Henry Mason Morfit Papers
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Henry Mason Morfit (1793-1865) span the years 1819-1858, with the bulk of the collection dating from 1844 to 1855. Virtually all of the material consists of incoming correspondence and financial records that relate to Morfit’s career as a Washington claims lawyer and politician. The collection is organized into three sets of correspondence arranged chronologically and a miscellany file.
While the majority of the letters were written from New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Richmond, and Norfolk, Morfit’s correspondents lived in almost every section of the United States and in Europe. Primarily, the letters relate to business matters such as the development of the West, new commercial enterprises, the loan of money, damages to goods, maritime questions, and, most frequently, the collection of claims. Some political correspondence is present, particularly during presidential election years.
Some of the claims handled by Morfit had their origin in the colonial period, while others relate to the American Revolution and the years thereafter. Included are claims of soldiers and officers of the American Revolution, those relating to French loans and French spoliation, other maritime claims in which the United States was a party, and individual and corporate claims. Both American and European were among Morfit’s clients.
Other letters deal with slave transactions, testamentary dispositions, land speculation in the South and West, and the question of patents. The aftermath of the Panic of 1837 is documented in letters that discuss the hardships of ordinary people and members of the business community. Prominent correspondents from the business and legal profession are Philip Baltzel, Thomas Baltzel, Earl Douglas, Hugh Gelston, Alney McLean, Thomas William Ludlow, and Eustis Prescott.
Morfit also dabbled in politics and held minor legal positions in the Jackson administration. Although this aspect of his life is not reflected very prominently in the papers, there is some correspondence dealing with presidential election campaigns. Occasional letters from Congressmen John Armstrong, George Washington Campbell, John Henry Eaton, Henry Jared Ingersoll, and Levi Woodbury appear, as do letters from newspapermen William W. Eaton, Joseph Giles, Duff Green, and William H. Rhind.
Dates
- Creation: 1819-1858
- Creation: Majority of material found within ( 1844-1855)
Language of Materials
Collection material in English
Access and Restrictions
The papers of Henry Mason Morfit are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Henry Mason Morfit is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Biographical Note
Biographical Note
- 1793, Jan. 1
- Born, Norfolk, Va.
- 1817, Nov. 20
- Married Catherine Campbell (died 1893)
- 1820's
- Moved to Washington, D.C., and became a claims lawyer
- 1832
- Delegate from Washington, D.C., to the Democratic convention, Baltimore, Md., that renominated Andrew Jackson for president
- 1861
- Moved to Baltimore, Md., and later became a member of the Maryland legislature
- 1865, Dec. 1
- Died, Baltimore, Md.
Extent
4,000 items
13 containers
5.2 linear feet
Abstract
Lawyer. Correspondence and financial and business papers relating to Morfit's Washington, D.C., practice as a claims lawyer and as a political figure in the administrations of Andrew Jackson.
Arrangement of the Papers
This collection is arranged alphabetically by type of material.
Catalog Record
Provenance
The papers of Henry Mason Morfit, lawyer, were purchased by the Library of Congress in 1942.
Processing History
The papers of Henry Mason Morfit were arranged and described in 1975 and 1979. The finding aid was revised in 2015.
Source
- Morfit, Henry Mason, d.1868 (Creator, Person)
Subject
- Armstrong, John, 1758-1843--Correspondence. (Person)
- Atkinson, Archibald, 1792-1872--Correspondence. (Person)
- Baltzell, Philip, 1791-1856--Correspondence. (Person)
- Baltzell, Thomas, 1781-1843--Correspondence. (Person)
- Campbell, George Washington, 1769-1848--Correspondence. (Person)
- Carroll, Charles H. (Charles Holker), 1794-1865--Correspondence. (Person)
- Crump, George W. (George William), 1786-1848--Correspondence. (Person)
- Dana, James, 1735-1812--Correspondence. (Person)
- Douglas, Earl--Correspondence. (Person)
- Duncan, Garnett, 1800-1875--Correspondence. (Person)
- Eaton, John Henry, 1790-1856--Correspondence. (Person)
- Gales, Joseph, Jr., 1786-1860--Correspondence. (Person)
- Garwood, Richard--Correspondence. (Person)
- Gelston, Hugh--Correspondence. (Person)
- Green, Duff, 1791-1875--Correspondence. (Person)
- Hobbie, Selah Reeve, 1797-1854--Correspondence. (Person)
- Holleman, Joel, 1799-1844--Correspondence. (Person)
- Ingersoll, Joseph R. (Joseph Reed), 1786-1868--Correspondence. (Person)
- Jackson, Andrew, 1767-1845. (Person)
- Kinnard, George L., 1803-1836--Correspondence. (Person)
- Ludlow, Thomas William, 1795-1878--Correspondence. (Person)
- McIlwaine, Henry--Correspondence. (Person)
- McLean, Alney, 1779-1841--Correspondence. (Person)
- Morfit, Henry Mason, 1793-1865. (Person)
- Prescott, Eustis--Correspondence. (Person)
- Rhind, William H.--Correspondence. (Person)
- Sawyer, Lemuel, 1777-1852--Correspondence. (Person)
- Seaton, William Winston, 1785-1866--Correspondence. (Person)
- Stubbs, Simon S. (Simon Stubblefield), 1808-1867--Correspondence. (Person)
- Taliaferro, John, 1768-1852--Correspondence. (Person)
- Walker, Robert J. (Robert John), 1801-1869--Correspondence. (Person)
- Woodbury, Levi, 1789-1851--Correspondence. (Person)
- Charles C. Watson & Sons--Correspondence. (Organization)
- Guier & George--Correspondence. (Organization)
- Ogden & Jones--Correspondence. (Organization)
Geographic
- United States--Claims vs. France.
- United States--Claims.
- United States--Commerce.
- United States--Economic conditions--To 1865.
- United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Claims.
- United States--Politics and government--1815-1861.
- United States--Politics and government--1829-1837.
Occupation
Topical
- Business enterprises.
- Claims.
- Depressions--1836-1837.
- Enslaved persons--United States.
- Finance.
- Financial crises--United States--19th century.
- French spoliation claims.
- Land speculation--Southern States.
- Land speculation--West (U.S.)
- Loans.
- Maritime law.
- Patents.
- Practice of law--Washington (D.C.)
- Presidents--United States--Election.
- Slavery--United States.
- Title
- Henry Mason Morfit Papers
- Subtitle
- A Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of Congress
- Author
- Prepared by Richard Bickel
- Date
- 2015
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Part of the Manuscript Division Repository
Manuscript Reading Room
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