Jared and Susannah Arnold papers (1799-1857, bulk 1800-1851)
Collection processed and finding aid created by Clements Staff, 2003, and Erin Platte and Meg Hixon, October 2011 Manuscripts Division, William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan
Title: Jared and Susannah Arnold papers Creator: Arnold family Inclusive dates: 1799-1857 Bulk dates: 1800-1851 Extent: 0.5 linear feet Abstract:
The Jared and Susannah Arnold papers are a collection of letters, written primarily by family members, pertaining to business and family matters. Legal documents regarding shipping, deeds for ships, etc. are also included in the collection.
Language: The material is in English Repository: William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan
909 S. University Ave. The University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1190 Phone: 734-764-2347 Web Site: www.clements.umich.edu
Cataloging funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). This collection has been processed according to minimal processing procedures and may be revised, expanded, or updated in the future.
Preferred Citation
Jared and Susannah Arnold Papers, William L. Clements Library, The University of Michigan
Jared Arnold was born on September 21, 1774, in Haddam, Connecticut, to Joseph Arnold and Mary Crane, and became a ship captain and merchant. He and his wife, Susannah Brainerd (1780-1867), lived in Haddam, Connecticut, and had three children: Jared (1806-1884), Joseph (1811-1884), and Owen (1818-1900). Jared owned a mill in Auburn, New York; Joseph became a merchant; and Owen, who attended Yale in the 1830s, taught at Oglethorpe University before relocating to New York. The elder Jared Arnold died on August 7, 1845.
The Jared and Susannah Arnold papers consist primarily of correspondence written between the couple and their children in the early 19th century. The earliest items in the Correspondence series, which makes up the bulk of the collection, are personal letters written and received by Jared Arnold and Susannah Brainerd before their marriage; these include material from Jared to his brothers, Simon and Joseph, as well as several addressed to Susannah by female friends. Many of the early letters detail the couple'scourtship; following their marriage, they corresponded with friends and family about their travels to New York, Baltimore, and other cities on the East Coast. Later material in the collection reflects the lives of the Arnolds' three sons, who frequently wrote their parents and, less often, each other; their son Owen, for example, shared his experiences at Yale College in the mid-1830s, and on one occasion detailed his expenses (February 6, 1835). Later, Owen wrote from his teaching post in Milledgeville, Georgia, while Jared drew a map of land along the Chemung River near Elmira, New York; Owen's letter of April 27, 1843 contains several pencil sketches, including a hawk and rough patterns. Two of the letters are written on printed reports: the Commercial Reporter and Shipping List from Mobile, Alabama (December 6, 1837) and a report of "The Trustees of the Planters and Merchants Bank of Mobile" (April 3, 1847).
Documents in the collection include two shipping receipts; a document related to the ownership of the Exchange , of which Jared Arnold was captain, by Jozeb and Horace Stocking; and a power of attorney appointing Jared Arnold legal representative for Jozeb Stocking.
