Charles J. Ingersoll to Thomas Jefferson, 4 July 1818
From Charles J. Ingersoll
Philadelphia 4. July 1818
Sir
Mr Wilcocks, the American Consul at Canton in China, has sent me, by a late arrival from that country, a Chronological View, and Dialogues, with English translations, as specimens of Chinese Literature, or rather, of English advancement in it, which he desires me to present to you in his name—
I avail myself of this occasion to renew the assurances of respectful consideration with which I remain, Sir,
C. J. Ingersoll
RC (NNPM); at foot of text: “Mr Jefferson”; endorsed by TJ as received 19 July 1818 and so recorded in SJL. Enclosures: (1) Robert Morrison, A View of China, for Philological Purposes; containing A Sketch of Chinese Chronology, Geography, Government, Religion & Customs. designed for the use of persons who study the Chinese Language (Macao, 1817; , 14 [no. 910]). (2) [Morrison], Dialogues and Detached Sentences in the Chinese Language; with a free and verbal Translation in English. collected from various sources. Designed as an Initiatory Work for the Use of Students of Chinese (Macao, 1816; , 14 [no. 911]).
Benjamin Chew Wilcocks (1776–1845), merchant and public official, made a number of trading voyages between Philadelphia and Canton, China, starting in the 1790s. He served as United States consul at Canton, 1813–22, and remained based there for another five years before returning permanently to Philadelphia. During his years abroad Wilcocks was heavily involved in the illegal opium trade and spent at least one year in India (Charles P. Keith, The Provincial Councillors of Pennsylvania [1883], 332; James Robinson, The Philadelphia Directory, City and County Register, for 1802 [Philadelphia, 1802], 260; Wilcocks file in DNA: RG 59, LAR, 1809–17; , 2:313, 316, 3:314 [31 Dec. 1812, 15 Jan. 1813, 23 Dec. 1822]; Jean Gordon Lee and Philip Chadwick Foster Smith, Philadelphians and the China Trade, 1784–1844 [1984], 44–6; Jacques M. Downs, “American Merchants and the China Opium Trade, 1800–1840,” Business History Review 42 [1968]: 418–42; gravestone inscription in Saint Peter’s Episcopal Churchyard, Philadelphia).
Index Entries
- A View of China, for Philological Purposes; containing A Sketch of Chinese Chronology, Geography, Government, Religion & Customs. designed for the use of persons who study the Chinese Language (R. Morrison) search
- China; works on search
- Chinese language; study of search
- Dialogues and Detached Sentences in the Chinese Language; with a free and verbal Translation in English (R. Morrison) search
- Ingersoll, Charles Jared; letters from search
- Ingersoll, Charles Jared; sends works to TJ search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Books & Library; works sent to search
- language; Chinese search
- Morrison, Robert; A View of China, for Philological Purposes; containing A Sketch of Chinese Chronology, Geography, Government, Religion & Customs. designed for the use of persons who study the Chinese Language search
- Morrison, Robert; Dialogues and Detached Sentences in the Chinese Language; with a free and verbal Translation in English search
- Wilcocks, Benjamin Chew; and pamphlets for TJ search
- Wilcocks, Benjamin Chew; identified search