1792-1962; bulk: 1792-1830
Guide to the Collection
Abstract
This collection consists primarily of financial records of the shipping firm Gibbs and Channing of Newport, R.I.
Historical Sketch
Gibbs and Channing was a shipping firm owned by brothers-in-law George Gibbs (1735-1803) and Walter Channing (1757-1827) of Newport, R.I. The firm was established in 1792, Gibbs owning three quarters and Channing one quarter. They did business with China, Saint Petersburg, and the Levant, operating at one time several dozen vessels. The firm dissolved after the death of Gibbs in 1803.
Sources
Family Record of James and Sarah Gibbs of Bristol, Mass. Cambridge, Mass.: John Wilson and Son, 1894 (pp. 14-19).
Collection Description
This collection consists primarily of financial records of the shipping firm Gibbs and Channing of Newport, R.I., including accounts with ships and insurance values; statements of assets; and accounts with debtors. Following George Gibbs' death in 1803, the records relate to his estate, including his will and estate inventory, disbursement to his heirs, and their subsequent trusts and accounts with Walter Channing (as executor) and the firm. Among the heirs represented in the collection are Mary and Sarah Gibbs. Other records include papers related to the ship Mary, which was captured in 1805 by Spanish privateers, and subsequent claims for damages.
Acquisition Information
Deposited by the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, May 1991.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Expand allI. Financial records, 1792-1962; bulk: 1792-1830
Arranged chronologically.
Accounts between George Gibbs and Walter Channing, 1792-1825
This volume consists of accounts between George Gibbs and Walter Channing from the beginning of their partnership as the firm Gibbs and Channing on 16 Apr. 1792. The volume contains dividend disbursements and stock abstracts, including agreements between the partners' heirs about the disbursement of the estate.
Unsettled accounts with Gibbs and Channing, 1792-1809
Arranged alphabetically by debtors' names.
This volume contains a summary statement of unsettled accounts, including names of debtors, amount owed, and comments on prospects for collection of the debt.
Loose papers removed from Vol. 2
Accounts with ships, 1803-1807
Included are ships' names, builders, masters, cargoes, cargo values, and insurance.
Loose papers removed from Vol. 3
Accounts of the executors of George Gibbs, 1803-1826
This volume contains George Gibbs' will and estate inventory, beneficiaries, and debits against the estate.
Account of Miss Sarah Gibbs with Gibbs and Channing, 1807-1810
This volume contains the disbursement of George Gibbs' estate to Sarah Gibbs during the period of trust.
Account of Miss Mary Gibbs with Gibbs and Channing, 1807-1810
This volume contains the disbursement of George Gibbs' estate to Mary Gibbs during the period of trust.
Trusts under the direction of Walter Channing, 1810-1811
This volume consists of accounts for the disbursement of George Gibbs' estate.
Power of attorney from Mary Gibbs to Walter Channing, 1810, removed from Vol. 7
Walter Channing daybook, 1810-1827
This daybook of Walter Channing, kept when concerns of the late firm of Gibbs and Channing were adjusted, includes day-to-day financial transactions of the firm with heirs of George Gibbs.
Loose papers removed from Vol. 8
"Impersonal accounts" for Gibbs and Channing, 1811-1826
This business account book lists assets, deposits, holdings, and circumstances for withdrawal.
Loose papers removed from Vol. 9
Ledger, 1816-1820
This volume lists heirs of George Gibbs and assets held by Gibbs and Channing.
Loose papers removed from Vol. 10
Checkbook, Massachusetts Bank, 1818-1821
Walter Channing cash book, 1826-1827
This volume contains accounts of cash disbursements.
Walter Channing cash book, 1828-1830
This volume contains accounts of cash disbursements.
Miscellaneous papers, 1814-1962
II. Oversize records, 1798-1811
Arranged chronologically.
Records of insurance on ships, 1798-1799
Records of insurance on ships in the names of Gibbs and Channing include vessel names, masters, voyage, sum insured, rate of insurance, etc.
Papers related to the ship Mary, 1808
Papers related to the case of the ship Mary, captured by Spanish privateers in 1805, include details of the trial, an appeal made by the ship's Captain Brown, and opinions from the court case of V. Gibbs and J. A. Park.
Account of Miss Sarah Gibbs with Walter Channing, 1810-1811, removed from Vol. 5
Preferred Citation
Gibbs and Channing records, 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.