Overview
The Hobart family was active in business, law, and politics in Philadelphia in the 18th and early 19th century. The Hobart family papers, 1737-1941 (inclusive), 1752-1873 (bulk), contain the correspondence and records of Philadelphia merchant Enoch Hobart (1712-1776) and his son, merchant, insurance broker, and attorney Robert E. Hobart (1768-1826), as well as other Hobart family members, and various relations through marriage, such as the Potts, Pratt, and Rutter families.
Dates
- Creation: 1737-1941
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1752-1873
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Materials stored onsite. Please contact specialcollectionsref@hbs.edu for more information.
Extent
2 linear ft. (3 boxes, 4 volumes)The Hobart family papers, 1737-1941 (inclusive), 1752-1873 (bulk), contain the correspondence and records of Philadelphia merchant Enoch Hobart and his son, merchant, insurance broker, and attorney Robert E. Hobart, as well as other Hobart family members, such as Hannah Hobart, wife of Enoch Hobart, several of Robert E. Hobart’s children, including attorney and justice of the peace Nathaniel P. Hobart, and various relations through marriage, such as the Potts, Pratt, and Rutter families.
Enoch Hobart's papers date from 1752 to 1776 and relate to trade of staves, flour, rum, and sugar in the West Indies and parts of Western Europe, and his ownership of several vessels. They include several ledgers, a letter book, bills, invoices, and receipts. Robert E. Hobart's papers date from 1790 to 1825, and include correspondence and legal documents generated during his work as a lawyer, insurance policies and claims, and writings related to his term in the Pennsylvania state legislature. Papers of other Hobarts and extended family members contain legal and estate records, correspondence, school materials, poetry and other writings, and genealogical information.
Historical Note:
The Hobart family was active in business, law, and politics in Philadelphia in the 18th and early 19th century. Captain Enoch Hobart (1712-1776), a mariner, merchant, and ship owner, traded commodities including staves, flour, bread, fish, candles, rum, cotton, sugar, molasses, and coffee, in the West Indies and Europe. He owned or held interests in the brigantines Polly, Minerva, and Dove. Hobart completed several extended journeys to Jamaica, where he sold rum, lumber, and other goods. He occasionally partnered with Philip Haughton (1700-1765), a plantation owner in Jamaica, and John Bringhurst (1772-1789) of Philadelphia. In 1755 Enoch Hobart married Hannah Pratt (1732-1804), and they had nine children including Robert Enoch Hobart (1768-1826), who, like his father, engaged in shipping and trade. He also started an insurance brokerage, worked as an attorney, and was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from Montgomery County In 1790 he married Sarah May Potts (1770-1826), granddaughter of John Potts (1710-1768), the founder of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, where they lived. Their twelve children included Nathaniel Potts Hobart (1790-1860), an attorney and Justice of the Peace for Montgomery County and Robert Enoch Hobart, Jr. (1796-1869). In addition to the Potts and Pratts, the Hobarts were related through marriage to the Anthony, Smith, and Rutter families. The Potts and Rutters founded and managed iron furnaces in Pennsylvania, and were active in politics.
Series Outline
The collection is arranged in the following series:
- Series I. Enoch Hobart papers, 1752-1776
- Series II. Robert E. Hobart papers, 1790-1826
- Series III. Other Hobart family papers, 1737-1941
- Series IV. Miscellaneous papers, 1737-1870
Physical Location
MANU
Provenance:
Purchase, 2009.
Processing Information
Processed: July 2011
By: Kaitlin Connolly
Processed: December 2017
By: Brooke McManus
Preservation and description of 18th century material in the collection were supported by the Colonial North America at Harvard Library Project.
- Title
- Hobart Family. Hobart Family Papers, 1737-1941 (inclusive), 1752-1873 (bulk): A Finding Aid
- Author
- Baker Library
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- bak00475
Repository Details
Part of the Baker Library Special Collections and Archives, Harvard Business School Repository
Baker Library Special Collections and Archives holds unique resources that focus on the evolution of business and industry, as well as the records of the Harvard Business School, documenting the institution's development over the last century. These rich and varied collections support research in a diverse range of fields such as business, economic, social and cultural history as well as the history of science and technology.
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