Swift and Wesselhoeft family papers
Scope and Contents
Edith Steel Swift, the donor of the collection, interviewed friends and family members between the years 1986-1999. The collection is a series of oral histories with a select family members and friends documenting their reflections and memories of the Mishaum Point and Swift, Steel and Wesselhoef families. The following individuals were interviewed: Charles Gulick (1900- ), son-in-law of Humphrey Hathaway Swift; Deborah Bradley Latta a resident of New Bedford and friend of Edith Steel Swift; Huldah Moss, niece of Edith Steel Swift; Dodre Powell friend of donor, Edith Steel Swift; Humphrey Hathaway III and Steven H. Swift, sons of Robert Wesselhoeft Swift and Conrad Wesselhoeft (1922 - ), son of Conrad Wesselhoeft and 3 Frances Gordon Kittrich Wesselhoeft. The remaining collection is a series of photocopies of 19th and 20th century manuscript materials pertaining to the Swift, Wesselhoeft and Steel family genealogy and business histories. The collection is divided into four series, which are arranged by content and format. Series I is a collection of oral histories comprised of three actual recorded interviews and seven transcripts. Series II is collection of genealogical charts, histories, correspondence, biographical essays, obituaries related to the Swift, Wesselhoeft and Steel family. A large portion of the manuscript material relates to the donor’s father, Humphrey Hathaway Swift III. These materials include magazine articles on Swift Instruments the family business, reminiscences of Mishaum Point, ship logs of his sailboat, Sea Horse and materials presented at his memorial service in the year 2000. Series III is photographs of Swift family members. Series IV is genealogy of Richard Sturgis Perkins, III of Mishaum Point Massachusetts, a friend of the family.
Dates
- Creation: 1840-2002
Creator
- Swift, Edith Steele (Person)
Biographical / Historical
The donor and complier of the Swift and Wesselhoeft family collection is Edith Steel
Swift (1944-). For the past several decades Ms. Swift has research and collected
genealogical materials related to the Swift, Wesselhoeft, and Steel families whom resided
in the communities of New Bedford, Acushnet, Mishaum Point and Boston.
Edith Steel Swift is the daughter of Humphrey (Hop) Hathaway Swift III (1915 – 2002)
and his first wife Dorothea Banks (1922-1951). Her sister is Alexandra Dorothy S.
(1946-). Edith Steel Swift resides in Thirroul, Australia during the winter and Mishaum
Point in the summer.
Edith’s father, Humphrey Hathaway Swift III (HHS III) is the son of Edith Steel and
Robert Wesselhoeft Swift (1872-1950) of New Bedford. In 1926, Robert Wesselhoeft
Swift brought a small import company and called it Swift and Anderson Inc. This family
owned company was the first to import roof prism binocular from Hensolt Germany.
Throughout the twentieth-century the company expanded to become one of the leading
trade company of fine optical products in the United States, now known as Swift
Instruments. Its international headquarters is in Boston and today remains a family
owned business.
Although the business was managed by Robert Wesselhoeft Swift during the early part of
the twentieth-century, (HHS III) joined the family business immediately following World
War II and eventually became president. In an article that appeared in OPTICS magazine
he credits his three brothers, Robert Wesselhoeft Swift, Jr. (1911 – 1968); Henry Miller
Steel Swift (1912-1970), and Vice President, Stephen Hathaway Swift (1917-1997) for
their contributions to the history and growth of the company.
(HHS III) is a graduate of sociology, economics and psychology from the University of
North Carolina and served as midshipman in the U.S. Naval reserves. He also owned a
small sugar company in Recife, Brazil. During his retirement years, (HHS III) was able
to pursue his passion, which was to sail his boat “Sea Horse” along the coast of New
England. He summered at Misham Point in Dartmouth Massachusetts.
2
(HHS III)’s father Robert Wesselhoeft Swift (1872-1950) was born to New Bedford. His
parents were Bertha Wesselhoeft (1841-1910), and Humphrey Hathaway Swift (1819 –
1911) who was born at Lunds Corner of New Bedford. Humphrey Hathaway Swift
(HHS) was a son of shipbuilder and timber Jireh Swift, who was born in Acushnet in
April 23, 1773.
(HHS) began his career as a teacher at the village school. By the end of 1840, he
embarked from Salem on his first trip of many voyages to Brazil, and later China,
Europe, and Africa importing tea and goods back and forth to the United States. He
started his sailing career with Henry Forster & Co. and became a business entrepreneur,
both in the United States and Brazil. One of his particular interests was the development
of cotton in Brazil during the Civil War. He imported cottonseed and introduced the
cotton gin to the Brazilian planters. President Grant appointed Mr. Swift consul to
Pernambuco, Brazil, but he declined due to business conflicts. He also served as United
States Representative. In 1879, he retired from a Henry Forster & Co. and ten years later
was the senior partner of Swift, Billings, & Co. He retired in 1896 and left New York to
return to his childhood home in New Bedford. A year before his death, 1911, he moved
to Cambridge to live with his daughter and son in law, Professor of Charles Burton
Gulick,
In addition to contributions of the Swift family, Bertha Wesselhoeft, (HHS)’s second
wife, came from a prominent Boston family who had a long tradition in the field of
medicine. Bertha’s father, Robert Wesselhoeft and his immediate family sailed to the
United States in 1840 to meet his brother, Wilhelm Wesselhoeft. His brother was a
physician who practice and taught the principles of homeopathy. He also founded one of
the first homeopathic societies in the country, Northampton County Society of Laymen
and Physicians in Pennsylvania. Robert studied under his brother and at the University of
Pennsylvania. He received his medical degree from the University of Basel. His
particular medical interest was hydrotherapeutics. After school he began practicing with
his brother in Cambridgeport and Boston. In 1841, Mr. Lovell Farr of Brattleboro,
Vermont contacted Robert Wesselhoeft for his assistance in his wife’s illness, which was
believed to be hopeless. Upon visiting Brattleboro he discovered that air and water was
free and clear of all mineral substances unlike Allentown, Pennsylvania. In 1843, he
established one of the largest hydropath, “water cure” experiment in the country and
served more than three-hundred-ninety-two patients. Among some of his clients were
Harriet Beecher Stowe and Julia Ward Howe.
Extent
1.25 Linear Feet (3 mss boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Edith Steel Swift. September 4, 1997
Processing Information
April 26, 2004 by Allison Cywin as part of her internship through Simmons College.
Subject
- Swift (Family)
- Wesselhoeft (Family)
- Steele (Family)
Genre / Form
- Title
- Swift and Wesselhoeft family papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Allison Cywin
- Date
- April 26, 2004
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Claire T. Carney Library Archives and Special Collections, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Repository