1726-1897; bulk: 1842-1853
Guide to the Collection
Abstract
This collection consists of the papers of William Blackler Gerry, master mariner in the China and India trade, primarily correspondence with his wife Mary Susan Bartlett Gerry. The collection also contains a diary of William Blackler Gerry and papers of other Gerry family members.
Biographical Sketch
Capt. William Blackler Gerry was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts, on 20 January 1817, the son of Frances "Fanny" Blackler Gerry (1789-1885) and Samuel Russell Gerry (1784-1871). He had a brother Dr. Samuel Russell Gerry (b. 1816). William B. Gerry became a master mariner in the China and India trade, and the first ship he commanded was the Charlotte in 1842. Other vessels he commanded included the ship Beeside, the bark Sappho, and the ships Farwell, Akbar, Cohota, and Noonday.
On 2 December 1844, William married Mary Susan "Sue" Bartlett (1823-1898) of Marblehead, the daughter of Rebecca (Deblois) Bartlett (1778-1858) and Rev. John Bartlett (1784-1849). William and Mary Susan had two children: Frances "Fannie" Blackler Gerry (1846-1918), who later married William Gray Swett Keene (1843-1893), and William Blackler Gerry, Jr. (1849-1860). William, Sr. died in Kolkata, India, on 18 August 1856. After his death, Mary S. Gerry ran a boarding house in Marblehead.
William B. Gerry's great-uncle was Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814), signer of the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation, governor of Massachusetts, and vice president under James Madison.
Collection Description
This collection consists of the papers of Capt. William Blackler Gerry of Marblehead, Massachusetts, primarily his correspondence with his wife Mary Susan Bartlett Gerry before and after their marriage during his voyages around the world. Included are letters written from Manila, Philippines; New Orleans, Louisiana; Liverpool, England; Pazhou (Whampoa) and Guangzhou (Canton), China; New York; Baltimore, Maryland; Kolkata, India; Indonesia; and San Francisco, California. Subjects include the couple's love for each other, the progress of his voyages, and family matters, including the activities of their children Frances and William, Jr. Additional correspondents include Gerry's parents Frances Blackler Gerry and Samuel Russell Gerry, his father-in-law Rev. John Bartlett, and his brother Dr. Samuel Russell Gerry.
The collection also contains a diary kept by William Blackler Gerry in 1841; personal correspondence of Mary Susan Bartlett Gerry, including letters from her daughter Frances Bartlett Gerry Keene; letters related to the death of William Gray Swett Keene; papers of Gerry family members, including brothers Thomas, John, and Samuel Russell Gerry, Sr.; and a small collection of cut-slip autographs.
Acquisition Information
Gift of the descendants of William Blackler Gerry, nephew of Elbridge Gerry, as follows: Sarah B. Gayer, Christina M. Helm, Mary A. Jimenez, and Susan A. Morison.
Detailed Description of the Collection
I. William Blackler Gerry papers, 1829-1856
This series consists primarily of correspondence of William Blackler Gerry, mostly with his wife Mary Susan Bartlett Gerry, both before and after their marriage, during William's voyages around the world in the 1840s and 1850s. Subjects include their love for each other, the progress of his voyages, and family matters. Included are William's letters from the ship Charlotte on voyages to Manila, Philippines, 1841-1842 and 1844; New Orleans, Louisiana (as master for the first time), 1842-1843; Liverpool, England, 1843; Macau and Pazhou (Whampoa), Guangzhou (Canton), China, 1843-1844; and New York, 1844. Also included are letters from the bark Sappho at Hong Kong and Pazhou (Whampoa), 1845; and the ship Farwell at Baltimore, Maryland, and Liverpool, 1846. Beginning in early 1847, William was writing from New York, and many letters discuss their children Frances and William, Jr.
Additional correspondence includes William's letters from the ship Akbar at Liverpool, 1847, and Kolkata, India, 1847 and 1848; and the ship Cohota at various places between 1849 and 1854, including Jakarta (Batavia), Indonesia; Penang, Malaysia; Kolkata; San Francisco; Manila; Singapore; Sydney, Australia; and Padang, Indonesia. Most of the letters in this series run to multiple pages, but the text is cross-written and therefore difficult to read.
The series also contains correspondence between William and his parents Frances and Samuel Russell Gerry and father-in-law Rev. John Bartlett; a few letters from his brother Dr. Samuel Russell Gerry; and a diary William kept in 1841.
A. Correspondence, 1829-1856
Arranged chronologically.
B. Diary, 5 August-15 October 1841
This diary was kept by William Blackler Gerry at Marblehead, Massachusetts. Long, detailed entries describe his daily activities, particularly the courtship of his future wife Mary Susan Bartlett, and his love for her. The diary, addressed directly to Mary Susan, is apparently incomplete.
II. Mary Susan Bartlett Gerry papers, 1832-1897
Arranged chronologically.
This series contains correspondence of Mary Susan Bartlett Gerry with individuals other than her husband William Blackler Gerry. Included are letters from her father Rev. John Bartlett, brother-in-law Dr. Samuel Russell Gerry, and daughter Frances Blackler Gerry Keene, as well as letters of sympathy after the deaths of her husband William Blackler Gerry, son William Blackler Gerry, and son-in-law William Gray Swett Keene. Letters about Keene discuss whether his death may have been a suicide.
III. Gerry and Bartlett family papers, 1726-1867
Arranged chronologically.
This series contains correspondence and other papers of Gerry and Bartlett family members other than William Blackler Gerry and Mary Susan Bartlett Gerry. Included are papers of brothers Thomas Gerry (1735-1821), John Gerry (1741-1786), and Samuel Russell Gerry (1750-1807), primarily related to their shipping interests; papers of Samuel R. Gerry as collector at Marblehead, Massachusetts; and a few Gerry and Bartlett family letters. One 1824 letter from Frances Blackler Gerry to her husband Samuel R. Gerry describes her loneliness during his long voyages.
IV. Autographs and printed material, undated
This series contains miscellaneous printed material and a small collection of cut-slip autographs gathered by an unidentified individual. Included are autographs of Joseph Hobson (1834-1917), Henry Cabot Lodge (1850-1924), Charles F. McKim (1847-1909), Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903), Alice Freeman Palmer (1855-1902), Alexander H. Rice (1818-1895), Ellen H. Richards (1842-1911), L. Clark Seelye (1837-1924), and Carroll D. Wright (1840-1909).
Preferred Citation
William Blackler Gerry family papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.