Collection search - William Waddell fonds [textual record]

Record information – Brief
1
William Waddell fonds [textual record]

Hierarchical level:

Fonds

Date:

1807-1893.

Reference:

R14054-0-1-E

Type of material:

Textual material

Found in:

Archives / Collections and Fonds

Item ID number:

4275676

Context of this record:

Show detail Hide detail

William Waddell fonds
Link to this record

Add to My Research

Link to this record

This link identifies the web page describing this particular record. Unlike the temporary link in your browser, this link will allow you to access, and reference, this page in the future. To link to this descriptive record, copy and paste the URL where ever needed (wiki, blog, document).

Sign in

Sign in to start saving records using My Research

Sign in
Record information – Details

Date(s):

1807-1893.

Place of creation:

Various places

Extent:

2.8 cm of textual records (132 pages).

Language of material:

English

Accession:

Show detail Hide detail

William Waddell fonds [textual record]

Scope and content:

Show detail Hide detail

Fonds consists of a bound volume entitled "Letters from America Written by William Waddell to his Parents in Cumbernauld [Scotland] 1832-1834" containing 13 original letters written by Waddell while he was in North America June 1832 to Dec. 1834 (pp. 69-123). Another section consists of a typed transcript of Waddell's 13 letters (pp. 1-68). There is also one letter by John Waddell to his son William dated 22 March 1834 (pp. 66-68). A third section contains bound-in certificates relating to Waddell's birth, his marriage to Helen Currie in 1837 and his undated newspaper obituary c.1893 (pp. 124-132).

Waddell, a trained carpenter and framer, toured North America to determine whether it was worthwhile emigrating permanently to either the United States or to Upper Canada. Waddell worked in furniture shops, on construction sites and on interior finishing, making commentaries on the type of doors, windows, tables made, how they were produced, the ethnicity of workers and their workmanship. His commentary extends over the cost of woodwork, wages, food, lodging, decorative styles, strikes, prices for farmland, economic trends, society, religion and other topics.

Provenance:

Show detail Hide detail

Waddell, William, 1807-1893

Biography/Administrative history:

Show detail Hide detail

Waddell, William, 1807-1893 : William Waddell was born on 4 April 1807 in Cumbernauld, Scotland, the son of John Waddell and Agnes Allan. He was trained in carpentry, joinery and woodworking. In 1832 he decided to visit North America to see if it would be worthwhile emigrating. Waddell was a woodworker in New York City for several months before fleeing because of cholera. He spent much of 1832-1834 in Kingston, Upper Canada and vicinity where he worked in woodworking shops and on various building projects, sometimes as a junior foreman. Because of recurrent cholera epidemics and the American banking crisis, Waddell decided not to stay. In June 1834 he travelled to Toronto, Hamilton and Niagara, exploring employment opportunities there. Not finding much, he travelled through Ohio and down the Mississippi River to New Orleans; his last letter in this collection was from Natchez, Mississippi.

Returning from America, Waddell became a builder and contractor in Coatbridge, Scotland. Waddell built early railway bridges for the Caledonian, Glasgow and South Western and other railways, municipal waterworks as well as many other major projects. He was a member of original Coatbridge town council and was implicated in many social and political activities there. He was a member of the Liberal Party and the established church.

In 1880 he moved to the Isle of Man and continued on as a contractor there. He retired to Glasgow in 1890 and lived there until his death in 1893. In 1837 William Waddell married Helen Currie and they had seven children.

Additional information:

Show detail Hide detail

Note on the state of conservation:

Many of the original letters have been repaired with scotchtape which is now discoloured, brittle or seeping adhesive.

Custodial history:

Acquired in 1992 from Sotheby's Auction, London.

Source:

Private

Related control no.:

Show detail Hide detail

120-020147-7
1992/0221
MG24-H86
Ordering and viewing options

Conditions of access:

Show detail Hide detail

Textual records

[Consultation90 Open]

Volume [R14054] 1

[Consultation 90 Open]

You can order materials in advance to be ready for you when you visit. You will need a user card to do this.

Cannot visit us on site? You can purchase a copy to be sent to you. Some restrictions may apply.