Thomas Hewitt, Incoming Business Correspondence
TitleThomas Hewitt, Incoming Business Correspondence
ReferenceU15B/B/1
Date
1795 - 1860s
Production date 1795 - 1865
Scope and Content[NB: On the Folders and contents of this series is written U15B rather than U15B/1/]
Incoming business correspondence of the Hewitt Distillery, Watercourse Road, Cork, including letters from customers, agents, and suppliers. (Box nos. 1 - 45, 48, 49 and 56). The business letters listed are from customers, suppliers, agents, employees and other business associates of Hewitt & Co. It is possible to trace the customer and supply base of the company over the period from the 1780s up to the 1860s. Hewitt & Co., were very strong in the southern half of the country; particularly in counties Tipperary, centred on Clonmel and Carrick on Suir; Waterford, Kilkenny, Wexford, Limerick, Kerry and Cork.
The company had little or no dealings with the north or west of the county. However, they did have some customers in Dublin and Belfast. The relatively small number of customers in Dublin might be explained by a letter sent by Joseph Miller, Secretary of the Distillers Committee, 1812, reminding Hewitt & Co., of the resolution passed preventing Cork Distillers from making sales in Dublin (U15B/B/1/6/2).
There is a large volume of correspondence from customers – both individual publicans, and larger merchants. It is notable that a significant proportion of the publicans were women. Many of the individual customers were long standing, and this data would be of assistance to anyone conducting historical streetscapes of Irish towns. It is also possible to see when things went wrong, and there is some correspondence on bankruptcy proceedings taken against various customers of the company.
Correspondence is also available from suppliers of the company; including grain suppliers from East Cork, and further afield; sugar suppliers; coopers; and suppliers of various industrial supplies. They also traded in England, and there is a significant volume of correspondence from merchants, agents and commentators in Southampton, Plymouth, Liverpool and London, as well as in Waterford and other Irish ports. Significant merchant correspondents include; Alexander and Henry Pope, Waterford; Henry Downes & Co. Waterford; Henry Gallwey, Waterford; Silvester Phelan, Waterford; B.P. Phelan Clonmel; James Coyne, Clonmel; Edmond/Edward Burke, Clonmel; Martin Creagh, Limerick; Coates & Co., Plymouth, and coal merchants such as Taylor & Sons, Ayr Colliery.
A small volume of correspondence survives with correspondents outside Britain and Ireland. These letters are from Lisbon, North American and the Carribbean. The collection could also be used to analyse the nature of trade more generally, and there is commentary on the introduction of the Corn Laws. Hewitt & Co., corresponded with agents and commentators in major Irish and British Centres of trade on prices and trading of various goods. Especially important in this regard are companies such as Twiss & Browning, and David Smith Kidd, London, and Connolly Maxwell & Fortescue, Dublin. How the company carried out its business transactions, and made and transacted payments can also be traced through the correspondence in, and outward letter books. Especially important in this regard are companies such as Twiss & Browning, and David Smith Kidd, London, and Connolly Maxwell & Fortescue, Dublin.
How the company carried out its business transactions, and made and transacted payments can also be traced through the correspondence in, and outward letter books. Important in this regard, are the letters from Mark O’Brien and J.J. Clarke, who were both employees and travelling salesmen of the company. (Text: Dr.Maeve O'Riordan)
Incoming business correspondence of the Hewitt Distillery, Watercourse Road, Cork, including letters from customers, agents, and suppliers. (Box nos. 1 - 45, 48, 49 and 56). The business letters listed are from customers, suppliers, agents, employees and other business associates of Hewitt & Co. It is possible to trace the customer and supply base of the company over the period from the 1780s up to the 1860s. Hewitt & Co., were very strong in the southern half of the country; particularly in counties Tipperary, centred on Clonmel and Carrick on Suir; Waterford, Kilkenny, Wexford, Limerick, Kerry and Cork.
The company had little or no dealings with the north or west of the county. However, they did have some customers in Dublin and Belfast. The relatively small number of customers in Dublin might be explained by a letter sent by Joseph Miller, Secretary of the Distillers Committee, 1812, reminding Hewitt & Co., of the resolution passed preventing Cork Distillers from making sales in Dublin (U15B/B/1/6/2).
There is a large volume of correspondence from customers – both individual publicans, and larger merchants. It is notable that a significant proportion of the publicans were women. Many of the individual customers were long standing, and this data would be of assistance to anyone conducting historical streetscapes of Irish towns. It is also possible to see when things went wrong, and there is some correspondence on bankruptcy proceedings taken against various customers of the company.
Correspondence is also available from suppliers of the company; including grain suppliers from East Cork, and further afield; sugar suppliers; coopers; and suppliers of various industrial supplies. They also traded in England, and there is a significant volume of correspondence from merchants, agents and commentators in Southampton, Plymouth, Liverpool and London, as well as in Waterford and other Irish ports. Significant merchant correspondents include; Alexander and Henry Pope, Waterford; Henry Downes & Co. Waterford; Henry Gallwey, Waterford; Silvester Phelan, Waterford; B.P. Phelan Clonmel; James Coyne, Clonmel; Edmond/Edward Burke, Clonmel; Martin Creagh, Limerick; Coates & Co., Plymouth, and coal merchants such as Taylor & Sons, Ayr Colliery.
A small volume of correspondence survives with correspondents outside Britain and Ireland. These letters are from Lisbon, North American and the Carribbean. The collection could also be used to analyse the nature of trade more generally, and there is commentary on the introduction of the Corn Laws. Hewitt & Co., corresponded with agents and commentators in major Irish and British Centres of trade on prices and trading of various goods. Especially important in this regard are companies such as Twiss & Browning, and David Smith Kidd, London, and Connolly Maxwell & Fortescue, Dublin. How the company carried out its business transactions, and made and transacted payments can also be traced through the correspondence in, and outward letter books. Especially important in this regard are companies such as Twiss & Browning, and David Smith Kidd, London, and Connolly Maxwell & Fortescue, Dublin.
How the company carried out its business transactions, and made and transacted payments can also be traced through the correspondence in, and outward letter books. Important in this regard, are the letters from Mark O’Brien and J.J. Clarke, who were both employees and travelling salesmen of the company. (Text: Dr.Maeve O'Riordan)
Extent48 boxes
Persons keywordHewitt, Thomas | Merchant/Distiller, Cork | d1870
SubjectTrade and Commerce, Business Records, Merchants
AccessHard copies: Accessible to Readers by appointment. Access restrictions apply to some collections. Digital object/copy: see Download Media and/or Digital Reference
RightsLicensing information available on request by email to archivist@corkcity.ie Copyright Cork City and County Archives, Cork City Council, unless otherwise indicated. All Rights Reserved.
Levelseries
RepositoryCork City and County Archives