Archives & Library Special Collections
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Call Number: ARC.285
Extent: 0.33 Linear feet, in one manuscript box and one flat box
The Martense family papers include deeds, indentures, wills, estate administration documents, promissory notes, bills of sale for enslaved African-Americans, correspondence, and photographs and other images. The bulk of the documents date from the 1700s to circa 1876. The images date from circa 1870 to circa 1944. Deeds and other land transaction documents dating from the 1700s comprise the largest portion of the collection. The Martense family lived in Flatbush, now part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, and most of the collection concerns that area. Correspondence in the collection dates from 1837-1839 and includes several letters sent to Gerrit Martense at Rutgers College in New Brunswick, N.J., by his family in Flatbush. Subjects of the letters include domestic and local matters. The letters, and other documents in the collection, also refer to dealings concerning one Juan Scorsur, an Italian immigrant to New York attempting to acquire real estate in Brooklyn while residing for an extended time in Cuba. In addition to multiple generations of Martenses, among the surnames found in the collection are Cornell, Hegeman, Lefferts, Remsen, Suydam, Terhune, Van Brunt, Van der Bilt, Van der Veer, and Waldron. The bulk of the collection is in English, but there are several documents in Dutch and one in Spanish. The photographs and other images, to the extent they are identified, are principally of members of the Wilbur family, into which a Martense married.
Names:
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Flatbush (New York, N.Y.)
- Kings County (N.Y.)
Subjects:
- African Americans — New York (State) — Kings County
- Decedents’ estates — New York (State) — Kings County
- Family life
- Genealogy
- Real property — New York (State) — Kings County
- Slavery — New York (State) — Kings County
Types of material:
- Cabinet photographs
- Cartes-de-visite (card photographs)
- Correspondence
- Deeds
- Indentures
- Photographs
- Promissory notes
- Slave bills of sale
- Wills
View Finding Aid
Call Number: 1974.179
Extent: 0.17 linear feet, in 17 folders in one manuscript box
The Middagh family papers (1654-circa 1840) contain a variety of documents, many linked to the Middagh family by name or by affiliated family, including Couwenhoven and Stryker. Many documents have no obvious relationship to the Middaghs. Most of the collection includes legal documents of various forms including deeds, bonds, agreements, and legal filings. Among the documents not clearly linked to the Middaghs are: the concluding pages of the 1825 correspondence from William Steele to his son concerning Jonathan Dayton’s recollections of Benjamin Franklin’s proposal for prayer at the 1787 Constitutional Convention; the articles of agreement between generals Burgoyne (British) and Gates (American) at Saratoga during the Revolutionary War (1772), signed by Burgoyne; plans for the building of a school in Huntington, Long Island, and the subscriber list (1762); and a circa 1675 transcript of a 1669 Suffolk County Clerk’s document regarding the testimony of several Indian sachems of Montauket relating to a land dispute. Three items referring to African-Americans in Brooklyn are in the collection: an unidentified will (1727), a slave bill of sale (1737), and an arrest warrant concerning the unlicensed sale of liquor, including to African-Americans (1751). Eight documents (1654-1702) are in Dutch.
Names:
- Middagh family
- Cowenhoven family
- Stryker family
- Torrey, Joseph, 1707-1791
- United States. Constitutional Convention (1787)
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Kings County (N.Y.)
- Long Island (N.Y.)
- New York (State) — History — Revolution, 1775-1783
- Suffolk County (N.Y.)
Subjects:
- African Americans — New York (State) — Kings County
- County courts — New York (State) — Kings County
- Genealogy
- Indians of North America — New York (State) — Long Island
- Real property — New York (State) — Kings County
- Real property — New York (State) — Long Island
- Saratoga Campaign, N.Y., 1777
- Slavery — New York (State) — Kings County
Types of material:
- Agreements
- Correspondence
- Deeds
- Legal documents
- legal instruments
- Slave bills of sale
View Finding Aid
Call Number: 1974.005
Extent: 0.25 Linear feet, in 16 folders in one manuscript box
The Seaman family papers (1752-1838) principally concern merchant John Seaman and Willet Seaman, though several other Seaman family members are also represented. The bulk of the collection consists of deeds and other documents concerning land transactions. Several of these deeds relate to land in North Hempstead, Long Island, acquired to establish a manufactory for woolen goods, circa 1816. Other legal documents related to this business are also in the collection, such as partnership agreements and an insurance policy. An indenture for an apprentice from the Overseers of the Poor of Brooklyn and a bill of sale for John Seaman’s purchase of an enslaved African-American also relate to the manufactory, known as Seaman and Cock (the Cock referring to partners John Cock and Townsend Cock). Other land transactions concern Seaman properties or interests on Long Island, New York City, other New York State counties, and other states. Other documents include John Seaman’s will, Seaman’s conditions for the eventual manumission of the slave he purchased, and correspondence from Willet Seaman supporting quarantine laws to prevent the spread of yellow fever.
Names:
Places:
- Long Island (N.Y.)
- New York (N.Y.) — Commerce
- North Hempstead (N.Y. : Town)
Subjects:
- Commerce
- Genealogy
- Indentured servants — New York (State) — New York
- Merchants — New York (State) — Kings County
- Merchants — New York (State) — New York
- Real property — New York (State)
- Real property — New York (State) — Long Island
- Slavery — New York (State) — Long Island
- Woolen goods industry — New York (State) — Long Island
Types of material:
- Agreements
- Cadastral maps
- Correspondence
- Deeds
- Indentures
- Legal documents
- Manuscript maps
- Slave bills of sale
- Wills
View Finding Aid
This collection also has an item inventory provided with the collection by the donor:
View Item Inventory, pages 1-2
View Item Inventory, pages 3-4
View Item Inventory, pages 5-7
Slavery Pamphlet Collection, late 18th century – late 19th century
Call Numbers: PAMP AASS-1 – PAMP Wolfe-1
Extent: 27 file boxes
The Brooklyn Historical Society has a collection of 18th and 19th century pamphlets relating to slavery. The collection comprises approximately 27 file boxes and contains over 1,000 unique items. The majority of these items are transcriptions of political speeches (usually made by United States congressmen), sermons, or reports of anti-slavery or colonization societies. The speeches primarily occurred in the period leading up to and including the United States Civil War, or between 1845 and 1865. The speeches often represent the speaker’s views on slavery, specifically in regards to issues of the day, e.g. causes of the Civil War or whether or not slavery should be expanded to new U.S. territories. The remainder of the collection is made up of various odds and ends, including broadsheets, a census report, novels, newspapers, scrapbooks, etc.
Please note that some items in the collection are extremely fragile and will not be available for patron use. In these cases, patrons can view the item on microfiche. This judgment will be made by staff.
All of the items in this collection can be searched using our catalog BobCat. The following list shows the most commonly used search terms.
Places:
- Southern States
- Confederate States of America
Subjects:
- African Americans — Colonization
- African Americans — Suffrage
- Freedmen — United States
- Fugitive slaves — United States
- Kansas — Politics and government — 1854-1861
- Lecompton constitution
- Nebraska – Politics and government — 1854-1861
- Secession — Southern States
- Slavery — United States
- Slavery — United States — Extension to the territories
- Slaves — Emancipation — United States
- Statehood (American politics)
- United States — Fugitive slave law (1850)
- United States — History — Civil War, 1861-1865
- United States — History — Civil War, 1861-1865 — Causes
- United States — History — Civil War, 1861-1865 — Foreign public opinion
- United States — Kansas-Nebraska act
- United States — Politics and Government
Type of material:
- Addresses
- Annual reports
- Antislavery literature
- Anti-abolition literature
- Congressional addresses
- Fast-day sermons
- Legislative speeches
- Letters
- Sermons
- Thanksgiving sermons
Call Number: ARC.283
Extent: 0.33 Linear feet, in three folders in one manuscript box
Nicholas Covenhoven (circa 1744-1793) of New Utrecht was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Kings County (N.Y.) militia in 1776. During the occupation of Brooklyn he worked with the British commissary and assisted American prisoners. After the war, Covenhoven served as the Chief Judge of the Kings County Court of Common Pleas. The collection includes an account book used by both Nicholas Covenhoven and his son, John N. Covenhoven. Nicholas recorded amounts advanced to American prisoners during the American Revolution and other loans and bonds he transacted (circa 1775-circa 1790). John N. kept account of his personal transactions, including fishing income (circa 1790-circa 1805). The collection also includes a small number of other papers, among them a petition to Sir William Howe for payment for horses and wagons seized by the British army (1777); copies of letters to and from Abraham Skinner, the Commissary-General of Prisoners, concerning prisoner compensation (1782); a pardon from Governor George Clinton (1786), and a receipt of payment for an enslaved African-American (1792).
Names:
- Covenhoven, John N.
- Covenhoven, Nicholas
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Kings County (N.Y.)
- Kings County (N.Y.) — History — Revolution, 1775-1783
- New Utrecht (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Account books — New York (State) — Kings County
- Judges — New York (State) — Kings County
- Military occupation damages — New York (State) — Kings County
- Prisoners of war — United States — History — Revolution, 1775-1783
Types of material:
- Financial records
- Ledgers (account books)
- Petitions
- Slave bills of sale
View Finding Aid
Call Number: 1978.185
Extent: 0.25 linear feet, in four folders
The Southold, N.Y. register book spans the period 1683 to 1850 and measures 0.25 linear feet. Entries in the register cover genealogical information, indenture, bond and deed information, records of town information, manumission of slaves notices, town meeting minutes, and voting records with results. Also included are the Southhold Academy bylaws and constitution, First Universalist Church in Southold bylaws and constitution, and records of the Commissioner of the highway of the town of Southold. The register book includes an index and was prepared by successive town historians throughout the mid-20th century.
Names:
- Southold (N.Y.)
- First Unitarian Church (Southold, N.Y.)
- Southold Academy
Places:
- Long Island (N.Y.)
- Southold (N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Genealogy
- Slavery — New York (State) — Long Island
- Unitarian Churches — New York (State) — Long Island
Types of material:
- Bonds (legal records)
- Bylaws (administrative records)
- Constitutions
- Deeds
- Indentures
- Indexes (reference sources)
- Minutes
- Registers (lists)
View Finding Aid
Call Number: 1978.010
Extent: 0.08 Linear feet, in one folder
This collection contains bills of sale for the purchase of slaves in Queens County, N.Y. from 1751 to 1793, prior to the abolition of slavery in New York State. Three of the six bills of sale document the purchase of slaves by the Wyckoff Family of Queens County, as well as John Van Wyck.
Names:
- Van Wyck family
- Wyckoff family
Places:
Subjects:
- African Americans — New York (State) — Queens County
- Slavery — New York (State) — Queens County
Types of material:
View Finding Aid
Call Number: 1985.029
Extent: 1.0 Linear feet, in one oversize box.
Membership certificate to the Colonization Society of the State of New-York issued to the Reverend Alexander Hamilton Bishop, dated 1849.
The Colonization Society of the State of New-York, established circa 1820, was an auxiliary to the American Colonization Society, which was originally established in 1817 as the American Society for Colonizing the Free People of Colour of the United States. The Society supported the idea of helping free African Americans settle in Africa so as to enjoy greater freedoms.
Reverend Alexander Hamilton Bishop was born on November 14, 1810 in New Haven, CT. He married Susan Holmes, who was the daughter of Obadiah Holmes (1790-1867) and Sarah Van Wyck (1793-1825), both of whom descended from from well-known Long Island families. Reverend Bishop was the pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church in Astoria, Queens County, Long Island. He died in New Haven on February 3, 1854.
Names:
- Colonization Society of the State of New-York
- Bishop, Alexander Hamilton
Places:
Subjects:
- African Americans — Colonization
Types of material:
View Finding Aid
Call Number: 1986.054
Extent: 1.34 Linear feet, in one oversize box.
The Ditmas family papers span the period 1647 to 1900 and consist of indentures, deeds, bonds, bills of sale, mortgages, agreements, and other documents, mostly regarding land transactions in the town of Flatbush in Kings County, N.Y. Other documents pertain to transactions involving African American slaves; land transactions in the towns of Bushwick and Gowanus in Kings County; and land disputes. One document in the collection is written in Dutch.
The Ditmas family (also spelled Ditmars) resided in the town of Flatbush in Kings County, N.Y. Family members chiefly represented in this collection include Johannes Ditmas and his descendants through the following three generations. Johannes Ditmas was a Quartermaster in the Kings County Regiment of Militia and participated in the Revolutionary War. His son, John J. Ditmas, married Priscilla Burr of Fairfield, CT. John and Priscilla’s son, also named John J. Ditmas, married Elizabeth Armstrong of Pawtucket, R.I., and later moved from Flatbush to Sunbury, OH. John and Elizabeth’s daughter, Elizabeth Armstrong Ditmas (b. 1853), had been born in Flatbush and continued to reside there as of the 1890s. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution through her relation to her great-grandfather, Johannes Ditmas.
Names:
- Ditmars family
- Ditmas family
- Ditmas, Elizabeth Armstrong, b. 1853
- Ditmas, Johannes
- Ditmas, John J.
- Ditmas, Priscilla Burr
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Bushwick (New York, N.Y.)
- Flatbush (New York, N.Y.)
- Gowanus (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Families — New York (State) — Kings County
- Real property — New York (State) — Kings County
- Slavery — New York (State) — Kings County
Types of material:
- Agreements
- Bills of sale
- Bonds (legal records)
- Deeds
- Indentures
- Land titles — New York (State) — Kings County
- Mortgages
View Finding Aid
Call Number: 1977.381
Extent: 0.01 Linear feet, in one folder.
One letter from Robert Todd Lincoln to William B. Davenport regarding a visit made by President Abraham Lincoln to Brooklyn to consult with Henry Ward Beecher on the Emancipation Proclamation. The letter is dated April 9, 1911.
Robert Todd Lincoln (1843-1926) was the first son of United States President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) and Mary Todd Lincoln (1818-1882). He worked as a lawyer and also served as Secretary of War to United States President James A. Garfield (1831-1881).
Names:
- Lincoln, Robert Todd, 1843-1926
- Beecher, Henry Ward, 1813-1887
- Davenport, William B.
- Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
- United States. President (1861-1865 : Lincoln). Emancipation Proclamation
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Clergy — New York (State) — Kings County
- Presidents — United States
- Slavery — United States
- Slaves — Emancipation — United States
Types of material:
View Finding Aid
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