Conditions Governing Access
Conditions Governing Use
Preferred Citation
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Biographical / Historical
Scope and Contents
Subject Matter
Processing Information
Persons And Organizations Represented by 15 or More Items
Additional Information
Other Finding Aids
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Thomas Haines Dudley papers
Identifier/Call Number: mssDU
Physical Description:
78.6 Linear Feet
(73 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1841-1959
Date (bulk): 1861-1872
Abstract: The collection primarily contains correspondence and documents of Thomas Haines Dudley from 1861 to 1872.
Language of Material: English.
Conditions Governing Access
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more
information.
Conditions Governing Use
In order to quote from, publish, or reproduce any of the manuscripts or visual materials, researchers must obtain formal permission
from the office of the Library Director. In most instances, permission is given by the Huntington as owner of the physical
property rights only, and researchers must also obtain permission from the holder of the literary rights. In some instances,
the Huntington owns the literary rights, as well as the physical property rights. Researchers may contact the appropriate
curator for further information.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Thomas Haines Dudley papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased through Stanley V. Henkels from E. Lawrence Dudley, grandson of Thomas Haines Dudley, 1923.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Addenda gift of Philip Van Doren Stern, date undetermined.
Biographical / Historical
Thomas Haines Dudley (1819-1893) was an American diplomat and politician. A New Jersey Quaker, he became active in the state
and national Whig and then Republican politics in the early 1840s. As U.S. consul to Liverpool from 1861 to 1872, he was in
charge of secret service throughout the Civil War and was active in attempts to prevent Confederate shipbuilding in England.
From 1865 to 1872, he was involved in settling property claims arising out of the war. In the 1880s, he published a number
of pro-protectionist pamphlets. His son, Edward Dudley, served as Vice Consul and Acting Consul in Liverpool in 1871 and 1872
and was a partner in his father's New Jersey law firm.
Scope and Contents
The collection primarily contains correspondence and documents of Thomas Haines Dudley. Dudley's personal and political correspondence,
including 22 volumes of diplomatic correspondence, reflect his entire political career. Also present are 1 volume of copies
of Confederate correspondence, documents (including 8 account books and 2 volumes of memoranda), 6 scrapbooks of newspaper
clippings, and miscellaneous pamphlets, photographs, and other printed material. Subjects include Whig and Republican politics;
local, state, and national elections and conventions, including the 1860 Republican National Convention; political affairs
in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including information on Camden and Amboy Railroad and Transportation Company; the politics
and government in the New England states, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois are covered to a somewhat lesser extent. There are some
items relating to the U.S. Sanitary Commission. Items also document affairs of the American consulate in Liverpool, especially
pertaining to Confederate shipbuilding and blockade running, British claims against the United States after the war and efforts
to confiscate Confederate property in England, and routine consular matters. This portion of the collection includes photographs
and drawings of Confederate ships. Dudley's legal practice and personal affairs, including his interest in political economy,
are reflected in his correspondence with Henry Charles Carey. Presidential items in this collection include Chester A. Arthur
letter to Thomas Haines Dudley, 1872 February 1 (DU 87); Ulysses S. Grant letter to Thomas Haines Dudley, 1866 March 9 (DU
1820); Andrew Johnson letter to Thomas Haines Dudley, 1865 December 24 (DU 2434).
Subject Matter
1843-1860
- Development & strengthening of Whig & Republican Parties
- Local, state & national elections, Fund raising for same
- Local and national conventions including 1860 Republican National Convention
- Politics and government of New Jersey & Pennsylvania - to a somewhat lesser extent, of the New England States and of Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois.
- Political economy (particularly in the letters of Henry Charles Carey)
- Camden & Amboy Ry. & Camden Ferry Co.
- Dudley's legal practice
- Personal correspondence (minor)
1861-1872
- Construction by British firms of warships for C.S.A. U. S. efforts (legal & diplomatic) to induce the British government to
seize & detain then under Britain's Foreign Enlistment Act (a neutrality act)
- Blockade runners
- Detectives' report re. both the above. Photographs, sketches & descriptions for use of U.S. Navy
- Registry, manifests, statistics of ships clearing from British ports 1861-1865
- Confederate finances - including cotton loans, cotton warrants, activities of Fraser Trenholm & Co. (financial agent for C.S.A.
in Great Britain)
- U.S. claims for & legal actions to obtain C.S.A. assets & property in Great Britain after the war.
- Sale of Confederate ships awarded to the U.S. by British Courts.
- Preparation of Alabam Claims for presentation to Geneva Tribunal of Arbitration as provided in 1871 Treaty of Washington.
- Preparation of & Interrogatories on Memorials to Mixed Commission on American and British Claims as provided in same Treaty
for civilian suits.
- Protests, petitions, mass meetings & legal actions vs. Dudley by (or insigated by) disgruntled individuals.
- Consuls - regulations - assistance to distressed seamen
- Consular services to U.S. nationals &/or relatives in Lancashire, England
- Dudley's stock & bond transactions
- Designs & price estimates for house being built for Dudley in New Jersey. Equipment for same. Stocking of his farm
- U.S. politics & national elections - only a few items
- Immigration to U.S. - only a few items of any significance
- Personal correspondence - only a few items of any significance
- Potato famine - correspondence - mainly in letter books
- Cow cholera - correspondence - mainly in letter books
- U.S. Sanitary Commission & Sanitary Fairs
1872-1891
- Politics
- Agricultural organizations & conventions
- Tariff - including opposition of Cobdon Clubs
- Dudley's legal practice
- Personal correspondence
Processing Information
This finding aid was updated in 2022 by Melissa Haley as part of the American Presidential Papers Project with enhanced description
of the presidential material present.
Persons And Organizations Represented by 15 or More Items
(exclusive of letter books & of detectives who made only routine reports)
- Abbot, George J 22 pieces
- Adams, Charles Francis 17 pieces
- Badeau, Adam 24 pieces
- Bemis 15 pieces
- Borthwick, Wark & Co 22 pieces
- Bright, John 35 pieces
- Carey, Henry Charles 109 pieces
- Chandler, George H 109 pieces
- Chandler, George H 16 pieces
- Cleveland, Charles Dexter 38 pieces
- Cook, William 40 pieces
- Cushing, Caleb 25 pieces
- Davis, John Chandler Bancroft 20 pieces
- Dayton, Williams Lewis 18 pieces
- De Costa, John 16 pieces
- Downward, William & Co 63 pieces
- Dudley, Thomas Haines 237 pieces
- Duncans, Squarey, Blackmore, Pearson & Hill 107 pieces
- Evarts, William Maxwell 23 pieces
- Field, Roscoe, Field & Francis 113 pieces
- Forbes, John Murray 27 pieces
- Fox, Alfred 16 pieces
- Freeman, Thomas F 15 pieces
- French, William 18 pieces
- Great Britain 82 pieces
- Hale, Charles 15 pieces
- Halligan, Thomas 80 pieces
- Harvey, Jevons & Ryley 104 pieces
- Heine, William 21 pieces
- Jevons, William Alfred 109 pieces
- Langley, J. Baxter 20 pieces
- Latham, John 23 pieces
- Maguire, Matthew 107 pieces
- McChesney, Joseph H 19 pieces
- Moran, Benjamin 235 pieces
- Morse, Freeman Harlow 86 pieces
- Murray, Andrew 16 pieces
- Prettyman John S 24 pieces
- Redfield, Isaac Fletcher 38 pieces
- Rothery & Co 20 pieces
- Seward, William Henry 20 pieces
- Squarey, Andrew 22 pieces
- Thomas, R. M 15 pieces
- Thompson, Charles 44 pieces
- Underwood, Warner Lewis 44 pieces
- Wells, David Ames 16 pieces
- West, William B 15 pieces
- Wilding, Henry 134 pieces
- Wilson, Charles Lush 51 pieces
- Winslow, John Ancrum 16 pieces
- Yonge, Clarence Randolph 29 pieces
Additional Information
Alternate Names of Ships
- Active - Beatrice - Rappahannock Scylla - Victor
- Echo - Jefferson Davis - Putnam
- Agincourt - No. 278
- Economist - Bonita
- Alabama - No. 290 - Enrica
- El Monassir - Laird's Ram - Wyvern
- Alabama 2-Canton of London Pampero - Texas - Tournado
- El Toussan - Laird's Ram - Scorpion (Sister ship to El Monassir)
- Agnes Louisa - Grapeshot
- Enrica (see Alabama)
- Alexandra - Mary
- Eureka - Joseph L. Gerrity - Gerrity
- F. Crenshaw - Gracie
- Annie Childs - North Carolina Victory - Julia Usher T.D. Wagner
- Florida - Malacca - Oreto - Manassas
- Georgia - Virginia 2 - Japan
- Antonica - Herald
- Gibraltar - Sumter
- Ariel - Colonel Lamb
- Giraffe - Robert E. Lee
- Atlanta - Tallahassee Chameleon
- Gracie - F. Crenshaw
- Bonita - Economist
- Granite City - Dundee
- Beatrice (see Active)
- Grapeshot - Agnes Louisa
- Bendige - Millie
- Herald - Antonica
- Canton of London (see Alabama 2)
- Joseph L. Gerrity - Gerrity - Eureka
- Chameleon (see Atlanta)
- Japan (see Georgia)
- Cherokee - Thistle
- Jefferson Davis (see Echo)
- Colonel Lamb (see Ariel)
- Julia Farmer - Martha Whitmore
- Conrad - Tuscaloosa
- Julia Usher (see Annie Childs)
- Danmark - Santa Maria
- Laird's Rams (see sister ships El Monassir and El Toussan)
- Defiance No. 292
- Lancashire - Stonewall - Sphinx Stoerkodder)
- Douglas - Margaret
- Dundee - Granite City
- Lilla - Mary Wright
- Malacca - (see Florida)
- Duntroon Castle - Shenandoah
- Richard Wright - Sea King
- Manassas - (see Florida)
- Eagle - Mary Anne
- Margaret - Douglas
- Martha Whitmore - Julia Farmer
- Scylla (see Active)
- Mary (see Alexandra)
- Scorpion (see El Toussan)
- Mary Anne - Eagle
- Sea Hawk - Merlin
- Mary Wright - Lilla
- Sea King (see Duntroon Castle)
- Merlin - Sea Hawk
- Shenandoah (see Duntroon Castle)
- Merrimac 1 - Virginia 1
- Stoerkodder (see Lancashire)
- Merrimac 2 - Nargis
- Stonewall (see Lancashire)
- Millie - Bendage
- Southerner - Westminster
- Mohawk - Pekin
- Sumter (see Gibraltar)
- Nargis - Merrimac 2
- T. D. Wagner (see Annie Childs)
- North Carolina (see Annie Childs)
- Tallahassee (see Atlanta)
- Oreto (see Florida)
- Texas (see Alabama 2)
- Pampero - (see Alabama 2)
- Thistle - Cherokee
- Pekin - Mohawk
- Tournado (see Alabama2)
- Princess Royal - Rosalind
- Tuscaloosa - Conrad
- Putnam (see Echo)
- Victor (see Active)
- Rappahannock (see Active)
- Victory (see Annie Childs)
- Richard Wright (see Duntroon Castle)
- Virginia 1 - Merrimac 1
- Robert E. Lee (see Giraffe)
- Virginia 2 (see Georgia)
- Rosalind - Princess Royal
- Westminster - Southerner
- Santa Maria - Danmark
- Wyvern (see El Monassir)
- Agrippina
- Helen Morris
- Tallahassee
- Ajax
- Hercules
- Thomas
- Alabama
- Japan
- Tuscarora
- Alexandra
- Joseph L. Gerrity
- Virginia
- Annie Childs
- Julia Usher
- Wasp
- Ariel
- Kearsarge
- White Inch
- Atlanta
- Laird's Rams
- Badgar
- Lark
- Bahama
- Louisa Ann Fannie
- Beatrice
- Laurel
- Canton of London
- Mary
- Chameleon
- Niagara
- City of Richmond
- No. 290
- Colonal Lamb
- Olinde
- Deerhound
- Oreto
- Owl
- Dolphin
- Pampero
- Duntroon Castle Edward Hawkins
- Penguin
- Emily St Piere
- Rappahannock
- Fingal
- Robert E. Lee
- Florida
- Rosine Ruby
- Fox
- St Thomas
- Georgia
- Sea King
- Gerrity
- Shenandosh
- Gibraltar
- Southerner
- Great Western
- Stonewall
- Hawk
- Sumter
Other Finding Aids
Of possible assistance in utilizing the collection are:
- Partial list of ships frequently mentioned (In Information File)
- List of alternate names of ships (In Information File)
- Register of official dispatches (DU 1070)
- Register of Confederate & suspicious ships (DU 1059)
- The English Blockade Steamers (DU 4057)
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Arthur, Chester Alan, 1901-1972
Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885
Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875