John Graves Chapman papers

Collection

Call Number: MS 891

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of nine bound volumes belonging to John Graves Chapman (b. 1838), a feed and grain dealer and insurance agent of New Haven, Connecticut. There is also an undated photograph of Chapman in his office.

Six of the volumes record claims for pensions made by Connecticut Civil War Veterans between 1888 and 1914. Included are depositions by the claimants and notes as to which pensions were granted and for what amounts. It is unclear whether Chapman kept these records as a government employee or as part of a private agency. The first volume also contains a seventy-page cash account kept by Chapman, 1876-1877.

Two further volumes contain records of Chapman's insurance business for the years 1898-1913, including a "List of Members, Universal Identification and Recovery Company," and "Revised List of Members, United States Register Company." In the first of these volumes is mounted a collection of postmarks arranged by state.

The final volume is a letterbook, ca. 1866-1879, devoted to Chapman's feed and grain business and financial matters.

All nine of these volumes are in poor condition and must be handled with care.

Dates

1866-1914

Creator

Chapman, John Graves, b. 1838

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection are in the public domain. There are no restrictions on use. Copyright status for other collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased, 1945 and 1946.

Extent

1 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/mssa.ms.0891

Additional Description

Overview

The papers consist of nine volumes, six of which contain records of claims for pensions made by Civil War veterans from Connecticut. The remaining volumes contain accounts related to John Graves Chapman's insurance business, a letterbook (ca. 1866-1879), and a collection of mounted postmarks.