Captain Francis Allyn papers

Abstract

The Captain Francis Allyn papers (dated 1814-1925, undated; 0.3 cu. ft.; 21 folders) primarily contains letters sent to Francis Allyn, documenting his work as an Antlantic ship captain and his relationship with the Marquis de Lafayette and the Lafayette family.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Captain Francis Allyn papers
Date
1814-1925, undated (inclusive)
Extent
0.3 Cubic Feet
Subjects
Cadmus (Brig)
Letters.
Ship captains.
Scientists.
Travel.
Arrangement
Collection is arranged chronologically.
Finding Aid Author
Carol Street
Preferred Citation
2011ms196: [identification of item], Captain Francis Allyn papers, 1814-1925, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
Francis Allyn (1791-1862) worked as a sea captain in the Atlantic trade. He served as an military officer in the 41st Infantry Regiment during the War of 1812. He was the captain of the ship Cadmus, which brought General Lafayette and his family from France to the United States in 1824. During the journey, they became friends and Lafayette's family relied on Captain Allyn to coordinate letters, packages, and transit home to France. The families remained close after the journey and Allyn's wife, Jane Colden Ally (1801-1873), spent months at the Lafayette family home, La Grange.
Garland Hale Barr (1861-1930) likely purchased the Lafayette letters from Captain Francis Allyn's descendents in the 1920s. Barr lived in Lexington and worked in finance. He and his wife, Elsie Jackson Barr, had a son, Garland Hale Barr, Jr.
Scope and Content
The Captain Francis Allyn papers (dated 1814-1925, undated; 0.3 cu. ft.; 21 folders) primarily contain letters sent to Francis Allyn, documenting his work as an Antlantic ship captain and his relationship with the Marquis de Lafayette and the Lafayette family. The letters from Lafayette and his son, George Washington (G.W.) Lafayette, to Allyn frequently mention travel arrangements, requests for help in forwarding mail to their next stop, and other logistics during their journey to and through the United States from July 1824 to September 1825. Of major concern for G.W. Lafayette was the safe passage of a shipment containing four opossums to an unnamed scientist in Paris for research purposes. Captain Allyn and the Lafayette family remained close and there are letters dated after the journey ended. There is a letter from Nathalie Lafayette (G.W.'s daughter) to Allyn's wife, Jane Colden Allyn, after her extended stay at the Lafayette home, La Grange, in France.
Two letters are from Peter Stephen Du Ponceau (1760-1844), a French-American linguist and philosopher who lived in Philadelphia. It appears that General Lafayette connected the two men.
The collection also contains Fort Lewis inspection reports give a detailed inventory of military personnell, clothing, weapons, and food supplies at Fort Lewis in Brooklyn, New York, in 1814.
In addition, the collection includes unrelated items, such as photographs of portrait paintings and a family in front of a house, facsimiles of an Abraham Lincoln letter and an early map of Kentucky, and photogravures from the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Restrictions on Access and Use

Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Use Restrictions
The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.

Contents of the Collection

Captain Francis Allyn papers, 1814-1828, undated

Fort Lewis inspection reports, 1814

Captain Francis Allyn's 41st Regiment, U.S. Infantry inspection report, Fort Lewis, Kings County, Brooklyn, New York, 1814 October 1

  • Box OS-17, folder 1
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Captain Francis Allyn's 41st Regiment, U.S. Infantry inspection report, Fort Lewis, Kings County, Brooklyn, New York, 1814 November 1

  • Box OS-17, folder 1
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Correspondence, 1825-1828, undated

Lafayette, George Washington to Captain Francis Allyn, 1825 February 25

  • Folder 1
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Lafayette, George Washington to Captain Francis Allyn, 1825 March 27

  • Folder 2
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Lafayette, George Washington to Captain Francis Allyn, 1825 April 15

  • Folder 3
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Lafayette, George Washington to Captain Francis Allyn, 1825 August 29

  • Folder 4
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Lafayette to Captain Francis Allyn, 1825 October 26

  • Folder 5
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Lafayette, George Washington to Francis Allyn, 1826 February 18

  • Folder 6
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Lafayette to Francis Allyn, 1826 October 27

  • Folder 7
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Du Ponceau, Peter Stephen to Francis Allyn, 1826 December 24

  • Folder 8
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Du Ponceau, Peter Stephen to Francis Allyn, 1826 December 26

  • Folder 9
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Lafayette, George Washington to Francis Allyn, 1827 May 13

  • Folder 10
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Lafayette to Francis Allyn, 1827 May 16

  • Folder 11
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Lafayette, George Washington to Francis Allyn, 1827 May 22

  • Folder 12
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Lafayette, George Washington to Francis Allyn, 1827 May 30

  • Folder 13
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Allyn, Francis to George Ward, 1828 September 1

  • Folder 14
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Ward, George to Francis Allyn, 1828 September 1

  • Folder 15
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Lafayette, Nathalie to Jane Colden Allyn, circa 1827

  • Folder 16
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Lafayette, Emilie de Tracy letter, undated

  • Folder 17
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Transcripts of selected letters in the collection, undated

  • Folder 18
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Barr family papers, 1924-1925, undated

Reinhardt, Fannie correspondence concerning Lafayette letters, 1924-1925

  • Box MS-41, folder 1
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Facsimile of Abraham Lincoln letter to Mrs. Bixby concerning the death of her sons, letter dated 1864; unknown date of facsimile

  • Box OS-17, folder 2
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Ingalls, John J. essay on Kentucky Blue Grass, undated

  • Box OS-17, folder 2
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Facsimile of "Kentucke" map drawn by John Filson, original map dated 1784; facsimile undated

  • Box OS-17, folder 2
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Painted portrait photographs, undated

  • Box MS-41, folder 1
To top

Unidentified family and house photograph, undated

  • Box MS-41, folder 1
To top

Corcoran Gallery of Art photogravure prints of work in the collection, undated

  • Box MS-41, folder 1
To top

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UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.

Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.

Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.

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You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.

If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.