822-1838, and a small group of miscellaneous letters to Martha E. and Eliza Miner Moore; Abigail Allen; and J.H., Judith, and Thomas J. Harris, 1832-1848.
The bulk of correspondence is addressed to William Jarvis, 1802-1811, in Lisbon, while he served as United States Consul to Portugal, and operated a trading business known as William Jarvis and Co. The correspondents are from France, Spain, England, and the United States, and are involved in politics, shipping, or both. The business letters discuss the prices and supply of products in various ports, and concern the settlement of accounts and future business arrangements. The letters written to Jarvis in his official capacity as consul describe the seizure of ships by Algerian privateers, French and British blockades of various ports, quarantines against American ships because of yellow fever in the United States, impressment by the British, and problems caused by the Napoleonic Wars.
By 1809 William Jarvis was involved in the business of procuring merino sheep to be exported to the United States and his correspondence includes reports on the condition of the sheep upon their arrival in the United States, the price received at auction, and there are requests from people interested in buying sheep.
After returning to the United States Jarvis's papers reflect his involvement in local, state and national politics, as well as his continued business and agricultural interests. The correspondence from 1811 to 1813 concerns William Jarvis and Co., which Jarvis had left in the care of his partners in Lisbon, and which was experiencing financial problems. A letter from George Humphreys in 1813 is annotated as the letter that compelled Jarvis to return to Lisbon in October of that year to investigate his declining business. A regular correspondent during this time was Edwin Bartlett, who described the war and its effect on business. There are also letters concerning Jarvis's Vermont business interests especially sheep and wool.
There are very few personal letters of Willim Jarvis's in the collection. In 1806 there is a letter in which he writes of his marriage plans and in 1812 there is a letter from S. Sparhawk in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who had been caring for Jarvis's daughter, Elizabeth, born just a few months before her mother's death in 1811. In 1818, Jarvis's step-mother, Mary Sparhawk Jarvis, writes to William about his father.
After 1818 the majority of papers are drafts of letters sent by William Jarvis to political and business associates. There are letters supporting political candidates and supporting the idea of imposing tarriffs to improve local economy. In 1826 there is a letter describing Thomas Jefferson's financial hardships and offering assistance. There are also a few papers concerning Weathersfield politics.
Between 1830 and 1845 there are a series of letters from Hampden Cutts, who had married Jarvis's oldest daughter, Mary, and lived in Hartland, Vermont. The letters discuss mutual business interests and farming. There is also family correspondence of Lucy Wheeler, 1840-1843 (probably a relative of William Jarvis's son-in-law, David Everett Wheeler); and letters to Mrs. Abigail Allen, Eliza Moore, and J. H., Judith, and Thomas J. Harris.
In addition to the William Jarvis letters there are a group of letters written to Willis Gaylord (1792-1844) in Otisco, N.Y., 1822-1838. Gaylord was an agricultural expert and writer. The majority of letters written to him are from his cousin Willis Gaylord Clark (1808-1841). In his letters he describes the founding of the Ladies Port Folio, where he served as one of two editors; defends Frances Wright; attacks Nathaniel P. Willis; tells who really wrote many pieces in magizines published anonymously; gives much literary criticism; and describes his new position as editor of the Philadephia Gazette. He often mentions his twin brother Lewis G. Clark (1808-1873), editor of the Knickerbocker, in New York, and in one letter describes the death of his wife from consumption.
Other William Jarvis papers at the Vermont Historical Society library can be found through the Brigham Index under the heading "Jarvis, William." Included is an account book, December 1810 to June 21, 1811, and several miscellansous items. Jarvis's daughter, Mary Pepperell Sparhawk Cutts wrote a biography entitled, The Life and Times of Hon. William Jarvis of Weathersfield, and it can be found in the library catalog, along with refernces to two published speeches by Jarvis. In the museum collection of the VHS is a portrait of William Jarvis by an unknown artist.
The Weathersfield Historical Society owns a collection of William Jarvis papers that are on permanent loan to the University of Vermont. A microfilm copy of that collection is in the VHS library (microfilm 200).
Organization of the Collection
The papers are organized in four series and are arranged chronologically. The
series are:
I. William Jarvis papers;
II. Lucy Wheeler correspondence;
III. Willis Gaylord correspondence;
IV. Miscellaneous correspondence.
Series III has been subdivided into letters from Willis Gaylord Clark and those from others.
I. William Jarvis Correspondence Doc 62:1 n.d. 2 n.d. 3 n.d. 4 n.d. 5 1793-1798 6 1799 7 1800 8 1801 9 1802 10 1803 January-June 11 1803 July 12 1803 August 13 1803 September-December 14 1804 January-March 15 1804 April-July 16 1804 August-October 17 1804 November-December 18 1805 January 19 1805 February 20 1805 March 21 1805 April 22 1805 May-June 23 1805 July-August 24 1805 September-October 25 1805 November 26 1805 December 27 1806 January 28 1806 February-March 29 1806 April-June Doc 63:1 1806 July-October 2 1806 November-December 3 1807 January-April 4 1807 May-June 5 1807 July 6 1807 August-September 7 1807 October 8 1807 November 9 1807 December 10 1807 Miscellaneous 11 1808 January-February 12 1808 March-April 13 1808 May 14 1808 June-December 15 1809 16 1810 January-March 17 1810 April-May 18 1810 June-July 19 1810 August 20 1810 September-December 21 1811 22 1812 23 1813 24 1814 25 1817 26 1818 27 1820-1829 28 1830-1845 29 Undated letters written after 1810 30 Biographical notes on Jarvis II. Lucy Wheeler Corrrespondence 31 n.d. 32 1840-1843 III. Willis Gaylord Correspondence 33 Letters from Willis Gaylord Clark, 1822-1829 34 _____, 1830-1835 35 _____, n.d. 36 Letters from miscellaneous correspondents, 1827-1838 IV. Miscellaneous Correspondence 37 Letters to Mrs. Abigail Allen, Eliza Moore, Mr. J.H. Harris. Judith Harris, Thomas J. Harris 38 Letters to "Mr. Ide," from "A Freeman of Windsor County," (written for publication in newspapers) 39 Miscellaneous letters, n.d.Processed by
Eileen O'Brien
March 1995
(updated December 30, 1996)