ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Title Parsons and Company Collection (Queens, New York), 1774-1884
Collection Number SC 287
OCLC Number 86164527
Creators Parsons, James. Parsons, Robert Bowne. Parsons, Samuel Bowne, 1819-1906. Parsons family. Parsons and Company.
Provenance Gift of Cornell Jaray in 1981 and 1987. Ledgers and bound manuscript volumes (M11-M21) may or may not be related to the collection.
Extent,Scope, and Content Note Records from Parsons and Company, 1774 - [ca.1884]; 1850-1880 (bulk) 16.5 linear ft.
The collection includes bills, inventories, journals, ledgers, letterbooks, financial
records, payroll records, receipts, daybooks, invoices, and related records of the
Parsons family's horticulture businesses in Queens, New York.
Many of the large ledger volumes in this collection were used for record keeping at
different times by different family businesses. For initial cataloging purposes, main categories of records were established.
Arrangement and Processing Note Organization: Arranged by content type. The collection is arranged in nine series: Bills, Inventories, Journals, Ledgers,
Letterbooks, Miscellaneous, Payroll, Receipts, and Invoices. To aid researchers, an
Alphabetical Index and Chronological Index are located after the box listing.
Finding aid updated and revised by Kristen J. Nyitray in April 2020.
Language English
Restrictions on Access The collection is open to researchers without restriction.
Rights and Permissions Stony Brook University Libraries' consent to access as the physical owner of the collection
does not address copyright issues that may affect publication rights. It is the sole
responsibility of the user of Special Collections and University Archives materials
to investigate the copyright status of any given work and to seek and obtain permission
where needed prior to publication.
Citation [Item], Parsons and Company Collection (Queens, New York), 1774-1884, Special Collections and University Archives, Stony Brook University Libraries.
Historical Note James Parsons (1736-1810) and his sons operated a dry goods business in Manhattan
and a nursery business in Queens, New York. During the 19th century, the Parsons family
intermarried the Bowne Family of Queens. Parsons & Co., originally James Parsons &
Sons, dissolved in 1872. Two separate businesses were established, under the names
of sons S.B. Parsons (Samuel Bowne) and R.B. Parsons (Robert Bowne).
Additional sources for research: 1 - New York City Department of Parks and Recreation: includes a history of Parsons
and Company and Kissena Park. 2 - Archives at Queens Public Library: houses a collection of the Parsons family's
personal and business papers.
Subjects Parsons, James. Parsons, Robert B. Parsons, Samuel Bowne, -- 1819-1906. Parsons family. Parsons & Co. (Flushing, New York, N.Y.) Dry-goods -- New York (State) -- New York. Nurseries (Horticulture) -- New York (State) Business enterprises -- New York (State) -- New York. Long Island (N.Y.) -- Commerce. Queens (New York, N.Y.) -- Commerce. Business enterprises. Commerce. Dry-goods. Nurseries (Horticulture) New York (State) New York (State) -- Long Island. New York (State) -- New York. New York (State) -- New York -- Queens.
INVENTORY
Series 1 - Bills (B)
B1: Bills-Receivables, 1847-1859; Bills-Payable, 1847-1859 B2: Bills-Receivables, 1864-1867
Series 2 - Inventories (In)
In1: James Parson & Sons, 1789-1798; Sales Book A, Posted to Daybook
Series 3 - Journals (J)
J1: Daybook C, 1774-1768 J2: James Parsons & Sons, Journal C, 1794-1799 J3: 1795-1801 Letter book, 1795-1800. Inside front cover James Parsons & Sons, Country Letter Book
A. Last entry states: "For future letters of James B. Parsons and Sons see the letter
book of James and Samuel Parsons, in which the letters of the different firms are
entered." J4: James Parsons & Sons, Day Book C, 1791-1794 J5: Day Book, 1839-1851 J6 Journal A, 1852-1856 J7: Daybook no. 1, 1852-1853 J8: Spine G. Hous? sales, 1855-1860 J9: Sales in nursery, 1855-1860 J10: Journal, 1857-1860 J11: Spine title: Sales Nursery side, 1857-1860 J12: Spine title: Invoice, G.H. Sales, 1860 J13: Sales, 1866 J14: Daybook, 1866-1870 J15: Journal, 1870-1871 J16: 1869-1872, Sales
Series 4 - Ledgers (L)
L1: Ledger Parsons & Co., 1779-1781; Plantings, 1864-1871 L2: Ledger, 1842-1849; Address Lists of Customers, 1858-1859; [Inventory] Appraisal
of stock and waggons, implements etc. by Mr. Hendrickson and Mr. Mitchell, March 8,
1847. 2 p. Lists of Plants, ca. 1860s L3: Ledger, 1849-1851 L4: Cash, 1852-1853 L5: Sundry Accounts, 1857-1860 L6: Ledger, 1866-1870 L7: Cash, 1871-1872 L8: 1872-1875, 1876? L9: 1876-1879 L10: Expense Account, Cash Account, Labor Account, 1879-1884
Series 5 - Letter Books (Let)
Let1: 1842-1850 Let2: 1850-1868; 1874-1876
Series 6 - Miscellaneous (M)
M1: Spine title "Profit and Loss B. Expense, Labor, and Interest Monthly totals, 1876-1878";
"Sales/Growth?,1866." M2: Auction Account, 1879-1880; Address List, 1875?; Inventory of Plant Stock, 1870,
1871; Inventory, R.B. Parsons and Co. p.109-, 1873 M3: R.B. Parsons & Co. Purchases of Foreign Merchandise, 1873 M4: Work Done; (also, some pages missing), 1854, 1858-1860, 1856 M5: Bowne Estate Day book, 1867? 1875 M6: Address lists; Wholesale Catalog, 1865 M7: Address List, n.d. M8: Labor Book, 1859-1862 M9: Coal, 1866-1871; New Plants, n.d.; Payroll? 1866-1872 M10: Property, Deeds, Mortgages, 1860-1876
Note: Ledgers and bound manuscript volumes (M11-M21) were received as a gift from
Cornell Jaray, along with the volumes of the Parsons Co., and may or may not be related
to that collection.
M11: Ingersoll, Rev. William H. The Christ Ideal in Sacred Art.1885. 1 vol. Holograph. M12: Howell, Mills; E.F. Howell, successor to N.W. Howell; Ledger 1875-1900 (p. 193);
Grain Ground, p. 434-1883 M13: [Howell??] 1868-1869 Day Book. Groceries sold M14: Day Book, 1835-1836, 1839. John C. Vanderveer?; Formerly of Flat Lands, now
of Flatbush M15-M18: Arithmetic exercise books; holograph M19: Henry Franklin Letter Book, 1814-1816 M20: Continental Insurance Company of the City of New York; Policies. Isaac Peck,
Flushing, Agent. 1871-1876. M21: Alphabetical index to accounts? Letter book? Sundry accounts? Parsons & Co.?
Series 7 - Payroll ( P)
P1: Payroll(?), 1861; Receipts of the Homestead Coal, 1859-1861; Journal, 1860
Series 8 - Receipts (R)
R1: Bills Receipted, 1872-1874 R2: Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Express Receipts, 1877-1884 R3: Bills Receipted, 1871-1874
Series 9 - Invoices (S)
S1: 1850-1861 S2: 1860-1861 S3: 1863-1865 S4: 1865-1866 S5: 1868-1869 S6: 1870-1872 S7: 1876-1879 S8: 1869
Parsons & Company: Chronological Index
No date Address list - M7 New Plants - M9 Subdivision Drawings? - J2 1774-1768: Daybook C - J1 1779-1781: Ledger - L1 1788-1796: Sales Book A - In1 1789-1798: Inventories - In1 1791-1794: Daybook C - J4 1794-1799: Journal C - J2 1795-1800: Country Letter Book A - J3 1795-1801: Journal - J3 1839-1851: Day Book - J5 1842-1849: Ledger - L2 1842-1850: Letter Book - Let1 1843: Receipts of the Homestead Farm - P1 1847: Appraisal of stock... - L2 1847-1859: Bills Payable - B1 1847-1859: Bills Receivables - B1 1849-1851: Ledger - L3 1850-1861: Invoices - S1 1850-1868: Letters - Let2 1852-1853: Daybooks no.1 - J7 1852-1853: Cash - L4 1852-1856: Journal A - J6 1854: M4 1855-1856: Sales in Nursery - J9 1856 - M4 1855-1860: Sales - J8 1857-1860: Sundry Accounts - L5 1857-1860: Sales Nursery Side - J11 1858-1860: Journal - J10 1858-1859: Customer Address Lists - L2 1858-1860: M4 1859-1861: Coal - P1 1859-1862: Labor Book - M8 1860's ?: Lists of Plants - L2 1860: Sales - J12 1860: Journal - P1 1860-1861: Invoices - S2 1860-1876: Property, Deeds, Mortgages - M10 1861: Payroll (?) - P1 1863-1865: Invoices - S3 1864-1867: Bills Receivables - B2 1864-1871: Plantings - L1 1865: Address List; Wholesale Catalogue - M6 1865-1866: Invoices - S4 1866: Sales - J13 1866: Sales/Growth? - M1 1866-1870: Ledger 0 L6 1866-1870: Daybook - J14 1866-1871: Coal - M9 1866-1872: Payroll? - M9 1867?: Bowne Estate Day Book - M5 1868-1869: Invoices - S5 1869: S8 1869-1872: Sales - J16 1870-1871: Journal - J15 1870,1871: Inventory of Plant Stock - M2 1870-1872: Invoices - S6 1871-1872: Cash - L7 1871-1874: Bills Receipted - R3 1872-1874: Bills Receipted - R1 1872-1875: L8 1873: Purchase of Foreign Merchandise - M3 1873: Inventory - M2 1874-1876: Letters - L2 1875: Bowne Estate Day Book - M5 1875?: Address Lists - M2 1876?: L8 1876-1878: Expense, Labor, Interest Monthly Totals - M1 1876-1879: L9 1876-1879: Invoices - S7 1877-1884: Receipts - R2 1879-1880: Auction Account - M2 1879-1884: Expense, Cash, Labor Accounts - L10
Parsons & Company: General Alphabetical Index
Address Lists L2, M2, M6, M7 Auctions Account M2 Bills B1-2, R1 Bowne Estate Day Book M5 Coal M9, P1 Expense, Labor, Interest M1 Inventories IN1, L2, M2 Invoices S1-8 Journals J1-16, P1 Labor Book M1, M8 Ledgers L1-10 Letter Books Let1-2, J3 Payroll M9, P1 Plants L1, L2, M9 Property, Deeds, Mortgages M10 Purchases of Foreign Merchandise M3 Receipts P1, R2 Sales J13, M1 Subdivision Drawings (?) J2 Work Done M4
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