Scope and Content Note
The papers of Jacob Gerhard Koch span the years 1783-1941 with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1783-1839. They consist of correspondence, letterbooks, diary, account books, ledgers, inventories, indexes, receipts, memoirs of Charles Nicholas Buck published in 1941, and miscellaneous documents.
The collection relates chiefly to Koch’s business dealings as a merchant and marine insurance broker in Amsterdam, 1787-1790, Alexandria, Virginia, 1790-1792, and Philadelphia, 1792-1817, and reflects his varied business dealings in North America, Europe, and Latin America. Much of the collection is in Dutch, although Koch also wrote in English and French. The diary documents a trip by Koch to Paris, 1817-1818, and reflects Parisian social life as well as financial transactions. Additional material in the collection refers to the liquidation of Koch’s estate following his death in 1830.