Bannerman family papers 2210

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Manuscripts and Archives PO Box 3630 Wilmington, Delaware 19807 [email protected] URL: http://www.hagley.org/library Bannerman family papers 2210

Table of Contents

Summary Information ...... 3 Historical Note ...... 3 Scope and Content ...... 4 Arrangement ...... 4 Administrative Information ...... 5 Related Materials ...... 5 Controlled Access Headings ...... 5 Collection Inventory ...... 6

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Summary Information

Repository: Manuscripts and Archives Creator: Bannerman family Title: Bannerman family papers ID: 2210 Date [inclusive]: 1857-1974 Physical Description: 1.8 Linear Feet Language of the English . Material: Abstract: The collection consists of Francis Bannerman's personal papers, correspondence, travel diaries, and financial documents concerning Bannerman Island.

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Historical Note

Francis Bannerman (1851-1918) was a major purveyor of military goods to sportsmen and collectors in City, a business his family operated for three generations.

Bannerman orginally worked for his father, who had purchased surplus military goods at scrap prices in the demobilization at the end of the Civil War. Bannerman went into business for himself in October 1872, selling potatoes and apples in season, as well as hardware purchased at government surplus auctions. Bannerman prospered and moved his store from to in 1897, turning it into a showpiece museum of modern and antique weaponry and military memorabilia. To store his vast quantities of arms and ammunition, Bannerman bought Pollepel Island in the Highlands in 1900 and erected Bannerman's Island Arsenal and a summer residence patterned after the castles of the family's native Scotland.

On January 1, 1917, Bannerman conveyed the business to his sons Francis (1873-1945) and David (1875-1957) as Francis Bannerman Sons. In 1958, David's son Charles S. Bannerman (1905-1976) incorporated the business, but he was a relatively passive representative of the family interest, the day- to-day affairs being in the hands of career employees. The business was downsized and moved to the following year. Pollepel Island was sold to the state in 1967, but the buildings were gutted by fire in 1969.

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Scope and Content

The collection includes the incoming personal correspondence from the last year of Francis Bannerman's life and a series of diaries covering his trip to Ireland for his marriage and some of his annual voyages to Europe and Asia, which doubled as vacations and buying trips. The diaries are reasonably full accounts of accommodations, sites visited, and other observations.

Another important section of the collection deals with Bannerman's Island, including mortgages, taxes, and papers covering the sale of the Island to the state in 1967 and the subsequent fire. There are also notes for Charles Bannerman's history of the Island and a large group of news clippings. Most of these deal with the Island, the fire or the Bannerman firm. A few pieces were apparently collected by Francis Bannerman on topics he found interesting, including the 1903 assassination of King Alexander and Queen Draga of Serbia.

One of the most interesting pieces in the collection is an agreement of 1915 confirming an 1872 prenuptual agreement between Francis and Nelly Boyce Bannerman, in which Bannerman acknowledges his wife's right to half his assets as the equal partner in all his labors. It describes the circumstances of their marriage, his refusal of a dowry, their early hardships, and the many tasks performed by himself and his wife when starting in business.

Among the miscellaneous pieces are Bannerman's certificate of membership in the Free and Accepted Masons, his New Testament and dictionary, a booklet of rules for the Brooklyn Latin School which Bannerman's sons attended, and an 1857 deed of assignment of William Talbscott & Co. of Liverpool.

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Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject and genre.

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Administrative Information

Publication Statement Manuscripts and Archives

PO Box 3630 Wilmington, Delaware 19807 [email protected] URL: http://www.hagley.org/library

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Related Materials

Related Material Francis Bannerman Sons, Inc. Records (Accession 2185), Manuscripts and Archives Department, Hagley Museum and Library

Francis Bannerman Sons, Inc. Photograph Collection (Accession 98.284), Pictorial Collections Department, Hagley Museum and Library

Francis Bannerman Family Photograph Collection (Accession 2001.229), Pictorial Collections Department, Hagley Museum and Library

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Controlled Access Headings

• Married women -- Employment. • Diaries • Pollepel Island • Japan • Great Britain -- Description and travel. • Europe -- Description and travel. • China -- Description and travel. • Surplus military property - Page 5- Bannerman family papers 2210 • Prenuptial agreements • Bannerman, Charles S. , 1905-1976 • Bannerman, Francis, 1851-1918 • Bannerman, Nellie Boyce • Bannerman's Island Arsenal (Fishkill, N.Y.) • Brooklyn Latin School (New York, N.Y.)

Collection Inventory

Title/Description Instances Abstract of Title to Brooklyn Property box 1

Bills and Receipts, 1918 box 1

Catalogs, 1884-1889 box 1

Certificate of Membership in the Masons, 1887 box 1

New Testament box 1

Correspondence - "As-Ay", 1917-1918 box 1

Correspondence - "Baa-Baq", 1917 box 1

Correspondence - "Caa-Caq", 1917-1918 box 1

Correspondence - "Dir-Dz", 1918 box 1

Correspondenee - "Ea-Ek", 1918 box 1

Correspondence - "Fa-Fh", 1917-1918 box 1

Correspondence - "Ga-Gd", 1917 box 1

Correspondence - "Haa-Ham", 1917-1918 box 1

Correspondence - "Ka-Kd", 1917-1918 box 2

Correspondence - "Laa_Laq", 1917-1918 box 2

Correspondence - "MeA-McC", 1917-1918 box 2

Correspondence - "Sa-Sb", 1917-1918 box 2

Diary, 1915 box 2

Trip Across Atlantic with wife, Nellie, 1903 box 2

Trip Across Pacific, 1904 box 2

Trip to Europe, 1906 box 2

Trip to Europe (England, Scotland etc.), 1907 box 2

Trip to Ireland, Marriage to Nellie Boyce, 1872 box 2

Partnership Agreements (Wife and Sons), 1915-1917 box 3 - Page 6- Bannerman family papers 2210

Passports, 1903-1909 box 3

Bannerman Island - General, 1927-1968 box 3

Bannerman Island - Mortgages, Indentures, 1900-1956 box 3

Sale of Bannerman Island, 1967-1969 box 3

Bannerman Island - School and State County Taxes, 1932-1966 box 3

Brooklyn Latin School Rules and Regulations, 1894-1895 box 3

Deeds and Title Reports for 501 Broadway, Manhattan, 1905-1922 box 4

Francis Bannerman & Sons: Articles of Partnership Agreement box 4

Francis Bannennan & Sons: Miscellaneous box 4

Histories and Agreements, 1946-1967 box 4

Newspaper Clippings oversize OS-1

Story of Bannerman Island, 1902-1974 box 4

Webster's Handy Service Dictionary box 4

William Talbscott & Co. Assignment Liverpool, 1857 box 4

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