Finding Aid - Peabody Essex Museum

WILLIAM D. SOHIER (1787-1868)PAPERS, 1797-1887; bulk 1815-1866MH 209 Processed by: Tamara GaydosJuly 2012Volume:6 boxes4.5 Linear feetProvenance: This material was purchased in June 1933 (acc # 9,167).Conservation:Copyright:Processing:The material was placed in acid-free folders.Requests for permission to publish material from the collection must be submittedin writing to the Manuscript Librarian in the Phillips Library at the Peabody EssexMuseum.Processing of this collection was funded by a grant from the NHPRC (NationalHistorical Publications and Records Commission).BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHWilliam Davies Sohier was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Edward and Mary (Davies)Sohier on March 13, 1787. He received his early education under Master Pemberton at Billerica,Massachusetts. He attended Harvard University; he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Societyand graduated with his B.A. in 1805. In 1808, he graduated from Yale University with a master'sdegree. He read law with Christopher Gore and was admitted to the bar of the Massachusetts Courtof Common Pleas in July 1808 and to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in March 1810.In 1809 he married Elizabeth Amory Dexter (b. 1789). They had six children, Edward Dexter(1810-1888), Joseph Foster (1811-1817), Mary Davies (born 1817), William (born 1822), ElizabethBrimmer (1823-1916), and George Brimmer (1832-1877). Sohier died in Cohasset, Massachusettson June 11, 1868; his business affairs were resumed by his sons William and Edward D. Sohier.©2012, Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum Page 1

MH 209 William D. Sohier PapersSCOPE AND CONTENT NOTEThis collection consists of documents relating to admiralty (marine law) cases for more than132 different ships, several wharves in the Boston area, as well as general correspondence andpapers for non-marine legal cases. It has been organized into three series. Series I. Ship Cases hasbeen arranged alphabetically by ship name. Records include accounts, agreements, bills, bills oflading, case notes, crew lists, contracts, depositions, freight bills, insurance policies, interrogatories,invoices, letters, powers of attorney, protests, trial notes, towing accounts, vessel deeds, and writs.Series II. Wharf Cases has been arranged alphabetically by wharf name and contains accounts, billsof complaint, and letters. Series III. Correspondence and Other Cases contains correspondencewith Sohier and agreements, bills, bills of lading, bills of sale, depositions, letters, indentures,insurance policies, invoices, notes, petitions, powers of attorney, testimonies, and writs for casesinvolving unnamed ships or non-marine cases.BIBLIOGRAPHYWinship, J. P. C. Historical Brighton: An Illustrated History of Brighton and Its Citizens. Vol. 2.Boston, MA: George A. Warren, 1902.WILLIAM D. SOHIER PAPERS, 1797-1887SERIES LISTSERIES I. Ship CasesSERIES II. Wharf CasesSERIES III. Correspondence and Other CasesSERIES I. Ship CasesCONTENTS LISTBox Folder Contents Date1 1 Abby Hammond (Ship) 1849-18502 Acorn (Steamer) 18563 Adams (Brig) 1836-18384 Agenoria (Ship) 18485 Alasco (Bark) 1839-18426 Albemarle (Brig) 18487 Alexandros (Greek Brig) 1837-18388 Alice Tarlton (Ship) 18479 America (Bark) 185210 America (Steamer) 1852Page 2©2012, Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum

MH 209 William D. Sohier PapersBox Folder Contents Date1 11 Amiable Nancy (Ship) undated12 Amity (Ship) 185113 Amster (Brig) 1831-183214 Anne and Julia (Brig) 1848-184915 Arab (Ship) 182416 Arthur Pickering (Bark) 186617 Bashaw (Bark) 1835-183618 Belvidere (Brig) 1818-181919 Bolivar (Schooner) 1826-182720 Borneo (Schooner) 1825-182621 Caleb (Schooner) 183522 Chili (Ship) 18526(OS) 1 Chili (Ship) Protest 18521 23 Cobden (Brig) 185424 Colchis (Ship), Edwin Forrest (Ship), Victoria (Ship) 185425 Conde de Villanueva (Spanish Brig) 183426 Constellation (U.S.S.) 1822-182727 Cornelia (Ship) 185628 Cowper (Ship) 185629 Crusader (Brig) 1841-184230 Cygnet (Steamer) 1873-18742 1 D. H. Miller (Steamer) 18872 Dalmatia (Ship) 1841-18463 Dawn (Schooner) 18324 Dispatch (Schooner) 18225 Draco (Brig) 18256 Duxbury (Ship) 18367 E. W. Pratt (Schooner) 18638 Eagle (Schooner) 1822-18299 Eagle (Schooner) 182610 Eastern Star (Brig) 1829-183011 Edington (Schooner) 183012 Edward (Brig) 1834-183513 Eliza (Brig) 180914 Elizabeth (Schooner) undated15 Ethan Allen (Steamer) 185016 Esther (Ship) Suits 1822-182417 Esther (Ship) Spanish documents 1822-183018 Esther (Ship) Dorr et. al. vs Pope suit 1828-18296(OS) 2 Esther (Ship) Dorr et. al. vs Pope suit 1828-18292 19 Esther (Ship) Depositions 1828-1829©2010, Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum Page 3

MH 209 William D. Sohier PapersBox Folder Contents Date6(OS) 3 Esther (Ship) Depositions 1828-18292 20 Esther (Ship) Correspondence and notes 1828-183121 Esther (Ship) Correspondence and suits 1846-184922 Faithful (Schooner) 18346(OS) 4 Faithful (Schooner) Bill of sale 18342 23 Fashion (Schooner) 184724 Fayaway (Brig) 185225 Free Trade (Schooner) 183226 Gazelle (Brig) 1854-185627 General Lincoln (Steamboat) 1838, 1845, undated28 General Macomb (Schooner) 182329 General Vezie (Schooner) 1852-185330 George (Schooner) 1832-18333 1 George Ryan (Brig) 1837-1838, 1848-18502 George Washington undated3 Georgiana 18314 Gertrude (Schooner) 18345 Governor Brooks (Brig) 1838, 1841, undated6(OS) 5 Governor Carver (Bark) Crew list, consular certificates 1860-18633 6 Gowen Evans (Ship), Undine (Ship) 1843-18457 Grecian (Schooner) 18478 Greek (Schooner) 18299 Harrisburg (Ship) 184910 Herculean (Schooner) 184711 Hersilia (Bark) 184712 Hope (Ship) 1852-1854, undated6(OS) 7 Hindoo (Bark) 1851-18533 13 Hudson (Brig) 1830-183214 Index (Brig) 1829, 183515 Isaac Bell (Steamer) 187416 Isthmus (Steamer) undated17 Jane (Schooner) undated [1831]6(OS) 6 Janus (Ship) 1809-18353 18 John (Brig) 1816-181719 John Bunyan (Bark) 1854Page 4©2012, Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum

MH 209 William D. Sohier PapersBox Folder Contents Date3 20 John Gray Blount (Schooner) 183421 John Patten (Ship) 186022 John Quincy Adams (Ship) 1851-18536(OS) 8 Lavina (Brig) 18383 23 Lagoda (Ship) 1836-183824 London Packet 182325 Loper (Whaling ship) 183526 Louvre (Ship) 1839-18416(OS) 9 Louvre (Ship) Bill of sale 18393 27 Macedonian (Brig) 1818-185028 Marathon (Ship) 185329 Marion (Brig) undated30 Martha (Schooner), Pavilion (Brig) 183431 Mary (Bark) 1851-185232 Mary & Nancy (Brig) 1828-182933 Merchant (Sloop) 183234 Mercury (Ship) 1806-18374 1 Milton (Ship) 18192 Muskingum (Bark) 18473 Nahanteau (Steamer) undated4 Nancy undated5 Olive Branch (Schooner) 1850, undated6 Orebro (Swedish Schooner) 18127 Orson (Brig) 18178 Pagoda 18349 Paragon (Schooner) 182210 Paragon (Ship) 1822, 1824, undated11 Pico (Brig) 184412 Plato (Ship) 183713 Portland (Ship) 185514 Progress (Brig) 1835-1837, undated15 R. L. Tay (Schooner) 1851, undated16 Raduza (Ship) 185317 Rebecca (Ship) 179718 Rebecca (Brig) 182219 Renown (Schooner) 184920 Rescue (Steamer) Towage accounts, many ships listed undated21 Retrieve (Schooner) 1829-183022 Rothschild (Bark) 1817-181823 Ruth 181824 S. R. Spaulding (Steamship) 1861©2010, Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum Page 5

MH 209 William D. Sohier PapersBox Folder Contents Date4 25 Sachem (Ship) 1815-181926 Sally (Schooner) 182927 Sally & Esther (Brig) 1833-183428 Sea Flower (Ship) 185629 Sea Queen 184930 Shaw (Ship) 184031 Shepherdess 1815-181732 Sovereign (Schooner) 184933 Splendid (Ship) 184434 Staff of Life (Brig) 18186(OS) 10 Staff of Life (Brig) Insurance policy 18184 35 Sumatra 185436 Superb 1838-184037 Susan (Schooner) 186338 Swallow (Schooner) 1819-182539 Three Sisters (Ship) undated40 Tiger (Brig) 1826-183041 Truxton (Brig) 181842 Tryon (Schooner) 183043 United States (Ship) 1829-183044 Ursula (Schooner) 185145 Versailles (Ship) 185346 Victoria (Ship) 185447 Washington (Ship) 18475 1 Washington (Ship) 1848-1851, undated2 Wasp (Schooner) 1823, 18263 William A. Blount (Schooner) 1833-18364 William Crane (Steamer) 1874-18755 William Gray (Ship) 18446 William Henry (Schooner) 18377 William King (Schooner) 1824-18348 William T. Sayward (Bark) 18559 Yarmouth (Bark) 1851SERIES II. Wharf Cases5 10 Boston Wharf Company undated11 Cambridgeport Wharf 1826-182712 Foster’s Wharf 184213 Long Wharf 1849, undated14 T Wharf 1846Page 6©2012, Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum

SERIES III. Correspondence and Other CasesMH 209 William D. Sohier PapersBox Folder Contents Date5 15 Correspondence and marine case papers 1808-184316 Correspondence and marine case papers 1844-1861, undated17 Correspondence and non-marine case papers 1819-1865, undated©2010, Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum Page 7