1573-1936; bulk: 1573-1830
Guide to the Collection
Abstract
This collection consists of deeds, wills, leases, inventories of plantations, manuscripts, and maps gathered by Francis Russell Hart relating to the history of the West Indies and Central America, specifically Antigua, Barbados, Colombia, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Nevis, St. Christopher, St. Thomas, and Trinidad.
Biographical Sketch
Francis Russell Hart (16 Jan. 1868-18 Jan. 1938) was born in New Bedford, Mass., the son of Thomas Mandell Hart and Sarah Davis (Watson) Hart. He was educated at the Friends Academy there and later studied electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (1885-1889), leaving in January of his senior year. He received an honorary M.A. from Tufts College in 1935. Though trained as an engineer, Hart was a banker in later life.
In 1896, Hart married Helen Bronson Hobbey (originally of Cincinnati and later Northampton, Mass.). They had three children: Helen (Nichols), Gwendolyn (Fargo, later Palmer), and Francis Russell, Jr.
Hart did engineering work of various kinds in the West Indies and South America from 1889-1895. In 1893, he was made general manager of the Cartagena Terminal and Improvement Company, Ltd. and of the Cartagena-Magdalena Railway Company in Colombia. In 1894, he became vice-president of the firms, and in 1895, he was made president, with headquarters in Boston. In 1896, he became vice-president of the Old Colony Trust Company and, in 1901, a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the United Fruit Company. From 1908 to 1934, he was vice-chairman of the board at Old Colony Trust. In 1933, he was elected president of the United Fruit Company, a post he held until his death. He was also on the boards of directors of a number of other firms and served as vice-consul and later consul of Colombia in Boston from 1908-1919.
Two of Hart's main outside interests during most of his adult life were the history of the Caribbean and MIT. He was elected to the Executive Committee of the MIT Corporation in 1907 and became a life member in 1909. He was treasurer from 1907-1909 and 1913-1921 and a member of the Finance Committee, 1910-1936. The nautical museum at the MIT Pratt School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering was named in his honor.
Hart's writings began with an article about the railway on which he worked in Colombia (Technology Quarterly, 1899). A series of articles on important maritime figures in the Caribbean, published in the Journal of American History in 1907-1908, is evidence of the scholarly passion for the history of the Caribbean which Hart was developing and which led to his collection of books, maps, and documents on the subject. His major contact for purchases was apparently Maggs Brothers of London, and he employed researchers to make copies of documents which interested him in the General Archive of the Indies (Seville) and the Admiralty and the Colonial Office in London. Hart eventually published three volumes: Admirals of the Caribbean (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1922); The Disaster of Darien: The Story of the Scots Settlement and the Causes of Its Failure, 1699-1701 (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1929); and The Siege of Havana, 1762 (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1931), all of which focused on British activities in the Caribbean. He also wrote a semi-autobiographical volume, Personal Reminiscences of the Caribbean Sea and the Spanish Main, published in 1914.
Hart was a member of a number of societies, including the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Council on Foreign Relations, English-Speaking Union, American Geographical Society, Imperial Institute, Royal Geographical Society, Academia Nacional de Historia (Colombia), Club of Odd Volumes (Boston), Colonial Society of Massachusetts, New England Historic Genealogical Society, and Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS).
He was elected a resident member of the MHS in 1920, served three terms as a member-at-large of the Council, and was elected recording secretary in 1930, corresponding secretary in 1932, and president in 1937.
Sources
Who Was Who in America (Chicago, Marquis, 1943), v. 1, p. 523.
The MIT Museum, biographical folder, "Hart, Francis Russell, 1889."
Peter Drummey, "The Librarian's Corner," M.H.S. Miscellany No. 35 (Spring 1988), pp. 2-3.
Collection Description
The Francis Russell Hart collection comprises some 200 historical documents, approximately half of which are copies, translations, or abstracts. They date between 1573 and 1830, although the bulk dates from the 18th century. The 1922-1936 dates refer to Hart's papers, most of which relate to his purchases of documents. Although Hart collected as an aid to his research, he published very little based on the original documentation he acquired. The nature and content of these original documents seem to indicate that Hart may have intended to write a general history of British activities in the West Indies from their beginnings until the early 19th century.
There are 23 documents relating to property in the West Indies, including title searches, inventories, appraisals, and indentures. Nearly half are for the island of Antigua.
Other documents touch on different aspects of British colonization, government, and defense in the Indies. A small series relates to communications to and from the Lords Commissioners of Trade and Plantations in the early 18th century. Another series, taken from Venezuelan sources, relates to the British invasion of Trinidad at the end of the 18th century. There are scattered documents relating to the siege of Cartagena in 1739, of Havana in 1762, and the Battle of the Saints in 1782.
There is also a group of miscellaneous documents which relate to the Caribbean but do not correspond to British activities. These documents seem to have been purchased for the signature (for example, "Yo el Rey," Simón Bolívar, and Francisco de Paula Santander), rather than the content, although all have some relation to the Caribbean. There is also a certificate which dates from 1696 certifying limpieza de sangre (pure Christian ancestry).
Approximately half of the documents in the collection are copies. Most relate to material found in the General Archive of the Indies (Seville) with regard to the Darien Scots, the siege of Cartagena (1739), and the siege of Havana (1762). Hart seems to have been the first English-language historian to use the Spanish archive's Darien Scots settlement material. He published a detailed listing of 91 lots of such documents which were encountered in Seville, but he made copies or abstracts of only 44. He also published a listing of the siege of Havana documents and included some British documents which were also copied. Virtually all of these copied documents have been cited by Hart in the respective books he published, and it was he who determined the arrangement they have in this collection.
Another small group of documents refers mostly to correspondence and receipts with regard to purchases Hart made for his collections, a draft list of the books in his library, and other miscellany. There are no personal papers in this collection.
In addition to the documents collection, Hart also donated his book collection of some 700 volumes (separately cataloged) and a collection of more than 80 maps depicting the New World, particularly the Caribbean area, dating from 1579 to the 19th century, all of which have been separately cataloged in ABIGAIL.
Arrangement
Most of the original documents which are not oversize were assigned an apparently arbitrary classification number by Hart. It seems that "MEF," "MSF," and "MFEF" refer to Manuscript in English (Spanish or French), but it is not clear what the final "F" refers to. This designation has been retained at the end of each citation in the Detailed Description of the Collection, and these documents are briefly listed in this order in the Previous Arrangement appendix.
Acquisition Information
Francis Russell Hart made several donations to the collections of the MHS during his lifetime, and his library, maps, and documents came to the MHS upon his death in 1938.
Detailed Description of the Collection
The notation (MEF) or (MSF) or (MFEF) at the end of a citation in the Detailed Description of the Collection refers to Francis Russell Hart's organization of this material. See the listing in the Previous Arrangement appendix.
I. Documents relating to property, 1684-1830
Arranged alphabetically by location, then chronologically.
Series I contains 23 documents relating in some way to property in Antigua (11), Barbados (1), Grenada (2), Montserrat (1), Nevis (2), Saint Christopher (St. Kitts) (4), Saint Vincent (1), and Trinidad (1). Of particular note are the comprehensive inventories with appraisal values for land, buildings, utensils, enslaved people, and livestock, as well as the mechanisms which were utilized to raise loans secured on the estates.
Hart's list of these documents is in the front of Box 1. Please note that document 12 has been placed in Series II (Box 1, Folder 11).
The researcher is advised that with regard to the oversize property documents, registry office transactions are to be found on the verso of the bottom folio, which is also the beginning of the document. That is, these documents are bound in reverse order.
Antigua
Estate title abstract, "Jolly Hill," 1684-1772. (MEF 10)
Owned by Valentine Morris.
Estate title abstract, "Loobys," Parish of St. Paul, Division of Willoughby Bay, 1688-1772. (MEF 16)
Owned by Valentine Morris.
Estate title abstract, "Crabbs," Parish of St. Peter, Division of Old North Sound, 1699-1772. (MEF 15)
Owned by Valentine Morris.
Indenture (lease), 1727.
Samuel Hurman of Antigua leased property in England to Charles Capper.
Estate appraisal, "Crabbs," 1783. (MEF 11)
Owned by Valentine Morris. Includes typescript summary.
Estate appraisal, "Jolly Hill," 1783. (MEF 8)
Owned by Valentine Morris. Includes typescript summary.
Estate appraisal, "Lower and Upper Estates," 1795.
Owned by Edward Byam, Jr.
Indenture (mortgage), property in Parish of St. Philip, Division of Belfast, 1796.
Owned by James, Elizabeth, and Joseph Grant. Authorization from Robert McKinlay to Charles Grant of St. Vincent to receive moneys.
Indenture (lease), property in Parish of St. Peter, Division of New North Sound, 1798.
Original 15-year lease to Dunstan Grant. Death of the lessor (S.? Bethell) and the lessee occasioned a new lease between John Joseph James Vernon (lessor) to Justinian Casamajor (lessee), husband of Grant's inheritor. Lease includes schedule and inventory of appraisal, but no values are indicated.
Estate litigation, 1808. (MEF 9)
Plaintiffs: Christopher Codrington, William John Bethell, Charles Tirrell Morgan, and Marmaduke Trattle. Defendants: Sir Peter Park, bart., John Wilson, and John Allen. The relation begins with a loan to Antonette Skerrett by Edward Codrington in 1771. Document is not definitive on case.
Marriage jointure, Parish of St. Paul, 1812.
Refers to "Richmond Plantation," "Chapinaus Plantation," and "Howards Plantation." Drawn up by William Maxwell. Original jointure to benefit Mary Charlotte Bouverie secured on these plantations. Due to bankruptcy, the jointure document was redone. Signed in Edinburgh, 1816.
Barbados
Power of attorney, 1815.
Given by Isaac Lealtad, merchant, to Simon Barrow, Moses Barrow Lousada, Emanuel Lousada, and David Lousada, merchants of London. Issued to conduct business there.
Grenada
Estate inventory and appraisal, "Grand Roy," Parish of St. John, 1772.
Action requested by John Burke.
Estate inventory and appraisal, "Mt. Nesbitt," Quarter of St. John, 1774. (MEF 14)
Property of Arnold Nesbitt and two others. Includes a letter to Nesbitt from the estate manager, Hugh Hall Wentworth (17 Feb. 1774), commenting on the estate. Includes typescript summary of the appraisal.
Montserrat
In Chancery, [1818].
Between the Right Honorable Francis Augustus, Lord Heathfield, Baron Heathfield of Gibraltar (complainant), and Daniel Macnamara (defendant) over money lent by Macnamara belonging to William Elliott on the security of estates in Montserrat, "Hamond Plantation," "Dyers Plantation," and "Germans Bay Plantation," run by Macnamara's brother-in-law James Hussey.
Nevis
Estate title abstract, "Stoney Hill," 1739-1830.
Passed from Francis Sanders to Frances Butler to George Webbe and Thomas Bennett. Plantation "Crabb Hole," part of estate, conveyed to Andrew Ross.
Quadripartite indenture, secured on "Windward Plantation" and "Bath Plantation," Old Windward Division, 1750-1751.
Between George Gostling and Thomas Wall of Nevis, Matthew Mills and John Mills of London, Richard Lytoll of London, and Thomas Hicks.
St. Christopher (St. Kitts)
Letter patent, 1696.
For property formerly belonging to the "Father Hermits lying in Cayan Quarter" given by King William III to Dame Ann and Sir William Stapleton and registered by Governor Christopher Codrington. Recorded in Book of Records, 8 May, folios 660-662.
Last will and testament, John Welch, 1780.
Entered at the Register Office, 19 Sep., Book T No. 2, pp. 120-122.
Last will and testament, Susanna Vanbelle, 1724.
Among other bequests, the plantation of "Scituate" in the Parish of St. Thomas to Peter Soulangre and Peter Salvetat.
Indenture (sale) of plantation "Scituate" in parish of St. Thomas, 1737.
By Peter Salvetat to Peter Soulangre.
St. Vincent
Indenture (release) on plantation "Chatteau Bellair," 1807. (MEF 12)
Notification to Jane Hussey by Jane Halliday regarding payments made to Michael White.
Trinidad
Tripartite indenture on "Belle Air Plantation" in Oropuche Quarter and "Escurial Plantation" in Monooropo Quarter, 1808.
Between Francis Macnamara of Trinidad, William Bradshaw Macnamara of Chelsea, and Dennis Considine of Middlesex and Andrew Thynne of Oxford.
II. British activities in the Caribbean, 165?-1799
Arranged chronologically.
These documents, most of which are from the 18th century, reflect the rivalry between the French and the British in the Caribbean, the problems of defense, the British view of the Spanish presence, and the reverse, with the Venezuelan reaction to the British invasion of Trinidad at the end of the century. A number of these documents, including the last named, are the result of interceptions on the part of one power or another, which indicates the level of tension which was a constant in the Caribbean.
Before the British invasion of Trinidad in 1797
"Certeine queries concerning his highness interest in ye West Indies," [165?]. (MEF 25-A)
Photostat of Caribbean Item 1346 / Ms. No. 5003 in the Boston College Library.
William Penn. Despatch written on board HMS Swiftsure riding in Carlisle Bay, Barbados, 17 Mar. 1654. (MEF 26)
Photostat of Caribbean Item 1512 / Ms. 5002 in the Boston College Library.
Regarding payments to officers and soldiers in the Island of St. Christopher, 10 Nov. 1703. (MEF 13)
Signed by A. Hutchison.
Colonel Daniel Parke, governor of the Leeward Islands, to the Lords Commissioners of Trade and Plantations, 13 Jan. 1706/07. (MEF 23)
Referring to the French threat, he requests troops and suggests that Scots be sent to help; they can have land in Martinique [evident reference to the failure of the Scots in Darien], and the English will have the plunder. Contemporary copy.
Lords Commissioners to the Earl of Sunderland, 6 May 1707. (MEF 18)
With extract of letter from Col. Hamilton, Lt. Governor of Nevis (21 Feb. 1707), regarding the lack of soldiers and lack of cartridge paper for munitions recently landed.
Lords Commissioners to the Earl of Sunderland, 11 Dec. 1707. (MEF 19)
With copy of the letter dated 8 Oct. 1707 from Col. Parke, Governor of the Leeward Islands, regarding recent hurricane damage.
Lords Commissioners to the Earl of Sunderland, 19 Dec. 1707. (MEF 17)
With recommendations for relieving hurricane damage and providing ships of war for defense.
Lords Commissioners to the Earl of Sunderland, 23 July 1708. (MEF 24)
With copy of the letter from Brigadier Thomas Handasyd, Governor of Jamaica, 19 May 1707, remarking on the Spanish galleons at Portobello, the poor state of British trade, and privateering by Jamaican residents.
Lords Commissioners to the Queen [Anne], 3 Dec. 1708. (MEF 20)
Regarding the Asiento trade and why a petition by Thomas Pindar of London for ships to trade for enslaved people between Barbados and New Spain should not be granted.
Office of Ordinance to the Earl of Sunderland, 10 June 1710. (MEF 22)
Remitting letter of Christian Lilly, HM's engineer at Barbados, dated 5 Dec. 1709, regarding fortifications and difficulties with repairs.
The Weekly Jamaica Courant with News Foreign and Domestic, Num. XXXVIII, 11 Feb. 1718.
Reprint of the London Gazette of 6 Dec. 1717 with reference to the King's instructions regarding issuing letters of marque and reprisal for use against Spain. Photostat.
The Whole Proceedings of Captain Dennis's Expedition to the Governor of the Havanna; being a Memorial, or Journal of What Occurrences happen'd during his Stay there, 1718.
Printed in Kingston, Jamaica, by R. Baldwin. Photostat.
Whitehall. Minutes, 6 Sep. 1739. (MEF 25-A)
Regarding actions to be taken by Vice-Admiral [Edward] Vernon against the Spaniards in the Indies. Contemporary copy.
George Brydges, 1st Lord Rodney, to Lord [Egremont, Lord of Admiralty], 1762.
Three letters dated: Jamaica, 10 Feb. 1762; Martinique, 27 Feb. 1762; and St. Christopher, 27 Mar. 1762. He describes the process of the war in this area. Also rendezvous instructions signed by Rodney. Included in the folder are typescript copies of the letters, a photostat of the instructions, and documentation of purchase of this material.
George Brydges, 1st Lord Rodney, to Lord [Egremont, Lord of Admiralty], 1762.
Photostat copies of three letters above. With letter from Francis R. Hart to Julius H. Tuttle of the MHS, 14 Nov. 1930.
British letters regarding the conquest of Martinique, intercepted by the French, 1762. (MFEF 1)
[French translation of] James Adston [on board the Penzance in Port Royal, Jamaica] to Captain John Boyd in Antigua, 16 Apr. 1762; French extract of letter written to Boyd by Bruck on board the Penzance, same date; James Adston to Derrick Schuyler in New York, 4 May 1762 (original letter). Written in French.
[Richard Huck] to the Earl of Loudon, received on 1 Nov. 1762. (MEF 27)
Regarding the day-by-day activities in the siege of Havana. With another letter, from London, 1 Oct. 1762, referring to his previous letter and seeking preference. Folder includes typescript copies of the letters and a letter (20 Aug. 1936) from the bookseller, Francis Edwards, Ltd., regarding the probability that the first letter, unsigned, is by Huck and Hart's annotation that the second letter, signed, confirms it.
"A Description of the Caribbee Islands as sent from Martinique," by Admiral Rodney, 3 Dec. 1762
Manuscript in bound volume with map.
"Reflections on the true Interest of the Caribbee Islands: as well the OLD SETTLEMENTS as the NEUTRAL ISLANDS, and the CONQUESTS. In which the Importance of MARTINIQUE is particularly considered," by a Planter at Barbados, 1762. (MEF 21)
A geopolitical appraisal of the confrontations between the British and the French in the West Indies. 16 pp., probably a contemporary copy.
Sir George Pocock to [Sir William Hamilton], 1 June 1770.
A letter which comments on the gossip of the day in London, particularly regarding Russian naval activities. Though not particularly addressed, the references to Naples and to Mrs. Hamilton indicate the recipient. The letter is not concerned with Caribbean affairs. There is also a presentation copy and a receipt of purchase.
"List of the Spanish Navy ships of the line and frigates at Ferrol, Cadiz, Cartagena...," 1777. (MEF 1)
Sent by Lord Grantham [to the Admiralty] in his letter of 30 Sep. 1777; also, "State of the ships composing the Fleet in the Bay of Cadiz," 3 Mar. 1778, sent by Lord Grantham in his letter of 24 Mar. 1778.
"An Account of the Action of the French Fleet commanded by the Comte de Grasse with the British Fleet off Guadaloupe and Dominique on the 9th and 12th April 1782 [Battle of the Saints]," by a French Seaman, 1782. (MEF 6)
The original document, written by "MPF," 22 Apr. 1782, was addressed to his uncle in Le Havre and was intercepted by the British, who made this translation. Photostat also available.
Nine plans of the above engagements which are known as the Battle of the Saints, 1782.
Also a list of the flags used on the ships with their meaning and a draft of a map with the beginnings of a report. Although the packet which contains these items indicates that there are twelve plans, there are only nine in the collection; none refers to April 29th. A letter to Hart by a handwriting expert, dated 22 Dec. 1920, indicates that the handwriting on the plan of battle seems to be that of Admiral George Brydges, Lord Rodney.
Typed extracts of documents, 1788-1799
Related to the occupation of Trinidad by the English with secret communications between England and the governor of Trinidad and naval commanders, as well as between Spain and the captain general of Venezuela and the governors of the provinces of Guiana and Cuiman. Two copies in softbound volumes. In Spanish and English.
Translation of the confession of Morillon Desposses, [179?]. (MEF 3)
He was sent by the General Committee on General Safety (France) to encourage revolution in the Caribbean, especially among free people of color in the English colonies.
Contemporary extract of a letter from a gentleman in Jamaica, 27 Sep. 1795. (MEF 4)
He recommends the use of bloodhounds to police the enslaved people, as is done in Cuba where there are no freedom seekers.
S. Mitchell to Brigadier General Nicolls, St. George's [Grenada], 23 Feb. 1796. (MEF 5)
Commenting on news regarding Grenville and that he has embargoed ships in the harbor for the moment.
S. Mitchell to Brigadier General Nicolls, St. George's [Grenada], 24 Feb. 1796. (MEF 7)
The same information as above with greater detail.
Brigadier General Nicolls, 13 June 1796. (MEF 2)
Draft of letter referring to a rebellion of enslaved people.
After the British invasion of Trinidad in 1797
To Don Antonio Valdés, from Caracas, 24 Jan. 1788.
Report No. 6 [confidential] on the military situation along the coast of Venezuela.
To the Prefect of the Aragonese Capuchine Missions in Guanaguana [Venezuela], 28 Apr. 1796.
Requesting the enlistment of a troop of 200 Indigenous people, in case the governor of Trinidad needs them.
Juan José de Manzanera, Cumaná, to Captain-General Pedro Carbonell, Caracas, 26 Oct. 1796.
He reports that the Indigenous troops requested are ready.
Vicente Emparán, Governor of Cumaná, to Pedro Carbonell, Governor-General, Caracas, 31 Mar. 1797.
Report No. 36. He describes the situation in Trinidad and remits a statement made by one who has just come from there.
Statement by Don Juan Lanteran in Cumaná, 31 Mar. 1797.
On the situation in Trinidad, having been there when the British invaded.
At the Court of St. James, 5 Apr. 1797. Present the King's most excellent majesty in Council.
Instructions for the treatment of Spaniards in Trinidad. With Spanish translation.
Henry Dundas to Col. [Thomas] Picton, Apr. 1797.
Picton is in charge in Trinidad, and Dundas will be relaying orders from the Council. Most important is to encourage trade between Trinidad and Great Britain and open it up with the mainland. With Spanish translation.
Henry Dundas to Col. [Thomas] Picton, 8 Apr. 1797.
He transmits two papers on Trinidad and the coast of the mainland. With Spanish translation.
Communication from Mr. Duff.
Respecting the Island of Trinidad and relations with the mainland [Venezuela]; a brief general appraisal by the British consul in Cadiz. With Spanish translation.
Memorandum respecting Trinidad, 30 Mar. 1797.
An evaluation of the geopolitical and commercial advantages of having taken Trinidad. With Spanish translation.
[Pedro Carbonell] to the Prince of Peace [Manuel Godoy], Caracas, 27 Apr. 1797.
A report on activities to protect the provinces of Venezuela and Guayana. Draft.
Vicente Emparán to Pedro Carbonell, Cumaná, 8 July 1797 (No 73).
This is the letter which accompanies the transmittal of the previous three intercepted British documents and includes an analysis by Emparán of what it will mean for Venezuela to have the British trading in Trinidad.
Thomas Picton [Governor of Trinidad] to the Governor of Cumaná [Vicente Emparán], 31 July 1797.
Picton complains about piratical activities and asks help in reducing them, especially with reference to LeRoy and his boat. Three contemporary copies in Spanish translation.
Vicente Emparán, Cumaná, to Thomas Picton, 7 Sep. 1797.
A long letter in response to the preceding document in which Emparán explains measures which have been taken and asks about Spanish prisoners of war in Trinidad.
Matteo Hernández de Ocampo, Barrancas, on board the balandra Rambli, to the Governor General of the Province of Cumaná [Vicente Emparán], 10 Sep. 1797.
A report on Indigenous activity in August with regard to the British. Contemporary copy.
Thomas Picton to {Vicente Emparán], 26 Sep. 1797.
In response to Emparán's letter of 7 Sep., he says he only refers to the activity of Spanish pirates in the Gulf of Paria; he also assures Emparán as to the well-being of Spanish prisoners. With Spanish translation.
Vicente Emparán to Pedro Carbonell, 3 Oct. 1797.
Report No. 11 [confidential]. Extensive information on the interchange of prisoners with Trinidad. He says that the governor of Trinidad has not answered his complaints with respect to the same and notes British trading is troublesome and port revenues are lower.
Vicente Emparán to Pedro Carbonell, 25 Oct. 1797.
Report No. 12 [confidential]. He refers to don Matteo Hernández de Ocampo and to increasing economic problems.
Vicente Emparán to Pedro Carbonell, 1 Jan. 1798.
Transmits a Spanish-language broadside emitted by the governor of Trinidad and notes that Picton is pressuring him to put down supposed anti-British plots. Emparán is worried that this and food shortages in Trinidad may give Picton an excuse to invade the mainland.
Broadside referred to in preceding document.
Expresses the desire of the British government to encourage trade in the area and with Great Britain.
Report, 20 Jan. 1798.
On information received in the Province of Guayana [Venezuela] about conflicts with the British, especially on the Orinoco River. This is a copy, dated 20 Feb. 1798, and signed by Iniciarte.
[Pedro Carbonell], Caracas, to the Governor of the Province of Guayana, 20 Sep. 1799.
Relative to British activities in Surinam and defensive measures to be taken along the Orinoco.
III. Miscellaneous Spanish-language documents, 1573-1826
Arranged chronologically.
Four of these documents are described by Hart in the Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Vol. 61 (1928), pp. 181-183. One dating from 1573 was signed by King Philip II of Spain. Another (1590) refers to specifications for building galleons. A third, dated Portobello, 1679, refers to problems in Panama, and a fourth (1680) is a draft regarding a candidate for captain of a proprietary company to hold an interest in the Spanish silver galleons. Another document was a love letter (1822) from Simón Bolívar to Bernardina Ibañez, but Hart gave the original to a friend. Hart made a bound presentation copy for each of these documents consisting of a photostat and its translation. There are three other Spanish documents: a limpieza de sangre document for a vecino of Cartagena, dated 1666; one signed by King Charles IV (1804) regarding the San Lázaro Hospital in Cuba; and one signed by Francisco de Paula Santander in 1826 referring to Colombia's foreign debt payments.
Royal decree. Philip II, 1573.
Permission granted to Captain Alvaro Cepeda de Ayala, Governor of Musos and Colimas, for one or two ships to sail for New Granada [Colombia] with 150 enslaved people (one-third of whom must be women) to work in the emerald mines at Musos. There is also a presentation copy. Written in Spanish.
Contract for galleons. 2 Apr. 1590.
Conditions offered by Juan Uribe de Apallua to the king [Philip II] to build two galleons of 600 tons for transatlantic transport. There is also a presentation copy. Written in Spanish.
Limpieza de sangre, 9 Nov. 1666. (MSF 1)
Certification of the purity of their Christian ancestry given to Captain Diego Gonzalez de Rivera, vecino of Cartagena, and to his wife doña Isabel Rillo by the Office of the Inquisition in Murcia. Also includes Hart's receipt of purchase. Written in Spanish.
[Military Governor of Portobello, Panama], to [Charles II], 12 Jan. 1679.
He reports on the insubordination of the officers of the garrison in Portobello, fraudulent representations in the Treasury, and other matters. Contemporary copy. There is also a presentation copy. Written in Spanish.
Instructions, [1680].
For giving Martin Rodriguez de Medina the next opening as captain in one of the proprietary companies with an interest in the silver galleons. There is also a presentation copy. Written in Spanish.
Royal decree. Charles IV, 1804. (MSF 2-A)
To the Governor of Cuba, regarding the administration of the Hospital of San Lazaro. Written in Spanish.
Simon Bolivar to B[ernardina Ibañez], Cali, 5 Jan. [1822].
The folder contains Hart's correspondence with Enrique Naranjo and the latter's correspondence with other persons about the Bolívar letter. There is only the presentation copy. Written in Spanish.
Power of attorney, 15 July 1826. (MSF 2-B)
Conferred by the acting president of Colombia, Francisco de Paula Santander, on Andrés Bello and Santos Michelena, authorizing them to arrange loans abroad to cover the payments due on the foreign debt in late 1826 and early 1827. Written in Spanish.
IV. Darien Scots settlement, 1697-1701
Arranged chronologically.
The documents were itemized and described by Hart in the Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, vol. 63 (1930), pp. 154-168. The number on the folder refers to the enumeration in the published list. A copy of the list is at the front of Box 2. These documents are transcripts of 44 of the 91 lots which Hart's researcher found in the General Archive of the Indies in Seville. Some are complete documents in Spanish; others are translations or abstracts in English. Hart used this material in his book, The Disaster of Darien: The Story of the Scots Settlement and the Causes of Its Failure, 1699-1701 (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1929).
V. Siege of Havana, 1762-1765
Arranged by source (Spanish then British), then chronologically.
These documents were itemized and described by Hart in the Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, vol. 64 (1932), pp. 434-439. The number on the folder corresponds to the number of the document in Hart's published list. A copy of the list is at the front of Box 3. They are copies of documents found in various locations: the Library of Congress Manuscript Division, the General Archive of the Indies, the Admiralty Office, and the Colonial Office. Hart used them to write The Siege of Havana, 1762 (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1931). The documents include plans of the fortifications in Havana and maps for which Hart obtained photographs and their negatives. Some copies are photostats. Many documents were copied by hand; for some, there are typed transcriptions.
See also the original documents in Series II (Box 1, Folders 21-24) which refer to the Siege of Havana.
VI. Correspondence on purchases and other papers, 1922-1936
Arranged chronologically.
This material refers mostly to Hart's collecting activities and secondarily to some research questions. It is not at all comprehensive with regard to purchases, and it should be noted that where a receipt corresponds to just one document, or documents which have been kept together, the receipt is to be found with the document(s).
Receipts and correspondence on purchases
Other papers
Previous Arrangement
Hart used MEF 25 twice and MSF 2 twice. Each set has been arbitrarily denominated A and B. For a complete description of each document, see the Detailed Description of the Collection.
| MEF | Box | Folder | Contents |
| 1 | Box 1 | Folder 27 | List of the Spanish Navy ships of the line, 1777; Fleet in the Bay of Cadiz, 1778. |
| 2 | Box 1 | Folder 32 | Brigadier General Nicolls, 13 June 1796. |
| 3 | Box 1 | Folder 28 | Translation of the confession of Morillon Desposses, [179?]. |
| 4 | Box 1 | Folder 29 | Contemporary extract of a letter from a gentleman in Jamaica, 27 Sep. 1795. |
| 5 | Box 1 | Folder 30 | S. Mitchell to Brigadier General Nicolls, St. George's [Grenada], 23 Feb. 1796. |
| 6 | OS Box 1 | Folder 11 | "An Account of the [Battle of the Saints]." By a French Seaman. |
| 7 | Box 1 | Folder 31 | S. Mitchell to Brigadier General Nicolls, 24 Feb. 1796. |
| 8 | Box 1 | Folder 5 | Antigua. Estate appraisal, "Jolly Hill," 1783. |
| 9 | Box 1 | Folder 6 | Antigua. Estate litigation, 1808. |
| 10 | Box 1 | Folder 1 | Antigua. Estate title abstract, "Jolly Hill," 1684-1772. |
| 11 | Box 1 | Folder 4 | Antigua. Estate appraisal, "Crabbes," 1777. |
| 12 | Box 1 | Folder 8 | St. Vincent. Indenture (release) on plantation "Chatteau Bellair," 1807. |
| 13 | Box 1 | Folder 11 | Regarding payments ... St. Christopher. Signed by A. Hutchison, 10 Nov. 1703. |
| 14 | Box 1 | Folder 7 | Grenada. Estate inventory and appraisal, "Mt. Nesbitt," 1774. |
| 15 | Box 1 | Folder 3 | Antigua. Estate title abstract, "Crabbs," 1699-1772. |
| 16 | Box 1 | Folder 2 | Antigua. Estate title abstract, "Loobys," 1688-1772. |
| 17 | Box 1 | Folder 15 | Lords Commissioners to the Earl of Sunderland, 19 Dec. 1707. |
| 18 | Box 1 | Folder 13 | Lords Commissioners to the Earl of Sunderland, 6 May 1707. |
| 19 | Box 1 | Folder 14 | Lords Commissioners to the Earl of Sunderland, 11 Dec. 1707. |
| 20 | Box 1 | Folder 17 | Lords Commissioners to the Queen [Anne], 3 Dec. 1708. |
| 21 | Box 1 | Folder 25 | "Reflections on the true Interest of the Caribbee Islands..." By a Planter at Barbados, 1762. |
| 22 | Box 1 | Folder 18 | Office of Ordinance to the Earl of Sunderland, 10 June 1710. |
| 23 | Box 1 | Folder 12 | Colonel Daniel Parke, Governor of Leeward Islands, to the Lords Commissioners of Trade and Plantations, 19 Jan. 1706/07. |
| 24 | Box 1 | Folder 16 | Lords Commissioners to the Earl of Sunderland, 23 July 1708. |
| 25 A | Box 1 | Folder 21 | Whitehall. Minutes, 6 Sep. 1739. |
| 25 B | Box 1 | Folder 9 | "Certeine queries... [165?]." Photostat. |
| 26 | Box 1 | Folder 10 | William Penn. Despatch, 17 Mar. 1654. |
| 27 | Box 1 | Folder 24 | [Richard Huck] to the Earl of Loudon, received on 1 Nov. 1762; another, 1 Oct. 1762. |
| MFEF | |||
| 1 | Box 1 | Folder 23 | British letters, 1762; French translations. |
| MSF | |||
| 1 | OS Box 1 | Folder 13 | Limpieza de sangre, 1666. |
| 2 A | Box 2 | Folder 3 | Royal decree. Charles IV, 1804. |
| 2 B | Box 2 | Folder 5 | Power of attorney. 15 July 1826. Conferred by the acting president of Colombia, Francisco de Paula Santander. |
Preferred Citation
Francis Russell Hart collection, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.