The Jack Flashman Collection

Although positive proof has not yet been located, it has been speculated that the successful Colonial American businessman by the name of Jack Augustus Flashman was none other than the great-grandfather of Harry Paget Flashman (see Flashman, 2:2). Jack Flashman left behind a considerable collection of papers that has resided in the Rare Documents Library at the University of Massachusetts for some time. It was discovered last month when a storage box fell from a shelf and injured a history student.

Much of the Jack Flashman Collection consists of ship manifests, financial records and business dealings which are only of interest to the diehard historian. But the collection also includes several diaries that shed some light on his personality and his involvement in the American Revolutionary War.

Although the earliest portion of his diaries have not been the focus of research, it is apparent that Jack Flashman was involved in the Triangle Trade in the late 1750's. This consisted of purchasing rum in the New England colonies, shipping it to the coast of Africa where it was exchanged for slaves. The slaves were then shipped to the Caribbean where they were exchanged for sugar and molasses. The sugar and molasses was then shipped to New England where it was sold to rum makers. Based on Flashman's financal records, he made a hefty profit on each leg of the triangle.

Of course, during this time England was attempting to strictly control the imports and exports of the colonies for purposes of both taxation and trade. This not only cut into his profit (when caught), but also resulted in an interesting game of cat-and-mouse along the American coast.

Starting with a single ship (which he became the owner of under mysterious circumstances), he built a fleet of 12 to 15 ships, all of which were continously involved in the Triangle Trade. This allowed him to accumulate considerable wealth, and even though he seemed to prefer life at sea, his fleet required him to remain ashore in America to manage his business.

Using profit from slavery and rum/sugar running, Flashman expanded his business in the late 1760's to include building or purchasing shares in several dozen taverns. Keep in mind that in Colonial America, the tavern was more than a bar. It was also a restaurant, a hotel and a public meeting hall where not only business was conducted, but where weddings were performed, dances were held and the first flames of independence were fueled by pints of ale.

Being involved in the tavern business brought Flashman in contact with many of the key American and British beer drinkers of the time, such as George Washington, Ben Franklin, and General Cornwallis to name a few.

Also Flashman appears to have been instrumental in the expansion of the western frontier. By building a chain of taverns along indian trails running west through Kentucky and Tennessee, he encouraged business men to travel into the frontier and carve out new commercial enterprises. The more business they did, the more his taverns prospered. It appears that during this time he was acquainted with Daniel Boone and other famous frontiersmen.

So far, only a small portion of the diaries have been examined and a few noteworthy entries have been transcribed. Although the writing is legible, the reading is difficult due to the use of the letter "f" in place of the letter "s". This has been removed in the transcription. Since these are excerpts from a journal as opposed to a narrative, footnotes have been added to provide additional information.