Samuel Garbett’s Bankruptcy: Documents Historical and Illustrative, Accounts and...

For biographical details on Samuel Garbett, see the introduction to persons and firms, G.

Two files in Samuel Garbett's name are mentioned in the Catalogue of Papers compiled by William D. Brown about 1791, namely, 'Garbet's Affairs' and 'Samuel Garbett, Letters, 1771 to 1790.' By the time M. R. Boulton arranged his own and his father's papers about 1819, there were four files, each placed in a portfolio and put into Box I. ii ('Special Correspondents'). The documents were still in these portfolios when they arrived at the Assay Office in 1922, and according to the Inventory compiled at that time their titles were as follows:

S. Garbett Bankruptcy & Miscells. Letters 1770 to 1785
S. Garbett Bankruptcy & Miscells. Letters 1786 to 1797
M S. Garbet's Bankruptcy Docts. Histl & Illust. Accts. & Vouchers.
M2 S. Garbet's Bankruptcy Correspondence Legal & Officl. Docts.

While they were in the custody of the Assay Office, the contents of the files were disturbed and added to and the portfolios were discarded. An attempt has been made to restore these files to their original state, but there is insufficient information to complete this restoration.

The composition of the two files in M. R. Boulton's series is particularly doubtful. It is likely that most of the various transcripts and documents transmitted to Boulton by Garbett were formerly filed among the 'Documents Historical and Illustrative.' But in view of the extreme difficulty of determining exactly which documents were extracted in this way, most of them have been listed in the 'Correspondence' file with the letters that originally accompanied them; while under 'Documents Historical and Illustrative' have been placed a number of documents of a miscellaneous nature.

The book of accounts listed at no. 23 below is labelled on the outside, 'Books on the Subject of Mr. Garbett's Affairs. Statement of Assignees' Accts. 1782 to [blank].' This suggests that other account books were formerly folded up with it.

Comments in square brackets have been provided by the cataloguer.

See also MS 3782/13/103 Samuel Garbett Bankruptcy; and MS 3782/13/95 Iron Trade