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Nathan Guilford Letters to Thomas Rotch Regarding Settlement of Slaves

Om225_1097565_142

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[page 1]

[corresponds to page 1 of Nathan Guilford letter to Thomas Rotch, May 20, 1817]

Western Emigrant Society

Thos. Roach Esq. Cincinnati, May 20th 1817

Sir

I have the honor to inform you that at the last meeting of the Western Emigrant Society, held at

Cincinnati on the 12 th day of May inst. You were elected an Honorary Member. Should

you feel disposed to honor their choice by acceptance, you will have the goodness to signify it by a line

addressed to me , as soon as convenient.

For the views and objects of the Society I beg leave to refer you to the annexed Exposition; and, in

case of your acceptance, I am instructed to request you to communicate, from time to time, such information

relative to the Western Country, and especially of the neighborhood in which you reside, as would, in your

opinion, be serviceable to those who may be desirous of settling in the Country without knowledge

which is necessary to make a judicious choice. Any information respecting the Topography, History,

State of Settlement, Soil, Water-courses, Climate, &c; or any demands and eligible situations for Mechanics,

Tradesmen, &c. which you may communicate, will be gratefully received.

Very respectfully Yours,

Nathan Guilford Corresponding Secretary

Object Description

Title	Nathan Guilford Letters to Thomas Rotch Regarding Settlement of Slaves
Subject	Civil Liberties Religion in Ohio Climate and Weather African American Ohioans Slavery Quakers Society of Friends
Place	Massillon (Ohio) Stark County (Ohio)
Description	Nathan Guilford (1786-1854), secretary of the Western Emigrant Society, wrote these three letters to Thomas Rotch regarding the settlement of slaves in the Ohio country. In the first letter Guilford inquires about conditions in the area, and asks in particular about the topography, soil, climate, and availability of water, as well as any knowledge regarding availability of positions for mechanics, tradesmen, and laborers. Attached to the first letter is an "Exposition" that could be forwarded to anyone contemplating resettlement west of the Allegheny Mountains. The letter is two pages and measures 7.75" x 9.5" (19.69 x 24.13 cm). In the second letter, Nathan Guilford responds to a letter from Thomas Rotch on behalf of Paul Cuffe regarding resettlement of three or four hundred slaves freed by the will of Samuel Gist of Virginia. In a cautious response as to where land might be found to accommodate these people, Guilford tells Rotch that they should be able to be resettled anywhere that land is available, although land on navigable rivers is costly and mostly taken up. Furthermore, Guilford warns that if they decided to settle near rivers in parts of Indiana and Ohio, they could face intimidation by their neighbors and kidnapping by slave hunters. He suggests that the group remove to lands as far north as possible. While Quaker friends in Indiana and Ohio befriended and protected former slaves, Guilford suggests that the majority of people in Ohio or Indiana would be "politically opposed to the settlement of so large a body of blacks in the heart of the State." The letter is four pages long and measures 7.75" x 9.5" (19.69 x 24.13 cm). The third letter is a questionnaire concerning conditions in the Ohio Country. The letter is one page and measures 7.75" x 9.5" (19.69 x 24.13 cm). Thomas Rotch (1767-1823), a Quaker and early settler of Kendal, was active in the abolition movement and conducted slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad. He also served as a correspondent for the Committee on Indian Concerns. The Rotch-Wales Collection comprises several thousand items, including Quaker and abolitionist materials, household remedies and recipes, weather reports and machinery plans, and personal letters of Thomas and Charity Rotch and their family. It contains personal and business correspondence, diaries, documents, accounts, ledgers, and daybooks. A large portion of the collection consists of the personal and business correspondence, documents, and business papers of Arvine Wales I (1785-1854), who accompanied Rotch from Hartford to Ohio in 1811, worked for him, and carried on Rotch's business interests after his death. The papers of his son, Arvine C. Wales (1827-1882), a lawyer and civic leader in Massillon, are also part of the collection.
Creator	Guilford, Nathan, 1786-1854
Date of Original	May 20, 1817; July 16, 1817; August 03, 1817
Collection	Rotch-Wales Collection
Source	Unpublished material (archives/manuscripts) B-75-1 Incoming correspondence- Personal B-75-2 Incoming correspondence Personal B-75-3 Incoming correspondence- Personal
Submitting Institution	Massillon Public Library
Type	Text; 05/20/1817;07/16/1817;08/03/1817
Full Text	[page 1] [corresponds to page 1 of Nathan Guilford letter to Thomas Rotch, May 20, 1817] Western Emigrant Society Thos. Roach Esq. Cincinnati, May 20th 1817 Sir I have the honor to inform you that at the last meeting of the Western Emigrant Society, held at Cincinnati on the 12 th day of May inst. You were elected an Honorary Member. Should you feel disposed to honor their choice by acceptance, you will have the goodness to signify it by a line addressed to me , as soon as convenient. For the views and objects of the Society I beg leave to refer you to the annexed Exposition; and, in case of your acceptance, I am instructed to request you to communicate, from time to time, such information relative to the Western Country, and especially of the neighborhood in which you reside, as would, in your opinion, be serviceable to those who may be desirous of settling in the Country without knowledge which is necessary to make a judicious choice. Any information respecting the Topography, History, State of Settlement, Soil, Water-courses, Climate, &c; or any demands and eligible situations for Mechanics, Tradesmen, &c. which you may communicate, will be gratefully received. Very respectfully Yours, Nathan Guilford Corresponding Secretary
Format	manuscripts

Description

Title	Om225_1097565_142
Rights	For rights and reproduction requests, go to the Ohio Historical Society's Audiovisual and Graphic Reproduction Services page at http://www.ohiohistory.org/resource/audiovis/photodup.html; Online access is provided for research purposes only. For rights and reproduction requests or more information, go to http://www.ohiohistory.org/images/information
File Name	Om225_1097565_142.tif
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Full Text	[page 1] [corresponds to page 1 of Nathan Guilford letter to Thomas Rotch, May 20, 1817] Western Emigrant Society Thos. Roach Esq. Cincinnati, May 20th 1817 Sir I have the honor to inform you that at the last meeting of the Western Emigrant Society, held at Cincinnati on the 12 th day of May inst. You were elected an Honorary Member. Should you feel disposed to honor their choice by acceptance, you will have the goodness to signify it by a line addressed to me , as soon as convenient. For the views and objects of the Society I beg leave to refer you to the annexed Exposition; and, in case of your acceptance, I am instructed to request you to communicate, from time to time, such information relative to the Western Country, and especially of the neighborhood in which you reside, as would, in your opinion, be serviceable to those who may be desirous of settling in the Country without knowledge which is necessary to make a judicious choice. Any information respecting the Topography, History, State of Settlement, Soil, Water-courses, Climate, &c; or any demands and eligible situations for Mechanics, Tradesmen, &c. which you may communicate, will be gratefully received. Very respectfully Yours, Nathan Guilford Corresponding Secretary

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