<I>African Correspondence</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1811-1815
name: label: Written by
content: William Allen, British, 1770 - 1843
label: Manufactured by
content: John Williams, British
label: Subject of
content: Paul Cuffe, American, 1759 - 1817
label: Subject of
content: The African Institution, British, 1807 - 1827
label: Subject of
content: John Kizell, Sierra Leonean
label: Subject of
content: Friendly Society of Sierra Leone, founded 1811
label: Subject of
content: Henry Warren, Sierra Leonean
label: Subject of
content: James Wise, Sierra Leonean
label: Subject of
content: Stephen Gabbidon, Sierra Leonean
notes: label: Description
content: A leather-bound ledger entitled, “African Correspondence” owned by William Allen. The ledger contains handwritten copies of letter written and received by Allen as well as other documents copied by Allen. The leather is in poor condition, with the spine almost completely detached and very fragmentary. The cover has numerous areas of loss and damage. There is a dark red label at the top of the spine with the volume’s title. The pastedown pages are blue marbled paper. On the front pastedown page there is a name plate with the text, “John Williams / Patent Acco’ Book Manufacturer & / Stationer / Royal Family Public Offices [illegible] / 20 Cornhill London.” There is also a modern barcode affixed to the bottom left corner that reads “002789.” The book has tabbed pages, labeled A-Z and printed in alternating red and black ink. Inside, the book is filled with black handwritten script on 225 pages made up of copies of separate documents. Approximately half of the pages in the book are unused.
label: Description
content: A partial list of the correspondence and documents copied in the ledger are as follows:
label: Description
content: 1. William Allen to John Kizell, Aug. 29, 1811
label: Description
content: 2. Kizell to Allen, Feb. 19, 1812
label: Description
content: 3. Friendly Society (Henry Warren/Pres. and James Wise/Clerk) to Allen, Feb 4, 1812
label: Description
content: 4. Allen to Kizell, April 4, 1812
label: Description
content: 5. Allen to Friendly Society, April 30, 1812
label: Description
content: 6. Friendly Society (Warren & Wise) to Allen, May 3, 1812
label: Description
content: 7. Friendly Society (Warren) to Allen, July 30, 1812
label: Description
content: 8. Kizell to Allen, July, 30 1812
label: Description
content: 9. Allen to Kizell , Oct., 30 1812
label: Description
content: 10. Allen to Friendly Society, Oct., 30 1812
label: Description
content: 11. Paul Cuffee to Allen, June 17, 1812
label: Description
content: 12. Cuffee to Allen, June 1812
label: Description
content: 13. Allen & Thomas Clarkson to Cuffee, July 1812
label: Description
content: 14. Allen to Cuffee, Oct. 29, 1812
label: Description
content: 15. Resolution of the Directors of the African Institution, Aug. 27, 1811
label: Description
content: 16. Resolution of the Directors of the African Institution, June 16, 1812
label: Description
content: 17. Allen to Kizell, Jan. 29, 1813
label: Description
content: 18. Allen to Warren, Jan. 24, 1813
label: Description
content: 19. Wise to Warren, March 1813
label: Description
content: 20. Kizell to Allen, March 21, 1813
label: Description
content: 21. List of slaves auctioned by William Draper, March 10, 1813
label: Description
content: 22. Rules & Regulations of the Friendly Society of Sierra Leone
label: Description
content: 23. Warren to Allen, March 12, 1813
label: Description
content: 24. Kizell to Allen, June 3, 1813
label: Description
content: 25. Friendly Society (Warren) to Allen, June 20, 1813
label: Description
content: 26. Kizell to Clarkson, May 1813
label: Description
content: 27. Allen to Warren, Aug 15, 1813
label: Description
content: 28. Friendly Society (James Reed/VP) to Allen, Nov. 10, 1813
label: Description
content: 29. Cuffee to Allen, Aug. 11, 1813
label: Description
content: 30. Cuffee to Allen, Sept. 28, 1813
label: Description
content: 31. Allen to Friendly Society, May 25, 1814
label: Description
content: 32. Allen to Kizell, May 27, 1814
label: Description
content: 33. Allen to Wise, May 28, 1814
label: Description
content: 34. Friendly Society to Allen, 4 Feb. 4, 1814
label: Description
content: 35. Kizell to Allen, Feb. 14, 1814
label: Description
content: 36. Wise to Allen, April 5, 1814
label: Description
content: 37. Kizell to Allen, April 1814
label: Description
content: 38. Duncan Campbell to Allen, March 1814
label: Description
content: 39. Stephen Gabbidon to Allen, June 12, 1814
label: Description
content: 40. Gabbidon and Tharpe to Allen, June 20, 1814
label: Description
content: 41. Wise to Allen, July 3, 1814
label: Description
content: 42. Friendly Society (Wise) to Allen, July 3, 1814
place: label: Place made
content: London, England, United Kingdom, Europe
label: Place used
content: London, England, United Kingdom, Europe
label: Cultural Place
content: Sierra Leone, West Africa, Africa
title: label: Title
content: Correspondence ledger owned by William Allen
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Africa
label: Topic
content: Antislavery
label: Topic
content: Correspondence
label: Topic
content: Free communities of color
label: Topic
content: Social reform
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Slavery and Freedom Objects
label: Classification
content: Documents and Manuscripts
label: Movement
content: Anti-slavery movements
label: Movement
content: Colonization movement
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of GSK
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2017.45
objectType: label: Type
content: ledgers (account books)
label: Type
content: letters
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper, leather
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 12 11/16 × 8 1/2 × 1 1/4 in. (32.2 × 21.6 × 3.1 cm)