Series consists of the Jacobs-Ermatinger estate papers which constitute a collection of primary importance for studies of the economic history of Lower Canada, the fur trade, and business in general. Included are all manner of business records: day books, journals, ledgers, waste books, cash books, vouchers, bills of exchange, receipts, engagements, correspondence, statements of account, wills, powers of attorney, procès-verbaux and various other legal papers relating to court settlements of business disputes, and records of the Sheriff's Office of Montreal.
The most prominent units are the personal, business and estate records of Samuel Jacobs and his heirs; the personal and business records of Edward William Gray, including papers of the Montreal Sheriff's Office and the administration of the Jacobs estate; the personal and business records of Frederick William Ermatinger and Forrest Oakes, the Bank of Montreal, ca. 1817-1826, and the administration of the Jacobs and Gray estates; records of Charles Oakes Ermatinger and Samuel Gale relating to estates administered by them; and records of various Montreal merchants including McKenney & Caldwell, Louis Lardy, George & William Aird, Jean-Baptiste Gigon and Pierre Morin.
The series also consists of 391 postal covers covering the period from 1763 to 1830 (with emphasis on 1772 to 1820s). Covers were mailed from various locations in Canada including a quantity of correspondence from Quebec City. A portion of the covers originates from Great Britain. Most correspondence is addressed to the Ermatinger family in Montreal, Quebec City and St-Denis in Lower Canada.
Early postal markings and rates of the postal service are well represented in the series. Of particular interest are the first manuscript postal markings for Berthier [B](1772-1774), Montreal [M](1769-1774) and Quebec [Q](1773-1775), early Quebec City bishop marks (1780-1797) and fleuron postmarks (1809-1829). Straight-line postmarks are well represented, with covers from Berthier (1781-1809), Halifax, N.S. (1792-1812), Montreal (1774-1821), Quebec (1765-1803) and Three Rivers (1777-1817). There are 7 postal covers dated 1763, the year the post office was established in Canada. Of particular importance is Canada's earliest recorded postal cover - dated August 1763 and mailed by Three Rivers Postmaster Aaron Hart to Samuel Jacobs of Montreal.
