Biography of John H. Brower and Thomas Browning Hewitt
John H. Brower was a commission merchant, of New York, N.Y. While a young man he entered the wholesale grocery house of Augustus Wynkoop as a clerk, and in 1832 became a partner in the business. Later the firm became Wynkoop, Arthur & Brower, then Brower & Nelson, and finally J. H. Brower & Co. By this time its original trade had gradually merged into a general commission business which was conducted on an extensive scale, at one time including interests in as many as 15 vessels. Brower is perhaps most remembered for his two clippers, the ANDREW JACKSON and the HARVEY BIRCH. Brower’s firm also originated the New York and Texas Packet Line, and much of his business was always identified to a great degree with the interest of Texas. He once served as Consul for the Republic of Texas in New York. J.H. Brower & Co. ceased operation in 1881. Mr. Brower died a few weeks later on June 15. At the time of his death he was described as “the oldest cotton merchant in the city.”
Thomas Browning Hewitt (1842-1921) Was born and raised in Stonington, Connecticut, graduated from Yale University, married Amanda E. Brower, and went on to become a successful corporation lawyer in New York. He was evidently involved in several ALABAMA Claims cases.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
Includes business letters written to Brower by numerous shipmasters and agents between 1840 and 1865, particularly letters from Capt. W. S. Johnson of the clipper ANDREW JACKSON and Capt. W. H. Nelson of the clipper HARVEY BIRCH; vessel accounts, marine insurance policies, bills of sale, and other documents (1840-1860), including abstract logs for the voyages of the ANDREW JACKSON (1856-1861), maritime insurance policies, charter parties (1842-1847), and notebook (1856-1857) identifying “ship passages” of the New York and Texas Packet Line (which emphasized company interests in Texas); and information concerning Alabama claims cases (1876-1881), some involving Brower vessels and others reflecting cases in which Brower’s son-in-law, Thomas Browning Hewitt, served as attorney.
Arrangement
Box 1 contains most all of the correspondence found in the collection, and is primarily business letters written to John H. Brower by numerous shipmasters and agents between 1840 and 1865. Of special interest are many letters from Capt. W.S. Johnson describing the activities of the ANDREW JACKSON (including details of her sale to a British firm in 1863), and from Capt. W.H. Nelson of the HARVEY BIRCH.
Box 2 contains vessel accounts, marine insurance policies, bills of sale, and other documentation relative to the activities of John H. Brower between 1840 and 1860. There are 4 folders of material relative to the clipper ANDREW JACKSON, including abstract logs for her voyages between 1856 and 1861. There is a folder of maritime insurance policies covering cargoes shipped to and from Texas and New York, and another folder containing bills of sale for numerous vessels in which J.H. Brower held an interest. There is a folder of Charter Parties covering, the years 1842-1847, and a pocket notebook identifying “ship passages” of the Texas-New York Line, 1856-1857.
Box 3 contains information on Alabama Claims cases, 1876-1883. Included are published transcripts, business records of vessels involved in various cases, and other pertinent material. Most of the cases involved Brower vessels while others are cases in which Thomas Browning Hewitt served as attorney.
Restrictions
Restrictions on Access
Available for use in the Manuscripts Division
Restrictions on Use
Various copying restriction apply. Guidelines are available from the Manuscripts Division.
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the G. W. Blunt White Library. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
Persons:
Hewitt, Thomas Browning,–1842-1921
Johnson, W.S.,–Captain–Correspondence
Nelson, W.H.,–Captain–Correspondence
Corporate Bodies (Including Vessels):
Andrew Jackson (Ship)
Brower & Nelson
Harvey Birch (Ship)
J.H. Brower & Co.
New York and Texas Packet Line
Wynkoop, Arthur & Brower
Places:
New York (N.Y.)–Commerce–Texas
Texas–Commerce–New York (State)–New York
Subjects:
Alabama claims
Charter-parties
Cotton trade Insurance, Marine–Policies
International trade
Practice of law–New York (State)–New York
Shipping–New York (State)–New York
Document Types:
Bills of sale Insurance policies Logs (records)
Occupations:
Commission merchants–New York (State)–New York
Lawyers–New York (State)–New York
Shipmasters
Administrative Information
Coll. 41, Manuscripts Collection, G. W. Blunt White Library, Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc.
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Correspondence; 1837-1881. Papers, ANDREW JACKSON (Ship); 1856-1861. Misc. maritime and business papers; 1828-1882. Personal and family papers; 1857-1926. Papers, Alabama Claims Cases; 1850-1883.
| Box | Folder | |
| 1 | 1 | General business; 1830’s. |
| 2 | General business; 1840’s. | |
| 3 | General business; 1850-1852. | |
| 4 | General business; 1853. | |
| 5 | General business; 1854-1855. | |
| 6 | General business; 1856. | |
| 7 | General business; 1857. | |
| 8 | General business; 1858. | |
| 9 | General business; 1859. | |
| 10 | General business; 1860-1861. | |
| 11 | General business; 1862. | |
| 12 | General business; 1863. | |
| 13 | General business; 1864. | |
| 14 | General business; 1865-1866. | |
| 15 | Correspondence written primarily by Captains J.E. Williams and W.S. Johnson from San Francisco regarding the activities of the ANDREW JACKSON (Ship); 1855-1864. | |
| 16 | Letterbook, John H. Brower; 1844-1845. | |
| 17 | Letters from J.H. Brower in Texas; 1852-1853. | |
| 18 | Miscellaneous Brower and Hewitt family letters; 1871-1881. | |
| Box | Folder | |
| 2 | 1 | ANDREW JACKSON (Ship); Abstract logs; 1856-1861. |
| 2 | ANDREW JACKSON (Ship); Bills, accounts, documents, etc. New York; 1859. | |
| 3 | ANDREW JACKSON (Ship); Bills, accounts, documents, etc. San Francisco; 1860. | |
| 4 | ANDREW JACKSON (Ship); Bills, accounts, clippings, etc; nd. | |
| 5 | Misc. bills, accounts, documents, bills of lading, etc., re. John Brower. Images | |
| 6 | Maritime insurance policies, covering various cargoes shipped to and from Texas and New York. (List of vessels included); nd. | |
| 7 | Statements, accounts, memos, etc. re: maritime insurance; ca. 1860. | |
| 8 | Bills of sale for numerous vessels (List of vessels included). Images | |
| 9 | Charter parties; 1842-1847. | |
| 10 | Protest F. AUSTIN (Ship), James Clark, master; 1858 Jan 5. | |
| 11 | Cargo consignment load for numerous vessels; ca. 1850. | |
| 12 | Pocket notebook identified as “Ship Passages,” Texas-New York Line; 1856-1857. | |
| 13 | Land transactions and mortgages; 1827-1851. | |
| 14 | Power of attorney; 1842-1852. | |
| 15 | Papers re. Silver mining; 1865-1866. | |
| 16 | School reports for Thomas B. Hewitt and Amanda Brower; 1857-1862. | |
| 17 | Biographical sketch of John H. Brower by daughter Amanda Brower; 1926. | |
| 18 | Misc. material re. John H. Brower; nd. | |
| Box | Folder | |
| 3 | 1 | Pamphlet entitled “Argument Upon the Alabama Claims”; ca. 1876. |
| 2 | Pilot boat WILLIAM BELL, business records and published transcripts from Alabama Claims Cases # 709 and 710; ca. 1850-1876. | |
| 3 | S. GILDERSLEEVE (Ship), business records, reports, correspondence, insurance, etc., and published transcript from Alabama Claims Cases #1923-1926; ca. 1850-1882. | |
| 4 | HARVEY BIRCH (Ship), documents and published transcript form Alabama Claims Case #1024; ca. 1850-1876. | |
| 5 | EMILY FISHER (Brig), documents and published transcripts from Alabama Claims Case #618, 711, and 1224; ca. 1876. | |
| 6 | Charles Pfizer & Co., documentation and published transcripts form Alabama Claims Case #1391 and 1392; nd. | |
| 7 | Alabama Claims Case #4977, class 2. Executors of John H. Brower estate vs. U.S.; 1883. | |
| 8 | JABEZ SNOW (Ship), published transcript for Alabama Claims Cases # 406-411; ca. 1876. | |
| 9 | Misc. Alabama Claims Cases in which Thomas Browing Hewitt served as attorney; ca. 1883. |