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Merchants Fund records

Notifications

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
3520
Repository:
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Extent:
13.0 linear feet (; 9 boxes, 24 volumes)
Language:
English
Date:
1853-2003 (inclusive)
Creator:
Merchants Fund (Philadelphia, Pa.).
Abstract:
"The Merchants Fund is a Philadelphia charity established in 1854 to provide charitable gifts to business persons facing financial hardships. It evolved from the Mercantile Business Association, an organization dedicated to providing business advice, networking opportunities, and protection from financial failure or defualt due to illness, old age, or disability." (From their website) The collection consists primarily of administrative, financial, and legal records of the Fund. There are board minutes, business and legal correspondence, and tax returns. There are also extensive files on beneficiaries that include wills and estate papers. Other financial records include audit reports, treasurer's reports, tax- and Social Security-related records, and reports on the "Oliver Fund." Among the records are also several volumes, some dating to the mid 1800s. These include ledgers, cashbooks, bound annual reports, and bound minutes.

Publisher
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Finding Aid Author
Finding aid prepared by Daniel DelViscio and Sarah Leu
Finding Aid Date
; 2013
Access Restrictions

Boxes 1, 4, 5, and 8 are closed to researchers until they have been reviewed by an archivist, as they contain personal information about applicants and beneficiaries. The rest of the collection is open for research.

Collection Inventory

Administrative records and correspondence, 1860-1870, 1950-2003.
Box 1
Contents

Individual personal beneficiary information/pension information (applications visitor reports).

Correspondence between clients/potential clients.

Various reports (financial, business developments).

Records of coverage and payouts/costs.

Administrative records (agendas, minutes, leases for building, ledger records, deposits).

Correspondence and records related to income transfer.

Lists of beneficiaries with addresses and personal information.

Transaction reports, audits, and financial statements., 1929-1980s.
Box 2
Contents

Cash transaction reports.

Audits and correspondence.

Annual financial statements.

Administrative correspondance and financial records, 1854, 1940-1970.
Box 3
Contents

Administrative records (charter, bylaws 1854).

Board of Managers attendance records.

Correspondence--income tax, Social Security registration.

Correspondence--tax laws.

Investment transactions 1960s (purchase notes).

Finance Committee records.

Security correspondence.

Newspaper clippings (meeting advertisments).

The Pennsylvania Company correspondence.

Beneficiary files and transaction records, 1860-1970.
Box 4
Contents

Oliver Fund--beneficiaries.

Annual reports 1860-1920s, bylaws, charters.

Oliver Fund account book, Merchants Fund account book 1960-1970, Merchants Fund cashbook 1895-1918.

Executive/Executors Committee orders (check stubs) 1889-1891 (two volumes).

Beneficiary information, 1932-1990s.
Box 5
Contents

Lists 1932-1979.

Visitor reports 1940s-1990s.

Correspondence 1950s-1980s.

Estate correspondence and wills, 1880s-1990s.
Box 6
Administrative minutes, 1970s-1990s.
Box 7
Contents

Minutes 1970s-1990s.

Administrative 1970s.

Correspondence--legal/finance 1970s-1980s.

Legal papers 1922, 1960s, 1970s.

Audits 1950s.

Financial correspondence and estate records., 1905-1980s.
Box 8
Contents

Financial correspondence 1960s-1980s.

Beneficiary data and lists 1959.

Will and estate papers. 1905-1970s.

Minutes book, 1920-1928.
Volume 1
Annual reports, 1855-1873.
Volume 2
Annual reports (2nd copy), 1855-1873.
Volume 3
Ledger, 1920s-1930s.
Volume 4
Scope and Contents note

A few loose letters inside the cover.

Ledger, 1917-1930s.
Volume 5
Scope and Contents note

Beneficiary list notes inside cover.

Ledger, 1893-1916.
Volume 6
Scope and Contents note

Beneficiary list notes inside cover.

Ledger, 1880-1892.
Volume 7
Subscriber and donor book, 1870.
Volume 8
Checks, 1854-1865.
Volume 9
Scope and Contents note

One letter on the inside cover.

Records (minutes), 1871-1892.
Volume 10
Records book, 1853-1870.
Volume 11
Minutes, 1854-1920s.
Volume 12
Scope and Contents note

Contains original constitution.

Account roll book, 1854-1872.
Volume 13
Scope and Contents note

Beneficiary lists inside cover.

Cash book, 1890.
Volume 14
Scope and Contents note

Loose papers inside.

Cash book, 1914-1942.
Volume 15
Cash book, 1923-1945.
Volume 16
Scope and Contents note

Loose papers inside.

Minutes, 1854-1920s.
Volume 17
Minutes, 1928-1952.
Volume 18
Scope and Contents note

Loose notes inside.

Minutes, 1952-1970.
Volume 19
Minutes, 1892-1927.
Volume 20
Scope and Contents note

Loose papers inside.

Cash ledger, 1942-1960.
Volume 21
Cash ledger, 1946-1961.
Volume 22
Scope and Contents note

Letter inside.

Income register, 1896-1928.
Volume 23
Scope and Contents note

Many loose papers inside.

Income register, 1896-1905.
Volume 24

Print, Suggest