Inventory of the New Bedford Cordage Company Records

Historical Note

The New Bedford Cordage Company was founded in 1842 by Joseph Ricketson, Benjamin S. Rotch, and William J. Rotch, probably as an outgrowth of the Rotch family rope walk established at New Bedford in 1815. Incorporated by the state in 1846, the firm initially produced rope used on whaling and clipper ships. After the Civil War, New Bedford Cordage Company turned to the manufacture of binder twine for farmers, transmission rope for use in textile mills, and especially rope cables used in salt mines and water or oil wells. Records indicate that by the mid-1880s, the company's products were sold throughout the United States and in Hawaii, South America, South Africa, and Australia. The firm enjoyed its greatest period of prosperity between 1911-1929, supplying over 80% of all rope cables used in domestic oil drilling. The interruption of the hemp supply from the Philippines during World War II, changes in the drilling cable business, the development of synthetic fibers, and increased competition encouraged the company to manufacture different types of cordage and explore new sales avenues in the post-war years. From about 1950 until 1964, when the firm closed, New Bedford Cordage Company concentrated on manufacturing small sized nylon rope.

Administratively, the New Bedford Cordage Company remained a closed corporation controlled by the Rotches and members of other local families until about 1886, when the need for increased capital dictated a wider distribution of company stock. Between 1893-1905, the real estate, plant, and stock of the firm were successively sold to National Cordage Co. and United States Cordage Co., two trust organizations, and Travers Brothers Company, a cordage manufacturer and jobber. Manufacturing activities of the company remained at New Bedford throughout these changes in ownership, although the general offices of the firm were transferred to New York City in the early 1950s. In 1958, New Bedford Cordage Company became a subsidiary of Wall Rope Works, Inc. While the firm's main plant at New Bedford closed in March 1959 and key personnel were transferred to the Wall offices at Beverly, N.J., the company retained its autonomy, market business, and sales organization until 1964, when both Wall Rope Works, Inc., and New Bedford Cordage Company merged with Phillips Petroleum Co.

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Scope and Content Note

Materials in this collection reflect the administrative, manufacturing, and financial activities of New Bedford Cordage Company between 1842-1959. Of particular note are records of company directors and stockholders, 1848-1958, which include minutes of meetings, reports and amendments regarding stock, deeds and bills of sale for land or ships purchased by the firm, and correspondence, tax appraisals, and proposals relating to the company's physical plant. These records are complemented by business correspondence from the years 1847-1959. consisting of letters generated or received by the firm, chiefly relating to product orders and supplies. The collection also includes numerous account books, 1842-1856; a time and wage book for company employees, 1846-1864; production and sales records, 1839-1953, including a volume listing sales of both the Rotch family rope walk and New Bedford Cordage Company; and articles of organization of the Cordage Institute, a national trade organization of which the New Bedford firm was a member, dating from 1933-1946. Supplementing these records are a useful memoir of New Bedford Cordage Company, written by the firm's last president, Martin Walter Jr. in 1968; a number of product catalogs and advertisements; and several clippings from local newspapers concerning events in the company's history, ca. 1851-1958. An index to the outgoing correspondence, 1847-1896, is available at the New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library.

Arrangement of Collection

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Information for Researchers

Unrestricted. Consult librarian for an appointment.

New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library Mss 1 [sub-group, series, sub-series, folder/volume as appropriate], [item]

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials. The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 United States Code 552a) governs the use of materials that document private individuals, groups, and corporations.

Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a reproduction if the document does not infringe the privacy rights of an individual, group, or corporation. These specified conditions of authorized use include:

If the researcher later uses a copy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," the researcher is personally liable for copyright. privacy, or publicity infringement and agrees to indemnify the New Bedford Whaling Museum from any legal action as a result of the error. Permission to obtain a photographic, xerographic, digital, or other copy of a document does not indicate permission to publish, exhibit, perform, reproduce, sell, distribute, or prepare derivative works from the document without permission from the copyright holder and from any private individual, group, or corporation shown or otherwise recorded.

Permission to publish, exhibit, perform, reproduce, prepare derivative works from, sell, or otherwise distribute the item must be obtained separately in writing from the holder of the original copyright (or if the creator is dead, from his/her heirs) as well as from any individual(s), groups, or corporations whose name, image, recorded words, or private information (e.g. employment information) may be reproduced in the source material. The holder of the original copyright is not necessarily the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The New Bedford Whaling Museum is not legally liable for copyright, privacy, or publicity infringement when materials are wrongfully used after being provided to researchers for "fair use."

This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if fulfillment of the order is judged in violation of copyright or federal or state privacy law. This institution also places restrictions on the use of cameras, photocopiers, and scanners in the research room.

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Related Materials

Related Manuscript Collections

Accession #2011.78: New Bedford Cordage Company account journal, 1854-1859

Accession #2015.29: New Bedford Cordage Company letter book, 1856-1858

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Separations List

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Administrative Information

Most records in this collection were given to the Old Dartmouth Historical Society by the New Bedford Cordage Company on 6 May 1961. Additional minute books, legal documents, correspondence, catalogs, clippings, and photographs were donated to the Society between 1966 and 1968 by Martin Walter Jr. Several letters were also donated by Mrs. George Smith on 25 April 1984.

Processed by: Patricia J. Albright, ca. 1982

Encoded by: Mark Procknik, 14 December 2012

Funds for processing this collection were provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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Description

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