Biographical Sketch

John Rowe Parker (1777-1844) was a merchant, music dealer, and publisher active in Boston. He opened a music store, Franklin Music Warehouse, in Boston in 1817 where he sold pianos, organs, other musical instruments, music and related merchandise. While not a musician himself, Parker was active in the promotion of music in the United States in the early nineteenth-century. In 1820 he launched The Euterpiad, which quickly became one of the major early American music periodicals. The Euterpiad ceased publication in 1823, and Parker left the music business to become an importer in 1824.

 

Provenance

The Sibley Music Library purchased this collection in 1983 from the dealer aGatherin’ (Wyantskill, New York). No further provenance information was provided with the collection.

 

Scope and Content

The collection contains correspondence and documents pertaining to John Rowe Parker’s business activities and personal life, some 68 items altogether. The materials provide an excellent overview of the activities of an early nineteenth-century American merchant who was active in the music trade. They are further pertinent to the study of early American music, and, by extension, early U.S. history in general. Items of particular significance are letters from Lowell Mason, Thomas Hastings, Gottlieb Graupner, and Stewart and Chickering.

 

Restrictions and Use

There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF SERIES

 

Correspondence

The collection is comprised of one series under the rubric of “correspondence”. This contains letters and documents relating to John Rowe Parker’s business activities and personal life. The documents have been arranged alphabetically according to name of correspondent or issuing agency. One anonymous item is filed at the end of the series.

 

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INVENTORY

 

Box 1

folder 1	Aborn, John W.; 23 April, 1821; subscription to Euterpeiad.
folder 2	Avery, John & William Harris; 28 April, 1802; auction sale of damaged goods.
folder 3	Beck, Charles; 17 January, 1824; business, conduct of office.
folder 4	Blodgel, William; 7 June, 1814; wine shipment.
folder 5	Boyd, William & son; undated; furniture and music sales.
folder 6	Bruce, James; 12 November, 1824; detailed report of telegraph signals 1-12 November.
folder 7	Carr, M.; 22 January, 1822; music books, Parker’s biography of Philadelphia musicians, Mr.Philips, organ rehearsals, subscriptions.
folder 8	Carter, Elisha; 21 October-8 November, 1803; carriage hire expenses.
folder 9	Cazeaux, Gd.; 6 January, 1809; request to take care of Parker’s dog.
folder 10	Cazeaux, Gd.; 2 February, 1809; dogs.
folder 11	Coit, Thomas; 3 November, 1817; binding pamphlets.
folder 12	Cole, John; 19 October, 1821; taking Euterpeiad agency, Whitaker’s Seraph and Handel & Haydn Society.
folder 13	Cook, John & Sons; 17 June, 1803; bill for cloth.
folder 14	Dana, N.G.; 24 October, 1819; account for music and instruments.
folder 15	Dana, N.G.; 13 November, 1819; financial accounting.
folder 16	Dubois, William; 23 September, 1818; money misunderstanding.
folder 17	Eckley, Jos.; undated (1820’s); musical remembrances, publications of 1820’s.
folder 18	Elford, James M. & Son; 10 June, 1828; shipment of printed books, supplements, new Maine numbers.
folder 19	Geib, J.S.; 12 December 1817; invoice for sheet music.
folder 20	Gibson, Stephen; 26 October, 1818; circular announcing entry in auction and commission.
folder 21	Godhue & Ward; 3 September, 1814; protested draft on Parker given to Moses Poor.
folder 22	Graupner, G.; 1 March, 1817; business transaction, Handel & Haydn Society, soloing with Philharmonic, his oboe playing.
folder 23	Gray, Harrison; 3 August, 1821; bass viol strings.
folder 24	Gray, Harrison; 9 November, 1821; order for flute instructions and a book.
folder 25	Gray, Harrison; 18 December, 1821; shipment of flute and fife.
folder 26	Greene, David & Son; 16 November, 1802; payment to owners of ship Minerva.
folder 27	Harby, Lt. Levy C.; 20 October, 1834; receipt of flags, signal books for the Cutter Ingham.
folder 28	Harris, William; 17 January, 1809; deferral of his trip to Boston.
folder 29	Haskins, William L.; 28 July, 1819; announcement of departure for Cincinnati on commission business.
folder 30	Hastings, Thomas; 1 September, 1821; his Essay, discusses Greek epigram concerning ancient organ.
folder 31	Hewitt, J.; 12 October, 1809; shipment of organ.
folder 32	Hobby, William; 29 September, 1820; agency for Euterpeiad, piano music.
folder 33	Jackson & Carter; 7 November, 1801; receipt for passage to Liverpool on the ship Warrington.
folder 34	Jones, W. Jr.; 19 January, 1807; draft on U.S. bank.
folder 35	Jordan, Thomas; 20 June, 1823; book sales.
folder 36	Kimball, Haren; 20 August, 1807; cotton shipment.
folder 37	Lee, Samuel H.P.; 7 January, 1819; note due Munson & Barnard.
folder 38	Lee, Samuel H.P.; 7 January, 1836; visit, new line of stages to New London.
folder 39	Leverett, Benjamin; 5 August, 1809; payment of $490 (Boston).
folder 40	Liswell, James; 17 December, 1803; tailor’s bill for carpet, coal.
folder 41	Mason, Lowell; 4 June, 1820; contribution to Euterpeiad.
folder 42	McEntire, F.B.; 25 June, 1835; flag account.
folder 43	Meacham, J. & H.; 21 September, 1819; wants pianofortes.
folder 44	Mellen, Prentiss; 23 August, 1819; piano repair estimate.
folder 45	Mellen, Prentiss; 30 November, 1821; examination of organ.
folder 46	Murdock, George; 17 January, 1814; difficulty collecting from Mr. Bourne.
folder 47	Oliphant, R. & J.; 1802-3; account tailor.
folder 48	Parker, J.S.H.; 15 February, 1814; wine purchase.
folder 49	Parker [?], Jane; 25 July, 1820; villainous pamphlet.
folder 50	Parker, John R. to Swindell, James H.; 21 February, 1818; needs bellows for oratoria.
folder 51	Parker, Samuel (minister); 26 April, 1803; receipt of bounty by Mary Billings as widow of John Billings.
folder 52	Parker, Thomas; 11 April, 1814; sale of gun.
folder 53	Pelham, William; 2 January, 1803; book sales to Mrs.Parker.
folder 54	Perkins, Nichols; 22 January, 1815; earnings and moneys due.
folder 55	Phillips, J. (or T.); 27 October, 1818; N.Y. engagement, selling copyright on songs.
folder 56	Poor, Moses; 5 April, 1814; carpet sales with comments on War of 1812.
folder 57	Poor, Moses; 26 April, 1814; market conditions.
folder 58	Poor, Moses; 12 October, 1814; payment of note on Parker.
folder 59	Potter, R.W.; 30 April, 1821; subscription to Euterpeiad.
folder 60	Purcell, S.; 9 December, 1809; household items.
folder 61	Ruggles & Clap; 23 May, 1821; announcement of music store opening, catalog and consignment.
folder 62	Schenk, S.C. & Q.; 20 March, 1821; request for new music, Euterpeiad subscription.
folder 63	Smith & Parker; 6 October, 1803; acknowledgement of J.R. Parker’s payment into personal account.
folder 64	Soames, George; 23 March, 1803; payment for mould candles.
folder 65	Stewart & Chickering; 5 March, 1824; consignment of pianofortes.
folder 66	Swindell, James H.; 22 March, 1818; shipment of organ to Norfolk.
folder 67	Truehart & Cary Co.; 16 November, 1820; Euterpeiad subscriptions.
folder 68	Anonymous; 30 November, 1807; cotton advice, foreign adventures in Charleston, English goods business, partnership.

 

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CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX

Date	Name	Folder
7 Nov, 1801	Jackson & Carter	33
1802-3	Oliphant, R. & J.	47
28 Apr, 1802	Avery, John & William Harris	2
16 Nov, 1802	Greene, David & Son	26
2 Jan, 1803	Pelham, William	53
23 Mar, 1803	Soames, George	64
26 Apr, 1803	Parker, Samuel (minister)	51
17 Jun, 1803	Cook, John & Sons	13
6 Oct, 1803	Smith & Parker	63
21 Oct-8 Nov, 1803	Carter, Elisha	8
17 Dec, 1803	Liswell, James	40
19 Jan, 1807	Jones, W. Jr.	34
20 Aug, 1807	Kimball, Haren	36
30 Nov, 1807	anonymous	68
6 Jan, 1809	Cazeaux, Gd.	9
17 Jan, 1809	Harris, William	28
2 Feb, 1809	Cazeaux, Gd.	10
5 Aug, 1809	Leverett, Benjamin	39
12 Oct, 1809	Hewitt, J.	31
9 Dec, 1809	Purcell, S.	60
17 Jan, 1814	Murdock, George	46
15 Feb, 1814	Parker, J.S.H.	48
5 Apr, 1814	Poor, Moses	56
11 Apr, 1814	Parker, Thomas	52
26 Apr, 1814	Poor, Moses	57
7 Jun, 1814	Blodgel, William	4
3 Sep, 1814	Godhue & Ward	21
12 Oct, 1814	Poor, Moses	58
22 Jan, 1815	Perkins, Nichols	54
1 Mar, 1817	Graupner, G.	22
3 Nov, 1817	Coit, Thomas	11
12 Dec, 1817	Geib, J.S.	19
21 Feb, 1818	JP to Swindell, James H.	50
22 Mar, 1818	Swindell, James H.	66
23 Sep, 1818	Dubois, William	16
26 Oct, 1818	Gibson, Stephen	20
27 Oct, 1818	Phillips, J. (or T.)	55
7 Jan, 1819	Lee, Samuel H.P.	37
28 Jul, 1819	Haskins, William L.	29
23 Aug, 1819	Mellen, Prentiss	44
21 Sep, 1819	Meacham, J. & H.	43
24 Oct, 1819	Dana, N.G.	14
13 Nov, 1819	Dana, N.G.	15
4 Jun, 1820	Mason, Lowell	41
25 Jul, 1820	Parker [?], Jane	49
29 Sep, 1820	Hobby, William	32
16 Nov, 1820	Truehart & Cary Co.	67
20 Mar, 1821	Schenk, S.C. & Q.	62
23 Apr, 1821	Aborn, John W.	1
30 Apr, 1821	Potter, R.W.	59
23 May, 1821	Ruggles & Clap	61
3 Aug, 1821	Gray, Harrison	45
18 Dec, 1821	Gray, Harrison	25
22 Jan, 1822	Carr, M.	7
20 Jun, 1823	Jordan, Thomas	35
17 Jan, 1824	Beck, Charles	3
5 Mar, 1824	Stewart & Chickering	65
12 Nov, 1824	Bruce, James	6
10 Jun, 1828	Elford, James M. & Son	18
20 Oct, 1834	Harby, Lt. Levy C.	27
25 Jun, 1835	McEntire, F.B.	42
7 Jan, 1836	Lee, Samuel H.P.	38
undated	Boyd, William & Son	5
undated (1820’s)	Eckley, Jos.	17

 

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INDEX BY BROAD SUBJECT

Euterpiad

1, 7, 12, 32, 41, 59, 62, 67

Handel & Haydn Society

12, 22

Mercantile Business

2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, 26, 27, 29, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 46, 47, 48, 50, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 60, 63, 64, 68

Music Business

5, 7, 14, 19, 23, 24, 25, 31, 32, 43, 44, 45, 55, 61, 65, 66

Musical Affairs in General

7, 17, 22, 30

Personal

9, 10, 28, 49, 51