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Samuel Comfort Family Papers

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Comfort

Samuel Comfort (1837-1923), who played a prominent role in the American oil industry, was also a Civil War veteran, United States diplomat, and an inventor. Comfort was one of several children born to George Comfort (1808 -1887), son of Samuel Comfort and Rebecca Moon (1780-1835), and Susan Lower Comfort (1811-1888), daughter of Abraham Lower (1776-1841) and Susanna Stackhouse (1779-1856) of Philadelphia, Pa. The Comfort family, from Fallsington, a village located in Falls Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was one of the oldest and most established Quaker families in the area.

Samuel Comfort studied with private teachers at Trenton Academy and demonstrated an exceptional proficiency in math and science. These interests led to various inventions, and by age 24 Comfort held over 12 patents in the United States and Great Britain. His inventions included a sewing machine that he developed with his cousin, Francis H. Jackson, as well as mowing, reaping, and counting machines.

Despite his Quaker upbringing and strong objections from his family, Comfort became a volunteer in the Union Army in October 1861, joining a select cavalry regiment under the direction of Captain William J. Palmer of Philadelphia, a cousin on Comfort's mother's side. Known as "Anderson Troop," the regiment was tasked with serving as a body guard for General D.C. Buell in Louisville, Kentucky. After the Battle of Shiloh (Battle of Pittsburg Landing), April 6-7, 1862, Comfort became disabled by typhoid fever and received an honorable discharge in September.

Spurred by President Lincoln's call for emergency enlistment after General Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania, Comfort again enlisted in the military in the summer of 1863--this time as the captain of an independent cavalry unit, under special authority of the Pennsylvania governor. He recruited men from the Bucks County area and equipped them at his own expense. Initially assigned to special duty to escort General Cadwallader at Department Headquarters in Philadelphia, Comfort's unit, Company "L" of the 20th Cavalry Regiment, 181st Pennsylvania Volunteers, merged with Lt. Col. John E. Wynkoop's company in February 1864 whereupon the men were reassigned to the front. Stationed along the Shenandoah Valley, the 20th Regiment was involved in several battles, including the Battle of New Market (May 15, 1864), during which Comfort received a minor injury. Comfort was promoted to the rank of major in March 1865 at which time he was in General Deven's 2nd Brigade of General Merritt's 1st Division of General Sheridan's Cavalry Corps. His regiment was involved in the pursuit and resulting surrender of General Lee at Appomattox Court House. Comfort was mustered out and honorably discharged from military service in July 1865.

On October 16, 1866, Comfort married Elizabeth Jenks Barnsley (1844-1932), the daughter of John and Mary Hough Barnsley (a cousin of Ulysses S. Grant), from Newtown, Bucks County, Pa. The couple had one daughter, Emma Walraven Comfort (1869-1954).

After the war, Comfort worked for a couple of manufacturing companies in the Newtown/Yardley area before joining the pioneering petroleum refinery company, Pickering, Chambers & Co. (Titusville, Pa.) in 1871. Run by his brothers-in-law, Captain Pickering and Captain T.P. Chambers, the company, which later incorporated as the Keystone Refinery, eventually merged with Standard Oil Trust. Beginning in 1879, Comfort began to represent Standard Oil abroad, selling petroleum in Europe and elsewhere, and bringing his family along with him. In July 1893, Comfort was appointed Standard Oil's representative in Western India (Bombay), a position he held for over a decade.

While working in the oil industry, Comfort was appointed U.S. vice-consul (1894-1896) and consul (1896-1898) at Bombay. From 1900 to 1903, he served as U.S. vice- and deputy-consul general at Calcutta. Comfort was a member of various clubs, military orders, and societies in the U.S. and India, including the Union League of New York, the Bristol (Pa.) Lodge of Masons, the Bombay Chapter of Masons, the G.A.R., Loyal Legion, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

By 1905, Comfort retired and moved to London. He died at age 86 while visiting relatives in Newtown.

In 1891, Emma Walraven Comfort (1869-1954), a graduate of Vassar College, married Harry Maule Crookshank (1849-1914), the son of Captain Blackman Chichester Graham Crookshank (1819-1860) and Helen Elizabeth Bilton. They had two children: Harry Frederick Comfort Crookshank (1893-1961) and Helen Elizabeth "Bessie" Comfort Crookshank (1895-1948), both unmarried.

Descended from a distinguished military and political Scotch-Irish family, Harry Maule Crookshank was a physician and surgeon who served as British Controller-General of the Daira Sanieh Administration in Egypt from 1897 to 1907. Educated at Boulogne, Cheltenham College, and University College Hospital, he acted as Surgeon to the British Red Cross Society during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871); and Surgeon in charge of the ambulances of the Turkish Army on the Bosnian Frontier during Serbo-Turkish War (1876-1878). From 1879 to 1883, he helped form the St. John Ambulance Department of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in London.

In July 1883, Crookshank was appointed by the Foreign Office as a member of the British Cholera Commission to Egypt and took charge of the Gendarmerie Cholera Camp at El-Wardan. In October of that year, he was selected to head the Egyptian Prisons Administration; and from 1884 to 1897, he served as Director General of Prisons and Convict establishments before serving in the Daira Sanieh Administration. For his service, Crookshank received numerous awards and distinctions, including being appointed a Pasha in 1890. A prominent Mason, he established the District Grand Lodges of Egypt and Sudan, and served as District Grand Master for 20 years.

Harry Frederick C. Crookshank, a distinguished World War I veteran, was a British Conservative politician who served as Minister of Health from 1951 to 1952, Leader of the House of Commons from 1951 to 1955, and Lord Privy Seal from 1952 to 1955. After serving in the war, Crookshank became a member of the Diplomatic Service, serving at the British Embassies in Constantinople and Washington D.C., before being elected to Parliament as a representative of Gainsborough, a position he held from 1924 to 1956. He was appointed a member of Privy Counsellor in 1939; was invested as a Companion of Honour in 1955; and appointed 1st Viscount Crookshank of Gainsborough in 1956. Like his father, Crookshank was a prominent Freemason and held important offices in the Grand Lodge of England. Crookshank died of cancer at his home in London at age 68.

The collection consists mostly of correspondence and also includes diaries, official and legal documents, and ephemera, such as clippings and programs and souvenirs, with some photographs and writings that primarily relate to Samuel Comfort and to a lesser extent the Crookshank family.

Most of the materials in Series 1. "Samuel Comfort," document Comfort's service during the Civil War. To a lesser extent, they document Comfort's involvement in the oil industry, his role as consul and vice-consul in India, his activities during the antebellum period, and his work with various patents and inventions. Other Comfort family members are also represented in the series, particularly Samuel's father, George Comfort, his mother Susan Lower Comfort, and his sister Annie Comfort (1842-1919) of Trenton, NJ.

Series 2. "Crookshank family" includes materials that relate primarily to Harry Maule Crookshank, including his time in Sudan and Egypt, and Emma Comfort Crookshank. Their son, Harry F.C. Crookshank, is also represented, and a few items relate to their daughter, Helen Elizabeth Crookshank.

Series 3. "Photographs" consists of primarily portrait and passport photographs as well as a couple group photographs of several members of the Comfort and Crookshank families. Also included is a Civil War photograph album, circa 1864, of soldiers, most likely members of the 20th Regiment of Pennsylvania Cavalry/Comfort's Volunteer regiment.

Gift of Edward R. Barnsley, 1965 (AM 18492).

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

This collection was processed by Faith Charlton in 2013. Finding aid written by Faith Charlton in 2013.

During 2013 processing, the Roberts correspondence (AM 18491) was removed and made into a separate collection: Walter B. Roberts and Roberts Petroleum Torpedo Company Correspondence (C1469).

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Organization
Subject
Place
Occupation

Publisher
Manuscripts Division
Finding Aid Date
2003
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research use.

Use Restrictions

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Collection Inventory

Scope and Contents

Most of the materials in this series relate to Samuel Comfort's involvement and experiences during the Civil War. His career in the oil industry, his time as consul and vice-consul to India, and his work with various patents and inventions are also documented. Other Comfort family members are also represented in this collection, in particular Samuel's father, George Comfort, as well as Samuel's mother and older sister, Susan Lower Comfort and Annie Comfort.

Arrangement

This series is arranged in six subseries: "Correspondence," which makes up the bulk of the series, "Diaries," "Patent-related Papers," "Civil War writings," "Official Documents," and "Clippings and Ephemera."

Physical Description

6 boxes

Arrangement

The correspondence is arranged chronologically.

Scope and Contents

Comfort's Civil War letters between him and his family provide great detail about camp life, battles in which Comfort was involved, the war generally, and national politics and current events. There is a significant number that date from 1864-1865. There is also a fair amount of correspondence that dates from after the war, documenting his career in the oil industry. The letters also provide some information about the Comfort family. Most of the letters are between Samuel and his father, George, particularly those letters that date after the war; there are also a significant amount between Samuel and his mother and sister, Annie, as well as some from other relatives, friends and fellow servicemen. A few of the more frequent correspondents include members of the Lower and Lawrence families, and his cousins William J. Palmer and Francis H. Jackson. There are a fair number of letters in this subseries to George Comfort and some letters relating to other Comfort family members, including Elizabeth Barnsley Comfort and Susan Lower Comfort. Samuel Comfort marked up many of his outgoing letters, particularly those that he included in his memoir, Home Letters. Most letters to the Comfort family have Morrisville in the address even though they lived in Fallsington as the neighboring town was the location of the nearest post office.

Physical Description

3 boxes

Correspondence, 1859-1861 August. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Predating Samuel's involvement in the Civil War, these letters document his political activism as well as his involvement with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Includes correspondence from William J. Palmer.

Physical Description

1 folder

Correspondence, 1861 October-1861 December. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence from William J. Palmer regarding the formation of Anderson Troop.

Physical Description

1 folder

Correspondence, 1862. 4 folders.
Scope and Contents

A few letters relate to Samuel's involvement in the Battle of Shiloh, his illness and temporary discharge from the military. In box 1, folder 5, all of the letters are from Samuel to his family.

Physical Description

4 folders

Correspondence, 1863. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes a few letters relating to the possibility of Comfort being appointed Provost Marshall for the 5th Congressional District, Pennsylvania. Comfort did not receive the promotion.

Physical Description

1 folder

Correspondence, 1864. 4 folders.
Scope and Contents

In box 1, folder 10, are a couple letters concerning the 1864 presidential election.

Physical Description

4 folders

Correspondence, 1864. 2 folders.
Physical Description

2 folders

Correspondence, 1865. 6 folders.
Scope and Contents

Box 2, folders 4 and 5, contains letters about President Lincoln's assassination. Box 2, folder 8, contains all incoming letters from Samuel, including a letter from April 10, about his cavalry's involvement in the pursuit of and resulting surrender of General Lee.

Physical Description

6 folders

Official War Correspondence, Orders, and Related Documents, 1863-1865. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

These items document Comfort's cavalry troop and the 20th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Included are declarations involving lost horses and AWOL soldiers, and inventories of rations, equipment, and company members. Includes a letter dated June 18, 1865, from Samuel asking to be discharged. There is likely some overlap with other correspondence dating from 1863-1865.

Physical Description

1 folder

Correspondence, 1866-1876. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes many letters to George Comfort from correspondents other than Samuel, some of which are about the family's estate. Also included are statements and trial balances for Pickering, Chambers & Co., 1871-1873, and 1875.

Physical Description

1 folder

Correspondence, 1877. 2 folders.
Physical Description

2 folders

Correspondence, 1879-1884. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Correspondence, 1885. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

All letters are from Samuel's father.

Physical Description

1 folder

Correspondence, 1886. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

All letters are from Samuel's father.

Physical Description

1 folder

Correspondence, 1887. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

All letters, except one, are from Samuel's father.

Physical Description

1 folder

Correspondence, 1888. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

All letters are from Samuel's mother.

Physical Description

1 folder

Correspondence, 1891-1922. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes a telegram from President Woodrow Wilson concerning the sinking of the Lusitania.

Physical Description

1 folder

Undated and Partial Letters, circa 1865. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Elizabeth Barnsley Comfort, 1864-1891. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Other Comfort Family, 1851-1877. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Contains a few letters relating to Susan Lower Comfort and Annie Comfort as well as a couple letters of related family members.

Physical Description

1 folder

Invitations, 1866-1902. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Most are addressed to George and Susan Comfort, and Samuel and Elizabeth Comfort.

Physical Description

1 folder

Miscellaneous Envelopes, circa 1863-1880. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Scope and Contents

This subseries consists of 14 detailed diaries and notebooks. Of special interest is a diary Samuel kept from August 1864 to May 1865 documenting his time as Captain of the 20th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Most of the diaries document his work in the oil industry, particularly work-related trips; some of these include financial information. Some diaries are also of a personal nature. There are gaps in the years covered. Documentation for the years 1890-1892 is particularly robust.

Arrangement

Diaries are arranged in chronological order.

Physical Description

1 box

Diaries, 1864-1874. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Diaries, 1876-1890. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Diaries, 1891-1904. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Scope and Contents

This subseries consists largely of correspondence as well as various other papers, such as legal documents, printed trial transcripts, technical drawings, sketches, notes, and calculations, applications, and other printed materials, relating to Samuel's various patents and inventions. In particular, papers relate to Comfort and Francis H. Jackson's sewing machine as well as Comfort's counting machine, harvesting or raking machines, and double door fasteners. A couple pieces of correspondence also relate to "flying machines." Main correspondents include: William J. Palmer, Francis H. Jackson, and Henry Howsen, United States and European Patent Offices, Philadelphia, who represented Comfort.

Arrangement

Documents are arranged in chronological order.

Physical Description

1 box

Patent-related Papers, 1856-1860. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Patent-related Papers, 1861-1917 (1861-1868). 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Patent-related Papers, Undated. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Scope and Contents

This subseries includes Comfort's unpublished, typescript bound memoir: Home Letters 1861-1865: One Man's Experience in the Union Army During the War of the Rebellion; Extracts from Letters of Samuel Comfort to Members of His Family. There are also a few handwritten drafts of the narrative section of the memoir, as well as a copy of a typewritten essay entitled, "Contribution to the History of the Twentieth Regiment of Cavalry Penna. Volunteers by S. Comfort, Major, 20th, P.V.C."

Arrangement

Documents are arranged in chronological order.

Physical Description

1 box

Home Letters, 1861-1865, circa 1902. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Article and Drafts, circa 1902. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Arrangement

Documents are organized chronologically and by size.

Scope and Contents

This subseries consists largely of government-issued documents, such as appointments, certificates, passports and visas; legal and estate-related documents; and awards and certificates from fraternal organizations. Other Comfort family members are also represented.

Physical Description

2 boxes

Civil War Documents, 1862-1865. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes Comfort's muster roll and discharge paper as well as certificates from Governor Andrew G. Curtain authorizing Comfort to establish his own cavalry company.

Physical Description

1 folder

Civil War Documents, 1863. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Muster roll for Comfort's independent cavalry regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers.

Physical Description

1 folder

Consulate Appointment Documents, circa 1894-1902. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes United States and British certificates recognizing Comfort's vice consul and consul positions in Bombay and Calcutta, India.

Physical Description

1 folder

Consulate Appointment Documents, 1896. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Miscellaneous Documents, 1866-1935. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Included are a fair number Freemason awards and certificates and some estate-related documents, including an inventory of George Comfort's estate and the wills of Samuel, his wife, and his sister, Annie Comfort; and work-related contracts.

Physical Description

1 folder

Miscellaneous Documents, 1879-1894. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes a passport and Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States certificate.

Physical Description

1 folder

Scope and Contents

This subseries includes newspaper clippings, writings, genealogy materials, and various types of ephemera, such as notes, programs, souvenirs, broadsides, and a few pamphlets and printed items. A few items relate to other Comfort family members.

Arrangement

Documents are arranged in chronological order.

Physical Description

2 boxes

Clippings, 1799-1923 (1863-1923). 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes detailed, lengthy articles Comfort published in local Bucks County newspapers during the Civil War about his regiment. There are also various obituaries, death notices, and articles about estates. A few clippings relate to other Comfort family and related family members.

Physical Description

1 folder

Ephemera, circa 1800-1963. 2 folders.
Physical Description

2 folders

George Comfort Public Estate Sale Broadside, 1888. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Arrangement

This series is arranged by family member: "Harry Maule Crookshank, "Emma Comfort Crookshank," and "Harry F.C. Crookshank."

Scope and Contents

This series includes materials that relate primarily to Samuel Comfort's son-in-law, Harry Maule Crookshank, including his time in Sudan and Egypt, and his wife, Emma Comfort Crookshank. Their son, Harry F.C. Crookshank, is also represented, and a few items relate to their daughter, Helen Elizabeth Crookshank. Correspondence relating to Harry Maule Crookshank is both personal and professional in nature; Harry F.C. Crookshank's letters are largely personal. A few letters, primarily those written by family members as children, are in French.

Physical Description

4 boxes

Arrangement

Correspondence and documents are arranged chronologically.

Scope and Contents

This subseries includes correspondence and official documents relating to Harry Maule Crookshank. Correspondence, which documents both his personal and professional life, includes letters from Harry to his wife and Helen (his sister?). Several letters were written while Harry was in Sudan due to his involvement in Britain's 1885 Sudan campaign. Also included are documents Harry authored chronicling his involvement in Egypt's government. Official documents are primarily government-issued honors and certificates for distinguished military and administrative services. Included are turghas from the Ottoman Empire.

Physical Description

2 boxes

Correspondence, circa 1885-1914. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Official Documents, 1876-1902. 2 folders.
Physical Description

2 folders

Universal Exposition St. Louis Certificate, 1904. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Scope and Contents

This subseries includes the correspondence, diaries, and scrapbooks of Emma Comfort Crookshank. Some items predate her marriage to Harry M. Crookshank. There are 9 diaries with large gaps in the years covered.

Arrangement

Materials are arranged chronologically.

Physical Description

2 boxes

Correspondence, circa 1878-1953. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Diaries, 1877-1880. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Diaries, 1887-1953. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Wedding Scrapbook and Guest Book, 1891. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

The scrapbook contains some items that date before or after 1891, including a couple letters from and a photograph of Harry F.C. Crookshank.

Physical Description

1 folder

Scrapbook of Harry Maule Crookshank's death, 1914. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Scope and Contents

Includes some letters and a diary. Of special note is a letter to his family written during the Battle of the Somme (September 14, 1916); as well as correspondence between Harry and Winston Churchill (December 7, 1954).

Arrangement

Materials are arranged in chronological order.

Physical Description

1 box

Correspondence and Diary, 1902-1960. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Scope and Contents

This subseries includes government-issued documents, including marriage and birth certificates and passports as well as awards and certificates; newspaper clippings and a few periodicals; notes and writings; various types of ephemera, such as programs and souvenirs; and unidentified letters and empty envelopes. Most of the materials relate to Harry Maule Crookshank and Harry F.C. Crookshank with some relating to Emma Comfort Crookshank and Helen Elizabeth "Bessie" Crookshank, in particular, Bessie's involvement with the British Red Cross during World War II.

Arrangement

Materials are largely arranged in chronological order.

Physical Description

3 boxes

Clippings, 1885-1948. 2 folders.
Scope and Contents

Most articles concern Harry Maule Crookshank and his involvement in various expeditions, particularly in Egypt and Sudan, and obituaries. Other family members are represented to a lesser degree.

Physical Description

2 folders

Documents and Ephemera, 1870-1954. 2 folders.
Physical Description

2 folders

Documents and Ephemera, 1889. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes Emma Comfort Crookshank's college diploma from Vassar College.

Physical Description

1 folder

Documents and Ephemera, undated. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Empty Envelopes, circa 1880-1943. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Comfort and Crookshank Family Photographs, circa 1863-1930. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Consists of primarily portrait and passport photographs as well as a couple of group photographs. Several family members are depicted, including Samuel Comfort, Elizabeth Barnsley Comfort, Emma Comfort Crookshank, Harry F.C. Crookshank, and possibly Elizabeth Helen Crookshank. There are also a few photographs of estates and Samuel Comfort's grave in Newtown. Not all of the photographs are identified.

Of special interest is a Civil War photograph album, circa 1864, of soldiers, most likely members of the 20th Regiment of Pennsylvania Cavalry/Comfort's Volunteer regiment. All of the photographs are identified and autographed. Some of the men include: Capt. Theodore F. Singizer, Samuel S. Ely, John Stackhouse, and Frank Buckman.

Arrangement

Loose photographs are arranged by family member.

Physical Description

1 folder

Print, Suggest