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Title Letterbook, 1819-1820
Reference Col. 235, box 1, folder 10
Library Winterthur Library
Collection The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera
Collection Series Latimer Family Papers, 1801 - [c. 1860], bulk 1815-1842, Series II: China Trade
Date 1819-1820
Author / Creator Latimer, John Richardson
Description Kept by John R Latimer, the volume contains letters relative to business Latimer had conducted for the recipients in Canton. Many were accompanied by invoices for goods, price lists, or instructions for sales; several refer to business ventures in Spanish ports. A few were written on John's behalf by his uncle, George Latimer. The letters were dated from Philadelphia.
Document Type Correspondence, Manuscript
Theme(s) Trade and Commerce
Keywords goods, commodity, merchandise, cargo, receipt, trade, product, business, invoice, list, prices, instructions, ship, port
Countries China; USA; UK; Haiti
Places Wellsboro; British Virgin Islands; New Castle; Delaware; London
Ports Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Guangzhou, China; New York, USA; Savannah, USA; Philadelphia, USA
Additional Information

John Richardson Latimer was the grandson of American milling and shipping businessman James Latimer, who had emigrated from Ireland in 1736. John’s uncle George Latimer ran a counting house in Philadelphia, and it was here that John received his early training. George arranged for him to enter the China trade, and he made his first supercargo voyage to Canton in 1815. From that time until 1838 John made regular voyages between China and his home in Delaware, spending most of his time abroad. He imported tea, opium, fabric, and porcelains from China. Profits from his years in China allowed him to retire at the age of forty. He died at his home in 1865.

Please note that some of the metadata for this document has been drawn from the Winterthur Library catalogue.

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