Title: SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (ROCHESTER CHAPTER): "EDDY COLLECTION" OF 18TH CENTURY DOCUMENTS
Date range:
Location: D.308
Size: 9 documents, 1 wax seal

In about the year 1912, the Rochester Chapter, Empire State Society of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), purchased what was known at the time as "The Eddy Collection" of Revolutionary War and Civil War documents and artifacts. G. Schuyler Eddy, a descendant of Gen. Philip Schuyler of Revolutionary War fame, apparently developed the collection during the late 1800s. Whatever documentation there was with the collection, if any, has since been lost. No known documentation or proof of provenance regarding the collection was obtained by the Rochester Chapter, but they displayed it at various meetings and patriotic functions until about the end of World War I when the Chapter fell into a period of decline.

At about this time the collection was turned over to the Rochester Historical Society (RHS); an inventory of the items was completed and the Society displayed them throughout the 1920s. The inventory lists many more objects than are known to exist at present, but many of the documents have survived. When the RHS returned the documents to the SAR, they did not have storage or display capabilities and the items were housed for many years in the basement of the Rundel Library in Rochester. Eventually the SAR was asked to remove the collection and it was distributed among the members. During this period, approximately 50 years, most of the artifacts were lost. From 1991 to 2003 the SAR made a concerted effort to locate as many of the artifacts and documents as possible. A few of the artifacts and this collection of nine documents have been recovered.

In 2003, the documents were de-acidified, cleaned and repaired as necessary by Fred Jordan, a professional paper conservator. At some point there was considerable damage done to the documents, apparently for the purpose of fitting them into frames. Some of the letters were cut down to fit, some had separate pages glued together and the New York State Seal was removed from the vellum document appointing John Ten Broeck as Sheriff of Albany County. The seal was restored through the work of Dr. Alexander Wieber, a specialist in the history, use and preservation of wax seals.

In October 2003, SAR Chapter President Stephan P. Clarke contacted the Department of Rare Books & Special Collections at the University of Rochester Library for the purpose of placing them in a location that would allow scholarly access to and proper storage of the documents. On 27 July 2004, the collection was delivered to the Department of Rare Books & Special Collections.

These notes prepared by Stephan P. Clarke, President
Rochester Chapter, Empire State Society
National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
10 July 2004




Presentation of the documents to the Department of
Rare Books & Special Collections, July 27, 2004

Contents:

The documents are as follows:

1. Enlistment contract for Hendrick Konnz for service as a soldier in the service of King George II, dated 21 July 1704 [sic]
2. Appointment of Peter Ten Broeck as "Assistant of a Company of Battoe-Men" by Gen. Shirley at Boston, 25 March 1756
3. Letter from Andrew Down to John Ten Broeck, Esq., 10 May 1776
4. Letter from Leonard Gansevoort to John Ten Broeck, Esq. 9 September 1776
5. Letter from Christopher Yates to Henry Glen, Esq., 24 August 1777
6. Document from Gov. George Clinton to John Ten Broeck, dated 29 September 1786, appointing John Ten Broeck as Sheriff of Albany Co., NY; with State seal (seal is in separate box)
7. Letter from Gov. George Clinton to John Ten Broeck, 9 July 1787
8. Undated engraving of a portrait of Lt. Gen. John Burgoyne by S. Hollyer
9. Undated engraving of a portrait of Maj. Gen. Philip Schuyler by H. B. Hall

Separate Box:
Impression of the Great Seal of the State of New York, 1777. Inscription on the obverse: The Great Seal of the State of New York, Excelsior. Inscription on the reverse: Trustra, 1777.