Henry Charles Carey correspondence


Collection 3671

1824, 1846-1848
(0.6 Linear feet ; 2 boxes )

Summary Information

Repository
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Creator
Carey, Henry Charles, 1793-1879.
Title
Henry Charles Carey correspondence
ID
3671
Date
1824, 1846-1848
Extent
0.6 Linear feet ; 2 boxes
Author
Finding aid prepared by Annie Halliday.
Sponsor
Processing made possible by a generous donation from Howard and Maxine Lewis.
Language
English
Abstract
Henry Charles Carey was born December 15, 1793 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Carey was the eldest son of Irish social activist, publisher, and author Mathew Carey (1760-1839) and Bridget Flahaven Carey (1769-1829). Henry began working as an apprentice in his father’s bookshop at eight years old. In 1825 Carey replaced his father at the publishing firm which was then renamed Carey & Lea. After years working as a successful publisher and businessman Carey left Carey & Lea to focus more on his writing. Henry Charles Carey soon became one of America’s leading economic and political authors of the time. Henry Charles Carey died in Philadelphia on October 13, 1879. He is buried in Saint Mary's Episcopal Churchyard in Burlington, New Jersey. This collection consists of Carey's incoming letters as well as some copies of his outgoing letters. There are 390 letters total with 132 different correspondents represented. The letters are organized alphabetically by correspondent. The incoming letters date from the time around the publication of his work, The Past, the Present, and the Future (1848), and are from various publishers, printers, colleagues, friends, and family members.

Preferred Citation note

Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], Henry Charles Carey correspondence (Collection 3671), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Return to Table of Contents »


Background note

Henry Charles Carey was born December 15, 1793, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Carey was the eldest son of Irish social activist, publisher, and author Mathew Carey (1760-1839) and Bridget Flahaven Carey (1769-1829). He had three siblings; Frances [Fanny] Lea, Eliza Carey Baird, and Maria Carey. Henry began working as an apprentice in his father’s bookshop at eight years old. In 1825 Carey replaced his father at the publishing firm which was then renamed Carey & Lea. In 1835 Carey cofounded the Franklin Fire Insurance Company of Philadelphia. Henry Charles Carey married Martha [Patty] Leslie, sister to painter Charles Robert Leslie, artist Anna Leslie, and author Eliza Leslie, in 1819. Patty died in April 1847, after a prolonged illness. Patty and Henry never had children of their own but had an adopted daughter Virginia Carey Haven (1820-1891), who married Thomas Albert Haven on August 4, 1841, and subsequently named their daughter after Patty in 1850.

After years working as a successful publisher and businessman Carey left Carey & Lea to focus more on his writing. Henry Charles Carey soon became one of America’s leading economic and political authors of the time. Carey wrote and published several pieces including his major work The Past, the Present, and the Future which was published in 1848. Other writings include Essay on the Rate of Wages (1835), Principles of Political Economy (1837–1840), Principles of Social Science (1858–1860), and The Unity of Law (1872). Carey was elected as an associate fellow of the American Academy of the Arts and Sciences in 1863. Then in 1868 he was elected to be a foreign member of the Royal Swedish of Sciences. Henry Charles Carey died in Philadelphia on October 13, 1879. He is buried in Saint Mary's Episcopal Churchyard in Burlington, New Jersey.

Return to Table of Contents »


Scope and content note

This collection consists of Carey's incoming letters as well as some copies of his outgoing letters. There are 390 letters total with 132 different correspondents represented. The letters are organized alphabetically by correspondent. The incoming letters date from the time around the publication of his work, The Past, the Present, and the Future (1848), and are from various publishers, printers, colleagues, friends, and family members. They discuss not only his work but also some of his economic and political philosophies. Some letters concern St. Clair, a coal tract in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, of which he had holdings.

Among his familial correspondents are his aunt Margaret Bache in Baltimore, Maryland, siblings; Eliza Carey Baird, Frances [Fanny] Lea and Maria Carey, nephew Henry Carey Baird, cousin Elizabeth Sherman Carey, nephew Joseph Lawton, aunt Joanna Carey in London, adopted daughter Virginia Carey Haven, and son in law Thomas Albert Haven. There are several letters from his wife Patty’s siblings Anna Leslie and Charles Leslie following the death of their sister in 1848. Letters from his adopted daughter Virginia also deal heavily with the loss of her mother. Amongst letters from Henry’s own siblings is an 1845 copy of Maria’s will. These letters also contain details about a disagreement within the siblings on the execution of their father’s (Mathew Carey) will. An 1848 letter from his aunt Joanna Carey, who lives in London, details observations on the 1848 revolutions occurring in Europe. His professional correspondents from the publishing business include Philadelphia merchant Hyman Gratz, bookseller and publisher William A. Blanchard, printer Lydia R. Baily, merchant David S. Brown, author and historian George T. Curtis, lawyer Edward N. Dickinson, publisher and brother in law Isaac Lea, author and publisher Freeman Hunt, Henry S. Getz of Leary and Getz, publisher Abraham Hart, and bookbinder B. Gaskill. These letters deal with a myriad of topics related to publishing and bookselling such as business accounts, loans, legal issues, critique of Carey’s writings, and the dissemination of Carey’s work. Other correspondents from outside the publishing world include industrialist Peter Cooper, editor Samuel Hazan, author and ambassador George Bancroft, playwright Robert Montgomery Bird, political scientist Francis Lieber, geographer and author William Darby, author Caroline M. Kirkland, English mathematician James Inman, and French economist Michel Chevalier. There are a few letters related to Carey’s land holdings in St. Clair, Schuylkill County. There are letters from his manager and nephew Joseph G. Lawton and Alfred Lawton reporting on the progress of coal mining, finances, and other topics. These letters reveal insights into how Carey navigated professional and personal relationships.

Return to Table of Contents »


Administrative Information

Publication Information

 Historical Society of Pennsylvania ; 2018.

1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19107
215-732-6200

Conditions Governing Access note

Collection is open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition note

Purchased, 2012.

Return to Table of Contents »


Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

  • Carey & Hart.
  • Carey & Lea.

Genre(s)

  • Correspondence.

Personal Name(s)

  • Bancroft, George, 1800-1891.
  • Bird, Robert Montgomery, 1806-1854.
  • Cadwalader, John, 1805-1879.
  • Carey, Henry Charles, 1793-1879.
  • Carey, Mathew, 1760-1839
  • Gratz, Hyman, 1776-1857.
  • Hunt, Freeman, 1804-1858.
  • Leslie, Charles Robert, 1794-1859.
  • Leslie, Eliza, 1787-1858.
  • Lieber, Francis, 1800-1872.

Subject(s)

  • Books and Bookselling--19th Century
  • Booksellers and bookselling -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
  • Economics--19th century
  • Publishers and publishing
  • Publishers and Publishing--Philadelphia--19th century
  • Publishing--19th century
  • Publishing.
  • Selling--Books.

Return to Table of Contents »


Collection Inventory

Box Folder

Letter from A to L 

1 1

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from American Whig Society 1848 

1 2

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from J. Anspach 1846-1848 

1 3

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Nathan Appleton 1848 

1 4

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter to John B. 1848 

1 5

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Margaret Bache 1847 

1 6

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Isaac W. Bailey 1847 

1 7

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Lydia R. Bailey 1848 

1 8

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from Eliza Carey Baird 1847-1848 

1 9

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from Henry Carey Baird 1847-1848 

1 10

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from George Bancroft 1848 

1 11

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from B. Bannon 1848 

1 12

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from J. Bannon 1848 

1 13

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from C. Barrington 1848 

1 14

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from D.R. Bennett 1848 

1 15

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Robert Montgomery Bird 1848 

1 16

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from H.C. Blair 1848 

1 17

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Blake and Company 1848 

1 18

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from William A. Blanchard 1847 

1 19

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from R.M. Blatchford 1847 

1 20

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter to C.S. Boker 1848 

1 21

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from A. Bolmor 1848 

1 22

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters form John C. Boyd 1847-1848 

1 23

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from S.C. Brewster 1847 

1 24

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from J. Brock 1847 

1 25

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from A. Brown 1847 

1 26

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from David S. Brown 1847-1848 

1 27

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from James Brown 1848 

1 28

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from "C + W" 1847 

1 29

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from John Cadwallader 1848 

1 30

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter to Mriah Cahill 1847 

1 31

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter to J.C. Calhon 1847 

1 32

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter to General Cameron 1848 

1 33

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from George T. Campbell 1848 

1 34

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from Elizabeth Sherman Carey 1847 

1 35

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from Joanna Carey 1848 

1 36

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from Maria Carey and Maria's will 1847 

1 37

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from John Cannoll 1847 

1 38

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Michel Chevalier [Paris] 1848 

1 39

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from David Clark 1848 

1 40

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from James G. Clark 1847-1848 

1 41

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter to Charles Dexter Cleveland 1848 

1 42

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Ingham Congell 1848 

1 43

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Peter Cooper 1848 

1 44

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Robert Cornelius and company 1847 

1 45

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from William Cowpethwait 1847 

1 46

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Gideon Cox 1847 

1 47

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from George T. Curtis to John Field 1848 

1 48

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from William Darley 1848 

1 49

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from Horace H. Day 1848 

1 50

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Edward N. Dickerson 1848 

1 51

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from George Washington Doane 1847 

1 52

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from Doylestown Citizens Committee 1848 

1 53

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Robert Duglieson 1847 

1 54

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to Dunder and Boker 1847 

1 55

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from James L. Dunn 1847 

1 56

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from D. Dusessaure 1848 

1 57

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from deVilleori 

1 58

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from Robert Earp 1847-1848 

1 59

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from George Nicholas Eckert 1848 

1 60

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter to editor of Economist 1847 

1 61

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from John W. Field 1848 

1 62

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from R.S. Field 1847 

1 63

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from Edward P. Fry 1848 

1 64

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Joseph Reese Fry 1847 

1 65

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from A. Frost 1847 

1 66

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Joseph Gales 1848 

1 67

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from B. Gaskill 1847 

1 68

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from Henry S. Getz 1848 

1 69

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from W.H. Getzman 1846 

1 70

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from C.H. Gibbons 1847 

1 71

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from H.J. Gilliat 1847 

1 72

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Charles Gilpin 1847 

1 73

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Thomas Gilpin 1847 

1 74

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from John M. Gould 1848 

1 75

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Hyman Gratz 1848 

1 76

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Samuel Guss 1848 

1 77

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from P.J. Gray 1848 

1 78

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from C. Hagedorn 1848 

1 79

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from B + B Haines 1847 

1 80

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from William Halstead 1848 

1 81

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from William K. Halstead 1848 

1 82

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter to W.W. Haly 1847 

1 83

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from I.R. Hanigan 1848 

1 84

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Robert Hare 

1 85

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter to T.A. Hare 

1 86

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from Harper brothers 1848 

1 87

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from A. Hart 1847-1848 

1 88

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from G.H. Hart 1848 

1 89

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from C.C. Haven 1848 

1 90

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from S.L. Haven 1847 

1 91

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from Thomas Haven 1847-1848 

1 92

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from Thomas Albert Haven 1847-1848 

1 93

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from Virginia Carey Haven 1847-1848 

1 94

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from Easkins Hazard 1848 

1 95

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from S. Hazard 1847 

1 96

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from Sam Headley and Hiram Wilson 1846-1848 

1 97

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from Matthew Henry Henderson 1848 

1 98

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from Constantine Hening 1847 

1 99

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from William B. Hill 1848 

1 100

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from Edward Hilliard 1846-1847 

2 1

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from John Hodgkiss 1847 

2 2

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from J. Smith Hormans 1848 

2 3

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from F.W. Hughes 1847 

2 4

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from J.S. Hulme 1848 

2 5

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from Freeman Hunt 1847 

2 6

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from Joseph Reed Ingersoll 1847-1848 

2 7

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from Charles Jared Ingersoll 1846 

2 8

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from Edward D. Ingraham 1847-1848 

2 9

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter to James Inman 1848 

2 10

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from Jedidiah Irish 1847 

2 11

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from James Irvine 1848 

2 12

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Dr. Samuel Jackson 1847 

2 13

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from John H. James 1847 

2 14

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter and from S. Jandon 1847 

2 15

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from L. Johnson and Company 1847-1848 

2 16

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from George R. Justice 1848 

2 17

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to Caroline Matilda Stansbury Kirkland 1847-1848 

2 18

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from Abbott Lawerence 1847-1848 

2 19

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from Alfred Lawton 1847-1848 

2 20

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from Joseph G. Lawton 1847-1848 

2 21

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Frances [Fanny] Anne Carey Lea to Elizabeth Catherine Carey Baird 1846 

2 22

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from Frances [Fanny] Anne Lea 1848 

2 23

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from Anna Leslie 1847-1848 

2 24

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from Charles Robert Leslie 1847 

2 25

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from George Lewis 1848 

2 26

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from Thomas Leslie 1847-1848 

2 27

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Thomas Leslie to Anna Leslie 1847 

2 28

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Samuel T. Lewis 1848 

2 29

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from William D. Lewis 1847 

2 30

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Francis Lieber 1847 

2 31

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from Little + Brown 1847-1848 

2 32

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from David Lloyd 1847 

2 33

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from C. Losen 1847 

2 34

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from Longman Brown + Company 1848 

2 35

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters to and from J. Lyon 1847 

2 36

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from New Jersey Horticultural Society 1847 

2 37

Return to Table of Contents »


Letter from Henry Charles Carey to unknown 1824 

2 38

Return to Table of Contents »


Letters from Henry Charles Carey to unknown 1847-1848 

2 39

Return to Table of Contents »