Born April 4, 1763, to “College Tom” Hazard (1720-1798) and Elizabeth Robinson Hazard, Rowland Hazard was a prominent member of one of Rhode Island’s most influential families. He engaged in shipping in Charleston, South Carolina, with John Robinson and Peter Ayrault until around 1800, when he returned to Rhode Island, purchased a textile mill, and began manufacturing cotton and wool linseys. He made significant contributions to the growing Rhode Island textile industry, including the introduction of the carding-machine and the implementation of a profit-sharing plan for mill workers. In 1793, he married Mary Peace, daughter of Isaac Peace and Elizabeth Gibson Peace. They had nine children, including Elizabeth, Joseph P., Isaac P., Rowland G., and Thomas R. Hazard. The latter part of his life was spent in Pleasant Valley, New York, where he died July 1, 1835.
The collection contains correspondence between Rowland Hazard and family members; business papers relating to Peace Dale Mills and shipping; and two day books relating to bills for candles and whale oil and accounts with various merchants dealing in dry goods.
Researchers are advised to contact Rhode Island College Special Collections for questions regarding permissions to reproduce, distribute, or otherwise publish material from this collection. Although Rhode Island College has physical ownership of the collection, it does not necessarily hold literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
The collection is open for research.
Rowland Hazard papers, MSS-0089, Special Collections, James P. Adams Library, Rhode Island College.
The collection has been arranged into the following series:
The collection was given to Rhode Island College in 1968 by Martha Bacon Ballinger, with the consent of her husband, Ronald B. Ballinger, as well as her sister, Helen Bacon Westlake, and Helen’s husband, J.T. Westlake.
After the collection arrived in 1968 as part of the Nathaniel Terry Bacon papers, Rhode Island College Professor Norman Smith conducted preliminary sorting of the collection. The processing of the papers and the preparation of the original finding aid was funded by a National Historical Publications and Records Commission grant. The initial finding aid was prepared by Norene Rickson, library assistant in RIC Special Collections, with the assistance of Michael Kohl, Assistant Librarian in Special Collections. In 2023, the finding aid was converted to current archival standards by Special Collections intern Melissa Moniz, under the supervision of Veronica L. Denison, Digital Archivist and Special Collections Librarian at Rhode Island College. At this time, the collection was removed from the Nathaniel Terry Bacon papers and made into its own collection.
Rhode Island College Special Collections contains additional collections relating to the Bacon and Hazard families:
Additionally, Yale University Manuscripts and Archives holds the
This collection has not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact the Rhode Island College Special Collections.
This series includes personal letters to Rowland Hazard from his wife and children, circa 1796-1825. Also included is correspondence from his brother Thomas, and nephew Thomas, which relates to Hazard’s finances from 1801-1835. In addition, there are other letters with family members, which include Elizabeth, Joseph P., Isaac P., and Rowland G.
This series contains business papers, including invoices, bills of lading and shipping contracts from the firms of Hazard and Ayrault and Hazard and Robinson documenting Hazard’s involvement in the shipping trade. Also included is a contract between Hazard, John Robinson, and Peter Ayrault, from 1794, establishing the shipping concern of Hazard Robinson Company; a contract between the company and the master and season of the ship “Commerce,” 1795; and a letter of license from the creditors of Hazard and Ayrault, 1800.
This series contains deeds, indentures, and leases related to land and mill property owned and leased by the Hazard family in Charleston, South Carolina, Rhode Island, and Pleasant Valley, New York. These document a law suit between Thomas R. Hazard and William Martin of Ferrisburgh, Vermont, 1822; deeds of John Dockray of South Kingston, circa 1825; and a writ issued by Thomas Peckham of Newport County, 1808. Also included are two Day books of Rowland Hazard. One book consists primarily of bills from Thomas Hazard for candles and whale oil, 1823-1824; the other lists Rowland Hazard’s accounts with various merchants dealing in dry goods, 1823-1825.