History of Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.
The firm of Dunham & Dimon, which became the firm of Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co. upon the retirement of Frederick Dimon and Thomas Dunham, was a prosperous New York shipping agency in the middle nineteenth century with net earnings from its vessels of approximately $112,000.
The Dunham and Daggett families were prominent in the early life of Marthas Vineyard. As early settlers, they had intermarried with nearly every important family on the island, and were involved in its many sea ventues. Additionally, Albinia, one of Mary Daggett Dunham’s sisters (Mary was Thomas Dunham’s wife) had married into the numerous Fish Family of Falmouth, Massachusetts. It was Albinia’s son, Thomas D. Fish, who became the head of the firm upon Thomas Dunham’ death in 1868 – he was the “Nephew” on the letterhead. However, it was Thomas Dunham’s son-in-law, Stephen W. Carey, who was Executor of Thomas Dunham’s estate, and who seemed most active in the business in the later part of the nineteenth century.
Family involvement in the business is evident in the personal correspondence, and Mrs. Thomas Dunham took a lively interest in the firm’s dealings until her death in 1881. One becomes aware of the closely intertwined family relationships; sisters, brothers, cousins, nieces, and nephews all had shares in the company. All become necessarily involved and very vocal when the company began to liquidate its assets in the 1890’s.
Stephen West Carey (1831-1920) was the son of David Thomas Carey 91798-1838). David Carey was born in Dublin, Ireland and was sent to America in 1812 to escape conscription into the army. An unscrupulous sea captain abandoned him on Martha’s Vineyard. Carey settled on the island and married Mary Chase West (1800-1843), daughter of Peter West and Sarah Daggett. Upon the death of his mother in 1843, Stephen W. Carey and his sister Sarah B. Carey (1832-1897) were made wards of Thomas Dunham, Jr. of Tisbury, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts who was married to Mary Daggett (one would assume that there was some relationship between Mary Daggett Dunham and Mary West, daughter of Sarah Daggett West). At this time the shipping firm DUNHAM AND DIMON was active on South Street in New York City. The Dunhams lived in Brooklyn, New York and the Carey children were raised there. Sarah Carey attended Packer Collegiate Institute for young ladies in Brooklyn and Stephen W. Carey eventually went into the shipping business with his guardian. In 1852 he formed his own agency CAREY, YALE AND LAMBERT. He married Sarah Smith Boardman Yale (1846-1909) and made his home in Montclair, New Jersey. Sarah Carey married Charles Dimon (1826-1899), the younger brother of Frederick Dimon of DUNHAM AND DIMON.
Thomas Dunham Fish (1840-1928) was born in Quissett, Massachusetts and was the son of Joseph Crowell Fish and Albinia Daggett Fish. Albinia was the sister of Mary Daggett Dunham and one assumes that her son Thomas was named for his uncle. In a diary of 1860 and 1861, Thomas D. Fish recorded his daily life working as a clerk for his uncle at 61 and 67 South Street, New York. He also worked at various times for Stephen W. Carey. In spite of having two separate agencies, there was still a close relationship between Carey and Dunham, in business as well as on the personal level. Thomas Dunham Fish married Sarah Yale Carey’s younger sister Albina in 1870. She died in 1874 one month after giving birth to their only child, a daughter, Maria Yale Fish. Upon the death of Thomas Dunham in 1868, Thomas D. Fish formed his own agency THOMAS DUNHAM’S NEPHEW & COMPANY. In later years the offices of this company were at 68 South Street, New York. The agency appears to have been active through the 1890’s. Fish lived in Rutherford, New Jersey.
Presumably because of the relationship through marriage of Carey and Fish, Stephen and Sarah Carey began spending summers boarding in Quissett at the old Fish farmhouse. In the 1870’s Carey began purchasing extensive pieces of land in the area and in the 1880’s bought the Quissett Harbor House hotel on the opposite side of the harbor from the Fish house. The hotel was managed for Carey by George W. Fish, a cousin of Thomas D. Fish until the early twentieth century. In the 1890’s Stephen W. Carey built a large shingle style summer home called Petrel’s Rest on the harbor. The Yales built a smaller summer home behind the Carey’s overlooking Buzzard’s Bay. The Careys continued to be a major presence in Quissett through the 1970’s when Stephen W. Carey’s granddaughter Cornelia, who had managed the Quissett Harbor House for many years, passed away and the hotel closed.
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:
Carey family
Carey, Sarah Smith Boardman Yale, 1846-1909
Carey, Stephen West, 1831-1920
Dimon, Charles, 1826-1899
Dimon, Frederick
Dimon, Sarah B. Carey, 1832-1897
Dunham & Dimon & Co
Dunham family
Dunham, Mary Daggett, d. 1881
Dunham, Thomas, d. 1868
Fish family
Fish, Thomas Dunham, 1840-1928
Yale family
Places:
Falmouth (Mass.)–Genealogy
Martha’s Vineyard (Mass.)–Genealogy
Subjects:
Decedents’ estates–New York (State)–New York
International trade
Shipping–New York (State)–New York
Ships
Shipwrecks
Occupations:
Executors and administrators–New York (State)–New York
Merchants–New York (State)–New York
Administrative Information
Coll. 196, Manuscripts Collection, G. W. Blunt White Library, Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc.
Indexes
Detailed Description of the Records
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
General family and business papers; 1834-1920 | |||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
1 | 1 | Papers; 1834-1840 | |||||||||||
2 | Papers; 1841 | ||||||||||||
3 | Papers; 1842-1849 | ||||||||||||
4 | Papers; 1850-1855 | ||||||||||||
5 | Papers; 1856-1859 | ||||||||||||
6 | Papers; 1860-1861 | ||||||||||||
7 | Papers; 1862 | ||||||||||||
8 | Papers; 1863 | ||||||||||||
9 | Papers; 1864-1865 | ||||||||||||
10 | Papers; 1866-1869 | ||||||||||||
11 | Papers; 1870-1879 | ||||||||||||
12 | Papers; 1880-1889 | ||||||||||||
13 | Papers; 1890 | ||||||||||||
14 | Papers; 1891 | ||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
2 | 1 | Papers; 1896 | |||||||||||
2 | Papers; 1897 | ||||||||||||
3 | Papers; 1898-1910 | ||||||||||||
4 | Papers; 1911-1920 | ||||||||||||
Business and Estate Papers; 1847-1900 | |||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
3 | 1 | Thomas Dunham, Estate Papers; 1868-1874 | |||||||||||
2 | Mary Dunham, Estate Papers; 1881-1885 | ||||||||||||
3 | Philander Daggett, Accounts re. Dunham & Dimon Co.; 1861 | ||||||||||||
4 | Noble Brown & Co., Account; 1860 | ||||||||||||
5 | Noble Brown & Co., Account; 1861 | ||||||||||||
6 | Noble Brown & Co., Account; 1862, 1864 | ||||||||||||
7 | Insurance scrip, account and investments; 1847-1869 | ||||||||||||
8 | Bankruptcy and Settlement Accounts; 1867-1868 | ||||||||||||
9 | Ship EMERALD Papers; 1868-1878 | ||||||||||||
10 | Bark LEVANTER Papers; 1870-1879 | ||||||||||||
11 | Charles Gumm & Co., Liquidation; 1861-1883 | ||||||||||||
12 | Description of a storm in the North Pacific; ca. 1900 | ||||||||||||
13 | N. Y. Produce Exchange, Gratuity Fund Receipts; ca. 1880-1900 | ||||||||||||
Correspondence; 1848-1929 | |||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
4 | 1 | Correspondence; 1848-1852 | |||||||||||
2 | Correspondence; 1853-1857 | ||||||||||||
3 | Correspondence; 1858-1859 | ||||||||||||
4 | Correspondence; 1860-1861 | ||||||||||||
5 | Correspondence; 1862 | ||||||||||||
6 | Correspondence; 1863-1865 | ||||||||||||
7 | Correspondence; 1866-1870 | ||||||||||||
8 | Correspondence; 1871-1880 | ||||||||||||
9 | Correspondence; 1881-1889 | ||||||||||||
10 | Correspondence; 1890-1899 | ||||||||||||
11 | Correspondence; 1900-1929 | ||||||||||||
12 | Correspondence re “Kendrick & DeGraff matter,” Detroit; 1853-1863 | ||||||||||||
13 | Correspondence: Noble & Brown Co.; 1860-1867 | ||||||||||||
14 | Correspondence, unidentified; undated | ||||||||||||
Bills of Sale, Registers and Enrollments for various vessels; 1853-1898 | |||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
5 | 1 | Bills of Sale, Ship CARAVAN; 1887-1897 | |||||||||||
2 | Bills of Sale, Ship CITY OF MONTREAL; 1887-1897 | ||||||||||||
3 | Bills of Sale, Ship CLARENDON; 1853 | ||||||||||||
4 | Bills of Sale, Ship DAVID CROCKETT; 1884 | ||||||||||||
5 | Bills of Sale, Bark E. W. STETSON; 1896 | ||||||||||||
6 | Bills of Sale, Ship FAWN; 1887-1897 | ||||||||||||
7 | Bills of Sale, Bark H. L. ROUTH; 1887-1897 | ||||||||||||
8 | Bills of Sale, Ship HAMILTON FISH; c. 1882-1898 | ||||||||||||
9 | Bills of Sale, Bark JACOB A. STAMLER; 1889-1897 | ||||||||||||
10 | Bills of Sale, Ship + later Schooner Barge MARIANNE NOTTEBOHM; 1897-1898 | ||||||||||||
11 | Bills of Sale, Ship THERESE; 1889-1896 | ||||||||||||
12 | Bills of Sale, Ship WILLIAM NELSON; 1861 | ||||||||||||
13 | Registers and Enrollments, various vessels; ca. 1880 | ||||||||||||
Marine Reports ie. Lists of vessels arriving and departing N.Y., with columns for dates, foreign ports, number of days to complete the voyage, and remarks; 1852-1884 | |||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
6 | 1 | Marine Reports; 1852-1862 | |||||||||||
2 | Marine Reports; 1862-1884 | ||||||||||||
Miscellaneous, undated material | |||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
7 | 1 | Check stubs, checks, and bank books, J. L. & Abbie Ferguson, Mechanics National Bank; ca. 1885-1899 | |||||||||||
2 | Miscellaneous bills, accounts, and papers | ||||||||||||
3 | Clipping re. vessels and people employed by Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; ca. 1880-1900 | ||||||||||||
4 | Envelopes, addressed; ca. 1870-1920 | ||||||||||||
Volumes; 1834-1912 | |||||||||||||
Volume | |||||||||||||
1 | Letterpress copybook, Thomas Dunham; 1863 Aug 28-1864 Apr 9 | ||||||||||||
2 | Letterpress copybook, Thomas D. Fish; 1871 Dec 20-1878 Dec 31 | ||||||||||||
3 | Letterpress copybook, Thomas D. Fish; 1879 Jan 1-1882 Jan 1 | ||||||||||||
4 | Letterpress copybook, Thomas D. Fish; 1882 Jan 1-1885 Nov 11 | ||||||||||||
5 | Letterpress copybook, Thomas D. Fish; 1885 Nov 19-1890 May 12 | ||||||||||||
6 | Letterpress copybook, Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1892 Dec 19-1897 Jul 15 | ||||||||||||
7 | Letterpress copybook, Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1897 Jul 29-1813 Dec 4 | ||||||||||||
8 | Letterpress copybook, Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1891 Mar 25-1898 Jan 3 | ||||||||||||
9 | Ledger, Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1868-1891 | ||||||||||||
10 | Cashbook, Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1871-1875 | ||||||||||||
11 | Cashbook, Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1882-1885 | ||||||||||||
12 | Cashbook, Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1886-1889 | ||||||||||||
13 | Daybook, Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1879-1888 | ||||||||||||
14 | Daybook, Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1889-1912 | ||||||||||||
15 | Accounts Current, Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1877-1880 | ||||||||||||
16 | Accounts Current, Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1880-1884 | ||||||||||||
17 | Accounts Current, Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1885-1890 | ||||||||||||
18 | Accounts Current, Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1891-1898 | ||||||||||||
19 | Account book, Ship MARIANNE NOTTEBOHM, (re. sale of vessel in Hamburg); 1876 Aug | ||||||||||||
20 | Account book, Ship DAVID CROCKETT, (1st-9th voyages, plus sale); 1883-1890 | ||||||||||||
21 | Account book, Bark E. W. STETSON, (18th-21st voyages, plus sale); 1892-1897 | ||||||||||||
22 | Memo book of vessels managed by Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1883-1902 | ||||||||||||
23 | Vessels book, accounts of vessels managed by Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1876-1878 | ||||||||||||
24 | Vessels book, accounts of vessels managed by Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1889-1895 | ||||||||||||
25 | Receipt book, Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1894-1904 | ||||||||||||
26 | Account book, Thomas Dunham Estate (1st accounting); 1868-1869 | ||||||||||||
27 | Account book, Thomas Dunham Estate (2nd accounting); 1874 Jun | ||||||||||||
28 | Beneficiaries account book, Thomas Dunham Estate; 1868-1874 | ||||||||||||
29 | Beneficiaries account book, Thomas Dunham Estate; 1874-1881 | ||||||||||||
30 | Account book, Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1879-1886 | ||||||||||||
31 | Account book, Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1886-1895 | ||||||||||||
32 | Check stubs, Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co. Phenix National Bank; 1895-1903 | ||||||||||||
33 | Daybook, H. L. Fish; 1834 Jul-1845 Oct | ||||||||||||
34 | Investment Record book, Abbie S. Ferguson; 1881-1896 | ||||||||||||
35 | “Ledger”, Thos. D. Fish; 1865-1886 | ||||||||||||
36 | Vessels Book, accounts of vessels managed by T. D. N. & Co.; 1878-1882 | ||||||||||||
37 | Account book, Ship MARIANNE NOTTEBOHM (voyages 1-17); 1876-1889 | ||||||||||||
38 | Account book, Ship FAWN (voyages 28-41); 1879-1891 | ||||||||||||
39 | Account book, Ship FAWN (voyages 41-44); 1891-1897 | ||||||||||||
40 41 |
Account book, Ship HAMILTON FISH (voyages 18-19); 1894-1898 Cashbook, Thomas Dunham’s Nephew & Co.; 1885-1889 |