Bush family papers
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
A small collection of deeds, address books, and financial items stemming from the Bronx-based Bush family, descendants of Scottish immigrant John S. Bush (1844–1913). Includes minutes of the John S. Bush Manufacturing Co., purveyors of ice, wood, and coal (1909–1919), and European travel diaries kept by Frances Maude (Morris) Bush (1928–1936).
Biographical / Historical
Scottish immigrant John Stearns Bush (1844–1913) married Mary Jane Berrian (circa 1846–1920), a daughter of William Davis Berrian (1817–1903), in 1868. The couple had three known children—Marie Natalie (Bush) Balcom, John H. Bush, and William Berrian Bush—all of whom were officers or shareholders in the John S. Bush Manufacturing Co., the Bronx-based ice, coal, and wood business incorporated by the elder Bush in 1909. William Berrian Bush married in New York, in 1904, Frances Maude Morris (1871–1959).
[All names underlined are represented by documents in the present collection.]
Arrangement
The collection is organized in five chronological series:
- Series I.
- Real estate, 1824–1893
- Series II.
- Financial, 1874–1899, undated
- Series III.
- Address books, circa 1887–1891, undated
- Series IV.
- John S. Bush Manufacturing Co., 1909–1919
- Series V.
- Frances Maude (Morris) Bush travel diaries, 1928–1936
Scope and Contents
The collection includes deeds, mortgages, and title abstracts for properties in The Bronx and in New Rochelle, Westchester County, New York, from the period 1824–1893; some financial fragments—a blank checkbook, some blank deposit slips, and a bankbook in the name of William D. Berrian in trust for the children of his daughter, Mary J. (Berrian) Bush—dating from 1874–1899; four address books, circa 1887–1891; minutes of the John S. Bush Manufacturing Co., purveyors of ice, wood, and coal, 1909–1919; and five travel diaries kept in 1928–1936 by Frances Maude (Morris) Bush of her ocean voyages to England, France, Italy, and other European countries.
Subjects
Organizations
Families
Genres
People
Topics
Access Restrictions
Open to qualified researchers.
Use Restrictions
Photocopying undertaken by staff only. Limited to 20 exposures of stable, unbound material per day. Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
The collection should be cited as: "Bush Family Papers, MS 3197, New-York Historical Society."
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Carol Bush Richter (accession no. MS-2019-045), September 13, 2019.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Archivist Joseph Ditta arranged and described this collection in November 2020.
Repository
Series I. Real estate, 1824–1893, inclusive
Deed. Elizabeth Clark Estate to James Secor, 1824 February 5, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Property at New Rochelle, Westchester County, New York.
Deed. Gouverneur Morris to Sebastian Jaclard, 1849 January 1, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Property at Morrisania, Bronx, New York.
Deed. William Weeks and w[ife] to Sebastian Jaclard, 1850 February 23, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Property at West Farms, Bronx, New York.
Mortgage. Francis C. Baptiste to John [G? I?] Horton, 1868 July 1, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Mortgage on property at New Rochelle, Westchester County, New York.
Deed. The Manhattan Savings Institution to John S. Bush, 1885 September 1, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Property at West Farms, Bronx, New York.
Abstract of the Title of John S. Bush to three lots of land on Carter Avenue, 24th Ward, New York City, [1893], inclusive
Scope and Contents
Property on the west side of Carter Avenue near East 175th Street, Bronx, New York.
Abstract of the Title of John S. Bush to three lots of land on Carter Avenue, 24th Ward, New York City. Mortgaged to Francis B. Chedsey to secure payment of $3,000, [1893], inclusive
Scope and Contents
Property on the west side of Carter Avenue near East 175th Street, Bronx, New York.
Series II. Financial, 1874–1899, undated, inclusive
Third Avenue Savings Bank. Account book (59850), William D. Berrian in trust for the children of Mary J. Bush, 1874, inclusive
Scope and Contents
William Davis Berrian (1817–1903) was the maternal grandfather of the children of Mary Jane (Berrian) Bush (circa 1846–1920).
Bank of America, New York. Checkbook (blank), 1890–1899, inclusive
Fifth Avenue Trust Co. Deposit slips (3), 1890–1899, inclusive
Chase Manhattan Bank. Envelope with keys (3), [20th century], inclusive
Series III. Address books, circa 1887–1891, undated, inclusive
Address books. "Pierce's Memorandum and Account Book" (3), circa 1887–1891, inclusive
Address book (1), undated, inclusive
Series IV. John S. Bush Manufacturing Co., 1909–1919, inclusive
Minute book, 1909–1919, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Includes tipped-in stock certificates and tax returns.
Stock book, 1909, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Blank except for tab "B," recording the names and information of John S. Bush, William B. Bush, and John H. Bush.
Series V. Frances Maude (Morris) Bush travel diaries, 1928–1936, inclusive
Travel diary, 1928 September 12 – October 24, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Embossed "My Travels." Record of voyage aboard the RMS Aquitania and visits to England and Belgium.
Travel diary, [1928] October 25 – December 17, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Embossed "Mrs. William B. Bush." Record of visits to France, Italy, and Switzerland.
Travel diary, [1928] December 18 – [1929] August 16, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Record of visits to France and Germany.
Travel diary, 1930 June 3 – July 26, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Embossed "My Trip Abroad" and "Frances M. Bush." Record of visits to England, Scotland, and Baltic countries.
Travel diary, 1936 July 29 – September 15, inclusive
Scope and Contents
A 1935 pocket calendar issued by Siefke & Rosenblum, General Insurance, 2 West 45th Street, New York, and used as a travel diary in 1936. Record of voyage aboard Queen Mary and visits to England and Wales.