TABLE OF CONTENTS
Overview
Agency History
Scope and Contents of the Records
Organization of the Records
Restrictions
Index Terms
Related Material
Administrative Information
Description of Series
Correspondence with Texan consuls,
1836-1846,
Correspondence with foreign consuls,
1841-1845,
Chronological correspondence files of consular
correspondence,
1836-1850,
1873-1875, bulk 1836-1846,
|
Texas Secretary of State:
An Inventory of Secretary of State Consular Correspondence at
the Texas State Archives,
1836-1850,
1873-1875, bulk 1836-1846
| | |
|
|
| Creator: | Texas. Secretary
of State. |
| Title: | Secretary of State
consular correspondence |
| Dates: | 1836-1850, 1873-1875 |
| Dates: | bulk
1836-1846 |
| Abstract: | Correspondence with
Texan and foreign consuls was created in the course of conducting normal
consular business, particularly the regulation of commercial ties between Texas
and other nations. These records consist chiefly of letters and reports
received in the Department of State of the Republic of Texas from agents and
consuls, as well as letter books of consular correspondence, and registers of
certificates, affidavits, and fees. The records date 1836-1850, 1873-1875, bulk
1836-1846. |
| Quantity: | 2.26 cubic
ft. |
| Language: | These materials are
written predominately in English. |
| Repository: | Texas State Archives |
The Secretary of State is a constitutional officer of the executive
branch of state government, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the
senate for a term concurrent with the governor's (a two-year term at first, a
four-year term since 1974). The office was first created by the Constitution of
the Republic of Texas in 1836 (Article VI, Section 10), and has been continued
by each succeeding Constitution.
The only duty of the Secretary of State specified by the Constitution
of 1836 was to receive "returns of all elections for
officers who are to be commissioned by the President" (General
Provisions, Section 2). The 1st Congress approved a Joint Resolution on
December 13, 1836 "defining the duties of the heads
of departments of the government." However, the duties of this cabinet
(composed of the Secretaries of State, War, Navy, and Treasury, and the
Attorney General) were expressed in extremely vague terms, i.e.:
"to conform to and execute the instructions of the
president, whether general or particular; and to give respectively and
collectively, such needful aid and counsel whenever required so to do by the
chief magistrate of the republic, as may be requisite to a firm, wholesome and
harmonious administration of the government." Much of our knowledge of
what the Secretary of State did during the Republic period derives from the
existing records themselves. Although never so stated in law, obviously a major
function of the Secretary of State under the Republic of Texas was diplomatic,
a function unique to Texas' history as an independent nation.
During the next nine years of the Republic's existence, Congressional
acts added little in the way of explicit duties: to receive from the chief
justices of the county courts "a description of their
county boundaries, and such other information and observations relative to the
same, as they may conceive conducive to the convenience of their
citizens" (December 17, 1836); to furnish Texan consuls with instruction
for the proper regulation of foreign trade (December 18, 1837); to contract for
the printing of the laws and journals of the Republic of Texas, and to arrange
for their distribution (December 18, 1837 and later dates); to contract for the
translation and compilation of Republic laws into Spanish (
"the Castilian language") (December 18, 1837
and January 12, 1842); to become the depository for a Library purchased for the
Republic of Texas (January 24, 1839); to create a Patent Office, as a bureau of
the office of Secretary of State, and to grant patent rights
"for any new and useful art, machine, instrument or
composition of matter, liberal arts, sciences or literature, books, maps or
charts, or any new and useful improvement of the same . . . invented or
discovered" (January 28, 1839); to draw from the war department funds
appropriated to run a boundary line between the Republic of Texas and the
United States (November 26, 1840); to assume the duties of the Postmaster
General, appointing and supervising a clerk for a bureau called the
"General Post Office," and to receive from the
former Postmaster General all records of the abolished Post Office Department
(January 18, 1841); to issue writs of election to fill certain vacancies in
counties (December 7, 1841).
Except for its diplomatic duties, most of the functions of the
Secretary of State under the Republic were apparently continued during the
period of early statehood following annexation. An act of the 1st Legislature
(approved May 9, 1846) "to define the duties of
Secretary of State" included the following: to maintain a register of all
official acts of the governor, and to provide the same to the legislature when
required (this duty had also been spelled out by the first state Constitution,
1845); to keep a complete register of all officers appointed and elected in the
state; to commission all such appointed and elected officers when not otherwise
provided for by law; to record depositions and affirmations required by law to
be made by resident aliens wanting to hold real estate in Texas; to arrange and
preserve all books, maps, parchments, records, documents, deeds, conveyances,
and other papers belonging to the State, that have been or may be properly
deposited there, and sealed with the state seal (which copies shall be
considered admissible as evidence in the state's courts of law); to attend
every legislative session to receive bills which have became laws, and to bind
and maintain such bills and enrolled joint resolutions in the office of the
Secretary of State; to deliver a certified copy of these laws (with indices and
marginal notes) to the public printer, and to edit and correct them after
printing; to distribute the printed laws and journals to a list of state,
local, and federal officials specified; and to furnish forms to county election
officials for election returns, and to receive certified election returns from
these officials for members of the legislature (this last duty included in
"an act regulating elections," approved May 11,
1846).
An act of February 11, 1854 created a Board of Commissioners composed
of the Secretary of State, the Comptroller, and the Attorney General,
"to superintend the arranging and filing of the
archives of the late Republic of Texas and of the State Legislature, and also
the recording of the Journals of the said Congress and State Legislature ... to
be deposited in the General Land-office of the State." An act of December
14, 1863 made the Secretary of State "the custodian
of the records of the Senate and House of Representatives." And an act of
March 25, 1887 provided that "the entire archives of
the late Republic of Texas, ... together with the records, books, and journals
of said Congress" would be "deposited in the
Office of the Secretary of State," and "declared to be Archives of said office."
The first Texas consulate was established on December 15, 1836, when
President Sam Houston appointed John Woodward as consul-general at New York.
However, previous to that time the agents of the Republic in New Orleans had
come to be spoken of as consuls. The consuls acted as representatives for the
Republic of Texas providing potential immigrants with information regarding
Texas, certifying documents, and giving information back to Texas regarding
foreign attitudes towards the Republic.
On December 18, 1837, the Congress of the Republic of Texas approved a
Joint Resolution adopting the consular system of the United States for the
government of the consular agents of the Republic of Texas, and delegating to
the Secretary of State the duty of furnishing the Texan consuls with
instruction "for the proper regulation of the
commercial intercourse between this and foreign countries."
(Sources include: the appraisal report, the previous finding aid, the
Texas Constitution of 1836, and the enabling legislation.)
Return to the Table of Contents
Consuls acted as representatives for the Republic of Texas providing
potential immigrants with information regarding Texas, certifying documents,
and giving information back to Texas regarding foreign attitudes towards the
Republic. On December 18, 1837, the Congress of the Republic of Texas adopted
the consular system of the United States for the government of the consular
agents of the Republic of Texas, and delegated to the Secretary of State the
duty of furnishing the Texan consuls with instruction
"for the proper regulation of the commercial
intercourse between this and foreign countries." Correspondence with
Texan and foreign consuls was created in the course of conducting normal
consular business, particularly the regulation of commercial ties between Texas
and other nations. These records consist chiefly of letters and reports
received in the Department of State of the Republic of Texas from agents and
consuls, as well as letter books of consular correspondence, and registers of
certificates, affidavits, and fees. The records date 1836-1850, 1873-1875, bulk
1836-1846.
Some correspondence is from Texan consuls in Great Britain (cities of
London, Liverpool), France (cities of Paris, Bordeaux, Marseilles, Le Havre),
and other countries (cities of Amsterdam, Bremen, Calcutta), but the majority
comes from the Texan consulate office in New Orleans. Other U.S. cities with
Texas consular offices included New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Baltimore,
Boston, Charleston, Cincinnati, Detroit, Mobile, Natchez, and Natchitoches. The
finding aid contains a full list of Texan consuls, with dates of appointment,
arranged by city to which they were assigned. Also included in these records is
correspondence of the Department of State of the Republic of Texas with foreign
consuls, all located in Galveston (1841-1845). Countries with consuls in Texas
were the United States, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, and the
Hanseatic League or Hanse towns. Subjects of both kinds of correspondence deal
generally with the activities of Texan consuls in attempting to obtain loans,
supplies, and favorable commercial relations from other nations, complaints of
other nations against the Republic, and attitudes toward the Republic in other
countries. Correspondents include William Bryan, David G. Burnet, Thomas Toby,
Robert Triplett, Robert Irion, and Anson Jones.
Also included are four letter books of consular correspondence,
1837-1845; three registers of certificates, affidavits, and fees from New
Orleans, 1837-1841, giving name of person, service rendered by the consul, and
fee; and a file regarding the efforts of the widow of Thomas Toby, agent for
the Republic, 1836-1838, to collect state monies owed her husband for his
services (this file is dated 1873-1875).
Texas Consuls in the United States:
- New Orleans: Nathaniel Townsend,
April 2, 1837
- New Orleans: Thomas Toby,
September 20,
1838
- New Orleans: William Bryan,
December 26, 1838
- New Orleans: P. Edmunds,
January 29, 1842
- New York: John Woodward,
December 15, 1836; dismissed
February 3, 1840
- New York: Charles H. Forbes (Vice-Consul acting in absence of
Woodward)
- New York: August W. Radcliff,
February 3, 1840
- New York: John H. Brower,
January 18, 1841
- Mobile: David White (established by Act of Congress December
10, 1836),
May 2, 1838
- Mobile: Walter Smith,
November 20, 1839
- Mobile: Thomas J. Fettyplace,
December 22, 1843
- Baltimore: Henry H. Williams,
May 2, 1838
- Natchitoches: John F. Cortes,
May 1838
- Natchitoches: Thomas H. Airey,
June 30, 1842
- Philadelphia: John L. Hodge (did not reply to notice of
appointment),
May 2, 1838
- Philadelphia: Cyrus Joy,
June 25, 1842
- Philadelphia: Francis G. Smith,
January 18, 1841
- Charleston: James D. Hamilton (established by Act of Congress),
May 2, 1838
- Charleston: Thomas L. Hamilton,
October 1838
- Vicksburg: W. W. Rudder (post promised to him; no record of
appointment),
1839
- Key West: Joseph P. Brown,
February 11, 1839; appointment
confirmed November 20, 1839
- Boston: Thomas A. Dexter,
June 23, 1839
- Boston: Nathaniel Armory,
December 14, 1842
- Natchez: Lyman Potter (no record of appointment)
- Cincinnati: R. Wallace Burnet,
February 3, 1840
- Cincinnati: Benjamin Drake,
January 12, 1841
- Cincinnati: Alexander H. McGuffey,
September 14,
1841
- Detroit: Calvin C. Jackson,
January 18, 1841
- Bangor: Moses Patton,
January 18, 1841
- Norfolk: Samuel G. Taylor,
August 23, 1841
- St. Louis: Edward Hutawa,
January 18, 1842
- Richmond: William B. Hamilton,
December 14, 1842
Texas Consuls in foreign countries:
- Marseilles: John Willis,
1841
- Marseilles: Louis Grousset,
1841
- Paris: Theodore Barbey,
1840
- Paris: Henri Castro,
1840
- Paris: Pierre Brunet,
1840
- Bordeaux: Paul E. Domon,
1842
- Cette: Maly E. Dumon,
1842
- Rouen: M. Ladeur,
1842
- Rouen: M. Lagrillier,
1842
- Bayonne: August Furtado,
1845
- London: Arthur Ikin,
1841
- London: John Barnes,
1841
- London: William Kennedy,
1841
- London: Lackland M. Rate,
1841
- Liverpool: Francis B. Ogden,
1841
- Glasgow: John Graham Stewart,
1843
- Greenock: John Roxburgh,
1843
- Falmouth: Alfred Fox,
1842
- Plymouth: Thomas Were Fox,
1842
- Kingstone-upon-Hull: John Atkinson,
1843
- Newcastle-upon-Tyne: William Henry Brockett,
1843
- Dublin: Thomas Snow,
1843
- Amsterdam: Louis J. Herekenrath,
1843
- Rotterdam: Joshua J. Crooswyck,
1843
- Antwerp: Maximiliam Van Den Bergh,
1843
- Bremen: Henry F. Fisher,
1844
Return to the Table of Contents
| | |
Organization of the Records
|
| The bulk of these records were originally a part of a larger group of
records in the Office of the Secretary of State called
"Diplomatic, domestic, and consular
correspondence." There has been considerable rearrangement of the records
over the years. These records have been organized by the State Archives staff
into three series: |
| |
| | Correspondence with Texan consuls, 1836-1846, 1.93 cubic
ft. |
| | Correspondence with foreign consuls, 1841-1845, 0.17 cubic
ft. |
| | Chronological correspondence files of consular correspondence,
1836-1850, 1873-1875, bulk 1836-1846, 0.16 cubic ft. |
Return to the Table of Contents
Restrictions on Access
Several letter books and registers are extremely fragile, so access is
restricted to microfilm copies.
Restrictions on Use
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and
may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received
by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The
researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17
U.S.C.).
Technical Requirements
Microfilm readers are available in the Genealogy Section, Room 110
(which is closed on Mondays), and also in Room 300 of the Lorenzo de Zavala
State Archives and Library Building (Monday-Friday).
Return to the Table of Contents
| | |
|
|
| The terms listed here were used to catalog the
records. The terms can be used to find similar or related records. |
| Personal Names: |
| | Bryan,
William. |
| | Toby, Thomas, d.
1849. |
| | Burnet, David Gouverneur,
1789-1870. |
| | Triplett,
Robert. |
| | Irion, Robert A.
|
| | Jones, Anson, 1798-1858.
|
| Corporate Names: |
| | Texas. Dept. of
State. |
| Places: |
| | Texas--Diplomatic and
consular service. |
| | Texas--Foreign
relations. |
| | Texas--Foreign
relations--United States. |
| | Texas--Foreign
relations--Great Britain. |
| | Texas--Foreign
relations--France. |
| | Texas--Foreign
relations--Netherlands. |
| | Texas--Politics and
government--1836-1846. |
| | United States--Foreign
relations--Texas. |
| | Great Britain--Foreign
relations--Texas. |
| | France--Foreign
relations--Texas. |
| | Netherlands--Foreign
relations--Texas. |
| Document Types: |
| | Correspondence--Texas--Diplomatic and consular
service--1837-1845. |
| | Letterpress
copybooks--Texas--Diplomatic and consular service--1837-1845. |
| | Reports--Texas--Diplomatic
and consular service--1836-1850. |
| | Proclamations--Texas--Diplomatic and consular
service--1836-1850. |
| Functions: |
| | Developing diplomatic
relations. |
Return to the Table of Contents
| | |
|
The following materials are offered as possible
sources of further information on the agencies and subjects covered by the
records. The listing is not exhaustive.
|
| Texas State
Archives |
| | |
| | Texas
Secretary of State diplomatic correspondence, 1831-1832, 1835-1846, undated,
6.9 cubic ft., 3 reels of microfilm |
| | Texas Secretary of State treaties between the Republic of
Texas and other nations, 1839-1844, 0.25 cubic ft. |
| Publications |
| | Binkley, William C. (ed.),
Official Correspondence of the Texas
Revolution, 1835-1836, New York, D. Appleton-Century Co., 1936,
2 volumes. |
| | Jenkins, John H. (ed. and comp.),
Papers of the Texas Revolution,
1835-1836,Austin, Presidial Press, 1973, 10 volumes. |
Return to the Table of Contents
(Identify the item and cite the series), Texas Secretary of State
consular correspondence. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas
State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: 1904/001, 1932/002
These records were transferred to the Texas Department of Insurance,
Statistics, and History (the predecessor of the Texas State Library and
Archives Commission) by the Texas Secretary of State on May 25, 1905; and to
the Texas Library and Historical Commission by the Texas Secretary of State on
September 28, 1932.
Archives staff, dates unknown
These records were appraised as archival by an in-house appraisal of
Secretary of State (Republic of Texas) records on January 16, 1998. This
appraisal report is available in the Texas State Archives search room, Room 100
of the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building.
Some of the letter books have been microfilmed (part of 1 reel), for
purposes of preservation. However, the microfilm is not available either for purchase or through
interlibrary loan.
Return to the Table of Contents
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
Correspondence with Texan consuls,
1836-1846,
1.93 cubic ft.
|
| Correspondence with Texan consuls was created in the course of
conducting normal consular business, particularly the regulation of commercial
ties between Texas and other nations. This series consists chiefly of letters
and reports received in the Department of State of the Republic of Texas from
agents and consuls, covering the period 1836-1846. Some correspondence is from
Texan consuls in Great Britain (cities of London, Liverpool), France (cities of
Paris, Bordeaux, Marseilles, Le Havre), and other countries (cities of
Amsterdam, Bremen, Calcutta), but the majority comes from the Texan consulate
office in New Orleans. Other U.S. cities with Texas consular offices included
New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Cincinnati,
Detroit, Mobile, Natchez, and Natchitoches. The finding aid contains a full
list of Texan consuls. Subjects of the correspondence deal generally with the
activities of Texan consuls in attempting to obtain loans, supplies, and
favorable commercial relations from other nations, complaints of other nations
against the Republic, and attitudes toward the Republic in other countries.
Correspondents include William Bryan, David G. Burnet, Thomas Toby, and Robert
Triplett. |
| Also included in this series are four letter books of consular
correspondence, 1837-1845; and three registers of certificates, affidavits, and
fees from New Orleans, 1837-1841, giving name of person, service rendered by
the consul, and fee. |
| Arrangement |
| These records were arranged by the State Archives staff
alphabetically by the city in which the consulate was located, and therein
chronologically. |
| Preferred Citation |
| (Identify the item), Correspondence with Texan consuls, Texas
Secretary of State consular correspondence. Archives and Information Services
Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission. |
| Box | Folder |
| 2-9/1 | 2. | | Amsterdam,
November 15,
1842 |
| 3. | | Baltimore,
July 12,
1838 |
| 4. | | Bordeaux,
February 9,
1848 |
| 5. | | Boston,
June 5, 1840-July 1,
1844 |
| 6. | | Bremen,
May 17, 1839-May 1,
1845 |
| 7. | | Calcutta,
January 18,
1845 |
| 8. | | Charleston,
April 7, 1838-January 21,
1839 |
| 9. | | Cincinnati,
May 26, 1840-Novembre 23,
1843 |
| 10. | | Detroit,
March 29-April 6,
1841 |
| 11. | | Havre (Le Havre),
September 1,
1841 |
| 12. | | Liverpool,
February 28, 1842-July
14, 1844 |
| 13. | | London,
May 18, 1841-February 11,
1845 |
| 14. | | Marseilles,
August 24, 1838-December
30, 1839 |
| 15. | | Mobile,
April 10, 1838-June 25,
1844 |
| 16. | | Natchez,
July 7,
1840 |
| 17. | | Natchitoches,
September 20, 1838-April
25, 1842 |
| 18. | | New Orleans,
January 18-May 21,
1836 |
| 19. | | New Orleans,
May 22-July 11,
1836 |
| 20. | | New Orleans,
July 12-September 3,
1836 |
| 21. | | New Orleans,
September 4-November 12,
1836 |
| Box | Folder |
| 2-9/2 | 22. | | New Orleans,
November 17,
1836-February 9, 1839 |
| 23. | | New Orleans,
February 17,
1839-February 11, 1845 |
| 24. | | New York,
December 16,
1836-November 21, 1844 |
| 25. | | Paris,
April 28, 1841-November
18, 1842 |
| 26. | | Philadelphia,
May 1, 1839-November 6,
1841 |
| 27. | | St. Louis,
October 28, 1841-August
23, 1842 |
| Oversize | Folder |
| Box 20 | 1. | | Consular correspondence |
| | [Outsheets in the folders listed above
will direct the researcher to oversized items in this container.] |
| Volume |
| 2-7/445 | | | Texian consulate at New Orleans: Register of legal
instruments acknowledged before consul; and register of certificates of
invoice,
1840-1846 |
| Reel |
| 3497 | | | Statements of consular fees, New Orleans, No. 58,
January 7, 1839-July 6,
1841 |
| | | | [inserted in book: copy book of powers
of attorney certified by consul at New Orleans.] |
| | | Texian Consulate, New Orleans: Copies of legal
instruments acknowledged before consul, and register of certificates of
invoice,
1837-1840 |
| | | Texian Consulate, New Orleans: Copies of letters sent to
Secretary of State,
May 27, 1838-March 24,
1843 |
Return to the Table of Contents
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
Correspondence with foreign consuls,
1841-1845,
0.17 cubic ft.
|
| Correspondence with foreign consuls was created in the course of
conducting normal consular business, particularly the regulation of commercial
ties between Texas and other nations. This series consists of correspondence of
the Department of State of the Republic of Texas with foreign consuls, all
located in Galveston, covering the period 1841-1845. Countries with consuls in
Texas were the United States, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, and the
Hanseatic League or Hanse towns. Subjects of the correspondence deal generally
with foreign relations between Texas and other nations, complaints of other
nations against the Republic, and attitudes toward the Republic in other
countries. Correspondents include Robert Irion and Anson Jones. |
| Arrangement |
| These records were arranged by the State Archives staff
alphabetically by country represented, and therein chronologically. |
| Preferred Citation |
| (Identify the item), Correspondence with foreign consuls, Texas
Secretary of State consular correspondence. Archives and Information Services
Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission. |
| Box | Folder |
| 2-9/2 | 1. | | Great Britain,
July 30, 1841-March 25,
1845 |
| 2. | | France,
February 18, 1844-July
26, 1845 |
| 3. | | Hanseatic League,
February 7, 1843-July 5,
1845 |
| 4. | | Netherlands,
June 25-June 29,
1845 |
| 5. | | United States,
October 1, 1836-September
4, 1845 |
| Oversize | Folder |
| Box 20 | 1. | | Consular correspondence |
| | [Outsheets in the folders listed above
will direct the researcher to oversized items in this container.] |
Return to the Table of Contents
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
Chronological correspondence files of consular
correspondence,
1836-1850,
1873-1875, bulk 1836-1846,
0.16 cubic ft.
|
| These chronological correspondence files were created in the
course of conducting normal consular business, particularly the regulation of
commercial ties between Texas and other nations. This series consists of
correspondence to and from Texan and foreign consuls, dating 1836-1850. This
material was added late (after the transfer from the Office of Secretary of
State in 1905) and supplements the first two series. Subjects of the
correspondence deal generally with the activities of Texan consuls in
attempting to obtain loans, supplies, and favorable commercial relations from
other nations, complaints of other nations against the Republic, and attitudes
toward the Republic in other countries. Countries with consuls in Texas were
the United States, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, and the Hanseatic
League or Hanse towns. Correspondents include William Bryan and Thomas Toby.
|
| Also present is a file regarding the efforts of the widow of
Thomas Toby, agent for the Republic, 1836-1838, to collect state monies owed
her husband for his services. These files are dated 1873-1875. |
| Arrangement |
| These records were arranged by the State Archives staff
chronologically. |
| Preferred Citation |
| (Identify the item), Chronological correspondence files of
consular correspondence, Texas Secretary of State consular correspondence.
Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives
Commission. |
| Box | Folder |
| 2-9/3 | 1a. | | January 1, 1836-September
24, 1839 |
| 2a. | | April 2, 1840-December
31, 1844 |
| 3a. | | February 10,
1845-February 2, 1875 |
| | | | [dates not comprehensive] |
| Oversize | Folder |
| Box 20 | 1. | | Consular correspondence |
| | [Outsheets in the folders listed above
will direct the researcher to oversized items in this container.] |
| Box |
| 2-9/2 | | | Thomas Toby services file,
1873-1875 |
Return to the Table of Contents
|
