Manuscript Group 19
SEQUESTERED BAYNTON, WHARTON, and MORGAN PAPERS
1725-1827
16 cu. ft.
These papers fall in the shadowy dividing line between public records and private
papers. They came into the possession of the Commonwealth by sequestration in
legal proceedings to settle the accounts and land transactions of Peter Baynton,
state treasurer, 1797-1801. It would be possible, therefore, to classify them
as public records. With the Baynton, Wharton, and Morgan Papers proper, which
extend from 1757 to 1787, the State Archives also has the related Peter Baynton
Papers, 1725-45, and Baynton Family Papers, 1770-1827. The three groups are
placed together under the collective title of Sequestered Baynton, Wharton,
and Morgan Papers.
The Baynton, Wharton, and Morgan Papers proper are the correspondence and business
papers of a famous trading house of colonial Philadelphia which began about
1757 as Baynton and Wharton, a partnership of John Baynton and Samuel Wharton.
Since the firm was involved in trade with other colonies, with Europe, with
the West Indies, and-increasingly-with Indians and settlers in the western country,
its papers are rich in information on the movements of trade in the years between
the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, on the early development
of the Illinois country, on the fur trade, on the supply of provisions for military
posts, and generally on the role of this Philadelphia business establishment
in western expansion.
I. Peter Baynton
Papers, 1725-45
- Letter Book, 1729. (1 volume) {#19m.1}
- General Correspondence, 1731-1745. (8 items) {#19m.2}
- Bills of Lading, 1730-1742. (3 volumes) {#19m.3}
- Invoice Books, 1725-1728, 1736-1739. (2 volumes) {#19m.4}
- Journal, 1734-1743. (1 volume) {#19m.5}
- Ledgers, 1728-1734. (2 volumes) {#19m.6}
- Waste books, 1729-34. (2 volumes) {#19m.7}
II. Baynton, Wharton, and Morgan Papers, 1746 (1757-1787)-1787
Letter Books, 1757-75
- Letter Books of John Baynton, 1757-1770. (2 volumes) {#19m.8}
- Letter Books of Baynton and Wharton, 1759-1762. (2 volumes) {#19m.9}
- Letter Books of Baynton, Wharton, and Morgan, 1763-1775. (3 volumes) {#19m.10}
- Letter Books of George Morgan, 1768-1775. (4 volumes) {#19m.11}
General Correspondence, 1758-1787
- Correspondence of John Baynton, 1758-1773. (101 items) {#19m.12} [Description]
- Correspondence of Baynton and Wharton, 1759-1763. (478 items) {#19m.13}
[Description]
- Correspondence of Baynton, Wharton, and Morgan, 1763-1783. (855 items)
{#19m.14} [Description]
- Correspondence of George Morgan, 1765-1785. (171 items) {#19m.15}
[Description]
- Correspondence of James Rumsey and Windsor Brown, 1769-1770. (68 items)
{#19m.16} [Description]
- Correspondence of Baynton and Morgan, 1766, 1775-1783. (8 items) {#19m.17}
[Description]
- Correspondence of Joseph Bullock, 1761-1787. (49 items) {#19m.18}
[Description]
- Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1759-1783. (104 items) {#19m.19}
Business Accounts, 1746-1776
- John Baynton Accounts, 1746-1759
- Agreements and Bonds, 1755-1759. (1 folder) {#19m.20}
- Bills of Lading and Invoices, 1748-1756. (1 folder) {#19m.21}
- Receipts, 1746-1758. (1 folder) {#19m.22}
- Baynton and Wharton Accounts, 1754-1766
- Agreements and Bonds, 1758-1763. (1 folder) {#19m.23}
- Bills of Lading and Invoices, 1758-1766. (4 folders) {#19m.24}
- Cash Books, 1759-1760. (3 volumes) {#19m.25}
- Journals, 1754-1765. (2 volumes) {#19m.26}
- Ledger, 1754-1760. (1 volumes) {#19m.27}
- Receipt Books, 1758-1762. (2 volumes) {#19m.28}
- Receipts, 1758-1763. (20 folders) {#19m.29}
- Waste Books, 1758-1763. (4 volumes) {#19m.30}
- Baynton, Wharton and Morgan Accounts, 1762-1776
- Accounts Current, 1766-1771. (7 volumes) {#19m.31}
- Agreements and Bonds, 1764-1774. (8 folders) {#19m.32}
- Balance Books, 1763-1765. (2 volumes) {#19m.33}
- Blotters, 1763-1769. (4 volumes) {#19m.34}
- Cash Book, 1763-1767. (1 volume) {#19m.35}
- Invoice Books, 1763-1776. (5 volumes) {#19m.36}
- Journals, 1763-1774. (7 volumes) {#19m.37}
- Ledgers, 1766-1771. (8 volumes) {#19m.38}
- Memo Books, 1763-1769. (3 volumes) {#19m.39}
- Receipt book, 1762-1776. (1 volume) {#19m.40}
- Receipts, 1763-1776. (36 folders) {#19m.41}
- Sale Book of Peltries from the Illinois, 1771. (1 volume) {#19m.42}
- Joseph Bullock Accounts, Invoices, and Receipts, 1769-1776. (4 folders)
{#19m.43}
III. Baynton Family Papers, 1770-1827
General Correspondence, 1770-1807
- Correspondence of Peter Baynton, 1770-1807. (118 items) {#19m.44} [Description]
- Correspondence of John Baynton, 1774-1792. (98 items) {#19m.45} [Description]
- Correspondence of Benjamin Baynton, 1777-1785. (6 items) {#19m.46}
[Description]
- Correspondence of George Baynton, 1780-1792. (17 items) {#19m.47}
[Description]
Accounts, 1777-1827
- Peter Baynton Accounts, 1789-1827
- Deed Polls, 1793-1794. (2 folders) {#19m.48}
- Land Papers, 1827. (2 folders) {#19m.49}
- Receipts, 1789, 1792-1795. (1 folder) {#19m.50}
- John Baynton Accounts, 1777-1787
- Agreements and Bonds, 1781-1782. (1 folder) {#19m.51}
- Bills of Lading and Invoices, 1780-1781, 1785, 1787. (5 folders) {#19m.52}
- Business Receipts, 1777-1787. (5 folders) {#19m.53}
- Military Accounts and Receipts, 1777-1783. (3 folders) {#19m.54}
- Military Warrant Book, 1777-1778. (1 volume) {#19m.55} [Description]
See: Guide to the Microfilm of the Baynton, Wharton, and Morgan Papers
(Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1967).
- The container listings for this Manuscript Group are available for viewing
and word-searching in PDF format: [Holdings]