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William David Lewis papers
William David Lewis arrived in Europe in 1814 at the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. Having obtained passage from New York as a secretary to the United States peace commission, Lewis soon resigned his office to join the employ of his brother John Delaware Lewis, a commission...
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| Collection: | William David Lewis Papers |
| Collection Number: | 1680 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
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| Physical Description: |
30.5 Linear feet 30.5 linear feet, 72 boxes, |
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| Summary: |
William David Lewis arrived in Europe in 1814 at the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. Having obtained passage from New York as a secretary to the United States peace commission, Lewis soon resigned his office to join the employ of his brother John Delaware Lewis, a commission merchant in St. Petersburg, Russia. William spent the following ten years there. In 1820, William Lewis was sued for slander by the consul at St. Petersburg, Leavitt Harris, and the seven year litigation involved eminent officials in the United States and in Russia, including John Quincy Adams and James Monroe. Lewis began his own import commission business in Philadelphia in 1825, helped finance several early railroads, and was cashier of Girard Bank, 1832-1842. He served as collector of customs for the Port of Philadelphia, 1849-1853, despite the strenuous efforts against confirmation by his fellow Whigs from Pennsylvania. Lewis then retired to his estate near Florence, N.J., where he continued to take an active interest in business affairs. He was an ardent supporter of the Union during the Civil War.
The incoming letters relate mainly to Lewis's financial interests, but touch on all phases of life. Especially rich are the manuscripts generated by Lewis himself: letter books and letterpress copybooks, diaries and diary extracts, 1839, 1843-1881, and autobiography to 1841, reflecting 19th century economic, political, and social life. The autobiography is particularly interesting for Lewis's accounts of life and travels in Russia and Europe, his duel with John L. Harris (nephew of Leavitt Harris and also a consul at St. Petersburg), his early interests in the railroad industry, and his involvement with the bank crisis of the 1830's. In addition, there are: letters, depositions, evidence, and other materials relating to Harris v. Lewis; Girard Bank accounts, correspondence, and reports during Lewis's tenure as cashier; literary pieces, mostly poetry by Lewis; John D. Lewis letters, 1810, 1814-1830, 1841, mostly on Russian business; arrivals and clearances of vessels at Philadelphia, 1826-1827; William D. Lewis, Jr., diary of a trip to Europe, 1853; Thomas Neilson (son-in-law of Lewis) diaries, 1856-1857;and scrapbooks, 1840-1918 including Civil War and World War I clippings. |