Item 5: Letter from Nicholas Biddle to Jacob Cist, 1823 December 6
Item — Box: 11, Folder: 5
Dates
- Created: 1823 December 6
Creator
- Biddle, Nicholas, 1786-1844 (Person)
Disclaimer for Name and Subject Authorities
Some of the name and subject authority tags have been assigned by educated guessing and estimation of persons and subjects by region, age, profession, and familial relationships. They have been thoroughly researched by using primary and secondary sources available digitally, and named in each description, or in some cases linked directly to the person tag.
Access:
All series and subseries within this collection are open for research, with the exception of a few files within the Academia series that are restricted. The Academia series contains financial and sensitive institutional records from Wilkes College, and financial report records from Princeton University that will remain restricted for 80 years upon creation.
Extent
1 items
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Type of Material:
Letter
Condition Note:
Good
Measurements:
9 ⅞ in. x 7 ⅞ in.
Description:
This is a letter from Nicholas Biddle to Jacob Cist on December 6, 1823. It seems to be regarding instructions from Biddle to Cist on payments made out to Roseby J. Hann according to terms mentioned in a different letter he wrote to a “Judge De Haert” from November 5th 1823. We cannot confirm but based on historical context among all the figures mentioned within the letter, it is highly likely that Nicholas Biddle was writing to Jacob Cist about payments in regards to the Salt Springs Tract that he owned in Susquehanna County.
Balthazar De Hart, also known as Judge De Hart, of Susquehanna County was born on January 29, 1751 most likely in Manhattan, New York. He was descended from one of the earliest Dutch families to settle in Manhattan in the 1600s. He had at least two brothers, James and Mauritz. He never married. He presumably got his legal training in New Jersey. Balthasar contracted with Nicholas Biddle from 1822 to 1823 concerning Biddle’s ownership over the Salt Springs tract and paying the appropriate taxes. De Hart also worked on the Salt Springs tract for drilling and boiling water to collect salt.
Nicholas Biddle, part of a long line of American genealogy of the Biddle family, was an American financier who served as the third and last president of the Second Bank of the United States, serving from 1816 to 1836. Throughout his life, he was an editor, diplomat, author, and politician who served in both houses of the Pennsylvania legislature. He was the chief opponent of Andrew Jackson during the Bank War, a political issue that developed over the rechartering of the Second Bank of the United States during Andrew Jackson’s presidency, ultimately resulting in its complete shutdown and replaced by state banks.
Jacob Cist was born on March 13, 1782 in Philadelphia, PA as the eldest son of Charles and Mary (Weiss) Cist. He graduated at the Moravian School in Nazareth, PA and was connected with the post office department in Washington, D.C. from 1800 to about 1808 when he moved to Wilkes-Barre, PA to be appointed postmaster and held that position until his death. A year prior to moving to Wilkes-Barre, he married Sarah, the daughter of Judge Mattias and Mary (Burritt) Hollenback of Wilkes-Barre, PA. He devoted much of his leisure time to painting, literature, and contributing to the newspapers and magazines of the area, including the Literary Magazine and The Portfolio. In 1808, he secured a patent for manufacturing a mineral black for printer’s ink from Lehigh Anthracite Coal as a substitute for India ink. He invested time in learning about the mining of anthracite coal in the region and in 1815, published a pamphlet titled, “Anthracite Coal,” which became an interest to miners in eastern states. He was one of the founders of the Luzerne County Agricultural Society, was treasurer of the county and of the Wilkes-Barre Bridge Company for three years. He geologized nearly the entire region of Luzerne County, locating coal, manganese clay, and iron ore. French Scientist Alexander Brongniart named several fossil plants after Cist, such as "Calamites Cistii," "Pecopteris Cistii," "Sigillavia Cistii," and "Menropteris Cistii." He prepared an extensive work of American entomology with several thousand original drawings, however, unfortunately it was published a year after his death and he was not given proper credit for his work. He died in Wilkes-Barre, PA on December, 30 1825. Roseby J. Hann was elected to be one of the first vestrymen (of 9) of the Episcopal Church of Pottsville, PA in September,1827 and one of the first directors of the Bergen Freestone Company of Bergen, New Jersey in September 1837.
Nicholas Biddle, part of a long line of American genealogy of the Biddle family, was an American financier who served as the third and last president of the Second Bank of the United States, serving from 1816 to 1836. Throughout his life, he was an editor, diplomat, author, and politician who served in both houses of the Pennsylvania legislature. He was the chief opponent of Andrew Jackson during the Bank War, a political issue that developed over the rechartering of the Second Bank of the United States during Andrew Jackson’s presidency, ultimately resulting in its complete shutdown and replaced by state banks.
Jacob Cist was born on March 13, 1782 in Philadelphia, PA as the eldest son of Charles and Mary (Weiss) Cist. He graduated at the Moravian School in Nazareth, PA and was connected with the post office department in Washington, D.C. from 1800 to about 1808 when he moved to Wilkes-Barre, PA to be appointed postmaster and held that position until his death. A year prior to moving to Wilkes-Barre, he married Sarah, the daughter of Judge Mattias and Mary (Burritt) Hollenback of Wilkes-Barre, PA. He devoted much of his leisure time to painting, literature, and contributing to the newspapers and magazines of the area, including the Literary Magazine and The Portfolio. In 1808, he secured a patent for manufacturing a mineral black for printer’s ink from Lehigh Anthracite Coal as a substitute for India ink. He invested time in learning about the mining of anthracite coal in the region and in 1815, published a pamphlet titled, “Anthracite Coal,” which became an interest to miners in eastern states. He was one of the founders of the Luzerne County Agricultural Society, was treasurer of the county and of the Wilkes-Barre Bridge Company for three years. He geologized nearly the entire region of Luzerne County, locating coal, manganese clay, and iron ore. French Scientist Alexander Brongniart named several fossil plants after Cist, such as "Calamites Cistii," "Pecopteris Cistii," "Sigillavia Cistii," and "Menropteris Cistii." He prepared an extensive work of American entomology with several thousand original drawings, however, unfortunately it was published a year after his death and he was not given proper credit for his work. He died in Wilkes-Barre, PA on December, 30 1825. Roseby J. Hann was elected to be one of the first vestrymen (of 9) of the Episcopal Church of Pottsville, PA in September,1827 and one of the first directors of the Bergen Freestone Company of Bergen, New Jersey in September 1837.
Location:
Philadelphia, PA
Transcription:
Dear sir, Phila. Decem. 6. 1823
I have just received your favor of the 3d inst[ant], and hasten to reply, that the payments to be made to Roseby J. Hann according to the terms mentioned in my letter to Judge DeHaert of the 5th of Nov2 last, shall pass through your hands, agreeably to the wish expressed by Mr. Hann in his letter to me of the 28th of November last inclosed in yours office 3d inst[ant].
I have only time to add that I am
With great respect + regard
Y[ou]rs
N Biddle
Jacob Cist Esq.
Wilkesbarre
Penna [Pennsylvania]
Creator
- Biddle, Nicholas, 1786-1844 (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository
Contact:
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu