Bloomingdale Bros & Co - 1847 in North Carolina

Rev. John L. Clifton, guardian for Robert Craddock

Rev. John L. Clifton, guardian for Lorene Strickland

When looking for family in the John L. Clifton Papers found at the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Duke University, I copied non-family items that interested me. Seeing Bloomingdale Bros & Co. on these receipts piqued my interest, and I added them to my collection.[1] Did John L. Clifton purchase fabric and other items for the children from Bloomingdales of NYC? 

He did not. Bloomingdales, as we know it, was not established until more than 20 years after these receipts were written.[2] So, who were these Bloomingdale brothers? 

John L. Clifton was found living in the Northern Division of Sampson County in 1850, but no Bloomingdales were found in Sampson County.[3] 

Emmanuel Bloomingdale, a merchant, was living in the North Division of Duplin County on 6 August 1850 when enumerated on the 1850 census.[4] However, he relocated very soon after this enumeration. On 17 September 1850, Emmanuel and his family were enumerated on the 1850 census in the 17th Ward in New York City.[5]

  

No other Bloomingdales were found on the 1850 census of Duplin County, but Jacob Bloomingdale was found as the postmaster in 1847 in the town of Faison Depot in Duplin County - not terribly far from John L. Clifton's home in the Northern Division of Sampson County.[6] 

Emmanuel spent the remainder of his years in New York. At one point, he was a merchant selling "Fancy Paper."[7] I was unable to positively identify Jacob Bloomingdale in any document beyond the postal record. 

Jacob and Emmanuel appear to be the most likely candidates for the Bloomingdale Brothers; however, there may have been others, and there is definitely more to learn. I will leave it up to Bloomingdale researchers to finish this story. 

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.

Diana

© 2023 

    1. Receipts from Bloomingdale Bros. & Co., Clifton, John L., Papers, 1784-1916 (bulk 1830-1889), manuscript collection, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University, accessed 2017 and 2018.

    2. "Our History," Bloomingdales (https://www.bloomingdales.com/b/about-us/history/ : accessed 27 August 2023).

    3. "United States Census, 1850", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4BV-8X3 : Tue Jul 18 02:14:59 UTC 2023), Entry for John L Clifton and Anna Clifton, 1850.

    4. "United States Census, 1850", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4B9-MC1 : Mon Jul 17 22:58:57 UTC 2023), Entry for Emanuel Bloomingdale and Francis Bloomingdale, 1850.

    5. "United States Census, 1850", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCBN-4WQ : Tue Jul 18 00:05:03 UTC 2023), Entry for Robert Leggett and Mary A Leggett, 1850.

    6. "North Carolina Postmark Catalog Update," North Carolina Postal History (http://dev.ncpostalhistory.com/resources/north-carolina-postmark-catalog-update/ : accessed 27 August 2023) > Duplin County.

    7. "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch 

(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCH7-YPT : Tue Jul 18 01:45:52 UTC 2023), Entry for Emanuel Bloomingdale and Fanny Bloomingdale, 1860. Also, "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WXQ-YH5 : 3 June 2020), Emanuel Bloomingdal, 1899.