A small collection of papers relating to the Canby, Roberts, and Rumford families of Wilmington, Delaware. It includes a diary kept by Charles Grubb Rumford in the year 1864, while he was serving in the Union Army. In January, he was in the Washington, D.C. area, but his unit was then shipped to Louisiana; at the back of the volume, he notes expenditures. A partial transcription of the diary is included. Rumford was a lieutenant in the First Battery, Delaware Light Artillery, as evidenced by a printed roster (entitled "Soldiers Memorial") of all the members of that outfit, and by his membership certificate in the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, which Rumford joined in 1890. As well, the collection contains two certificates of shares in the United States Centennial International Exposition, one issued to Lilly M. Canby, and the other to Samuel Canby. The certificates were issued in June 1875. There is also a program from a children's afternoon tea party and musical entertainment held at the Academy of Music on December 17, 1873, held to commemorate the Boston Tea Party of 1773; and a ticket to an adult program in the same place and on the same date, but in the evening. The name E.C. Rumford is penciled on the back of the ticket. The collection also contains a collection of calling cards and invitations, most from the first half of the 19th century. The calling cards are those of Lilly M. Canby, and Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Rumford. Most of the invitations were issued to members of the Roberts family, including Esther, Catherine, Hester, and Eliza. Several invitations were extended to Hettie R. Canby and to James and Elizabeth (Roberts) Canby. The invitations were handwritten, some on small cards, and some on decorated note paper. Many of the invitations came from members of the Tatnall, Morton, Canby, Yarnall, and Pennock families. In 1773, Robert Roberts had the back of a playing card printed with an invitation to join him at the Liberty Fishing House on the Schuylkill River. The example in this collection was printed on the three of spades and was issued to Dr. Thomas Parke. Two printed invitations were from members of the Wistar Party (possibly a men's club in Philadelphia). These invitations are neither to nor from members of any of the other families represented in this collection. Lastly, the collection includes a name stamp for Samuel Canby and a blue and white box from China which contains ink paste to use with the stamp. The stamp is carved from ivory or bone. At some point, the box and stamp were listed in an inventory, and at that time, the items were identified as having belonged to Samuel Canby II who died in 1822. With them is a photo of the page in the inventory listing the box and stamp. (The location of the inventory is unknown.).
