1692-1972
Guide to the Collection
Abstract
This collection consists of the papers of the interrelated Haven, Appleton, and Cutter families, which consist mostly of family correspondence, sermons, legal documents, and genealogical material. The collection contains Civil War letters from Gerald Fitzgerald of the 12th Mass. Volunteer Infantry Regiment to Sarah F. Appleton (later Cutter). A few items relate to Elijah Perkins' service in Samuel Johnson's Regiment of the Mass. Militia during the Revolutionary War.
Biographical Sketches
Haven Family
Reverend Samuel Haven (1727-1806) was the son of Joseph and Mehitabel Haven. He entered Harvard in 1745 and graduated in 1749. He was ordained pastor of the First Church in Portsmouth, N.H., May 1752. Later, Samuel Haven became a doctor and practiced medicine among the poor in Portsmouth. He was married to Mehitable Appleton in 1753 and together they had eleven children. The ninth child, William Haven (1770-1856), is represented in this collection. Samuel Haven married for the second time in 1778 to Margaret Marshall, and together they had six children.
William Haven (1770-1856) was the youngest son of Reverend Samuel and Mehitable Appleton Haven. Known as William Haven, Merchant (Esq.), he travelled extensively with his brothers who employed him as an accountant. He was cashier of the New Hampshire bank in Portsmouth, N.H. and later, an accountant for the Portsmouth Savings Bank. In 1807, he married Sophia Henderson, the daughter of Hugh Henderson and Hannah Sheafe. Of their twelve children, Sophia (1809-1896), Charlotte Ann (18191900), Isabella (1821-1915), Harriet (1828-1910), and William Appleton Haven (1831-1919) are represented in this collection.
Hannah Sheafe Henderson Hart (1750-1845) was the daughter of Jacob Sheafe and Hannah Seavey. She married Hugh Henderson (1747-1792) in 1772 and together they had nine children. Their oldest daughter, Hannah Henderson married John Turnbull and moved to Scotland. Mr. and Mrs. Turnbull's son, Sidney Turnbull, is represented in this collection. Sophia Henderson, the eighth child of Hugh and Hannah Henderson, married William Haven (17701856). After the death of her first husband, Hannah Sheafe Henderson married William Hart.
William Appleton Haven (1831-1919) was the youngest son of William and Sophia Henderson Haven. He was educated at private schools in Portsmouth until the age of fifteen and then became an apprentice in Boston at the firm of Brown and Hastings Civil Engineers and Land Surveyors. In 1849, he left Boston to work on the Vermont Railroad until it was finished in 1850. He then returned to Portsmouth to complete his studies in civil engineering. In 1852, he went west to find work in engineering. He lived in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Arkansas, and Texas and was employed as an engineer on the construction of railroads. During the Civil War, he left Texas, returned to Portsmouth, and enlisted in Company K of the New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry as a second lieutenant. After the war, he continued to work at various locations throughout the United States on the construction of railroads. He married Zaidee B. Hartupee of Chicago. They had no children. Mr. Haven was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Fayerweather Family
Thomas Fayerweather (1723-1805) was the son of Thomas and Hannah Waldo Fayerweather of Boston. He was a lawyer who married Sarah Hubbard (1729-1804). They had a daughter, Sarah Fayerweather (b. 1759) who married John Appleton (1758-1829).
Appleton Family
John Appleton (1758-1829) was the son of Nathaniel Appleton and Rachel Henderson. With his first wife, Mary Whitebread, he had two children: John James Appleton and Charles John Appleton. After his appointment as United States Consul at Calais, John took his two sons to the United States and left his first wife behind in England. John Appleton married his second wife, Sarah Fayerweather, in 1807.
John James Appleton (1792-1864) was the son of John and Mary Whitebread Appleton. He was born in France during his father's appointment as United States Consul at Calais. John James Appleton attended school in Andover and was appointed Secretary of the Legation at Brazil during the administration of James Monroe. He held the position of Charge d' Affairs for the U.S. in Madrid and Stockholm. He moved back to France, married Augustine Elizabeth Houdan and had two children: Charles Louis and Jean Appleton.
Charles John Appleton (1795-1843) was the son of John and Mary Whitebread Appleton. He served as an officer in the Brazilian Navy. He married Sophia Haven, daughter of William and Sophia Henderson Haven. They had three children: Sophia Louise Appleton Bradbury (b. 1836), Sarah Fayerweather Appleton Cutter (b. 1839), and Augusta Isabella Appleton (b. 1841).
Cutter Family
Charles Ammi Cutter (1837-1903) was the son of Caleb and Hannah Bigelow Cutter. He was the librarian of the Boston Atheneum from 1869-1893. From 1894 until his death, he was the librarian of the Forbes Library in Northampton, Mass. He married Sarah Fayerweather Appleton in 1863. They had four children: Louis Fayerweather Cutter (b. 1864), Philip Champney Cutter (b. 1866), Roland Norcross Cutter (b. 1868), and Gerald Clifford Cutter (b. 1880).
Collection Description
The Haven-Appleton-Cutter Family Papers encompass the years 1692-1972 and document the activities of these three allied families. The bulk of the collection (1790-1890) is nineteenth century family correspondence. The collection contains six boxes of correspondence, sermons, legal documents, and genealogical material. The collection is divided into five series: Haven family papers (1747-1916), Appleton family papers (1692-1972), Cutter family correspondence (1840-41, 1902-38), Perkins family papers (1771-1868), and Genealogical material.
The Haven family papers consist of two boxes of family correspondence, sermons, and legal documents. There are letters among family members as well as sermons (1747-95) written by Reverend Samuel Haven. Also included are documents related to Reverend Haven's involvement with various ecclesiastical councils and a copy of a letter from George Washington to Samuel Haven (1787).
Two boxes of Appleton family papers contain correspondence, legal documents, and sermons. There are letters (1861-63) written by Civil War soldier, Gerald Fitzgerald, to Sarah Fayerweather which provide details of camp life. Also included are letters to Charles John Appleton while he was an officer in the Brazilian Navy (1826-31).
The Perkins family papers contain five folders of correspondence including documents which provide information about Elijah Perkins' (1768-1853) service in the Revolutionary War and letters (1861-62) written by Mary D. Perkins in Europe.
The genealogical materials contain correspondence, family charts, clippings, and biographical sketches related to the Haven, Appleton, Cutter, Sheafe, Boardman, Osgood, and Pickering families.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Mrs. Edith Tucker, Wellesley, Mass., October 1992.
Detailed Description of the Collection
I. Haven family papers, 1747-1916
A. Haven family correspondence, 1754-1916
Arranged chronologically.
The bulk of the correspondence dates from the first half of the nineteenth century and contains letters written primarily among family members. A large portion of the correspondence is written by the women of the Haven family. There are letters to and from William Appleton Haven in the mid-nineteenth century during his travels in the United States as an engineer. The correspondence also includes a negative photostat and manuscript transcription of a letter from George Washington to the Reverend Samuel Haven (1787) describing the character of Washington's secretary, Mr. Lear of Portsmouth, N.H.
B. Samuel Haven papers, 1747-1804
Arranged chronologically.
The Samuel Haven papers contain sermons written by Reverend Samuel Haven which he preached at the First Church of Portsmouth, N.H. and include the papers of the Ecclesiastical councils at Wells, N.H., Newburyport, Mass., and Hampton Falls, N.H. in which Samuel Haven participated. The papers of the Proprietors of Burton, N.H., (1771-91, 1797-1804), include correspondence among Reverend Haven and the Proprietors concerning a dispute over land which was granted to Reverend Haven in a charter by Governor John Wentworth after the Burton charter (1766) had expired.
Sermons, 1747-95
Ecclesiastical Council papers
Wells, N.H., 1759
Newburyport, Mass., 1769
Hampton Falls, N.H., 1771
Rochester, N.H., 1773-74
Papers of the Proprietors of Burton,N.H.,1771-91,1797-1804
C. Haven family legal documents, 1759-1835
Arranged chronologically.
The Haven family legal documents include the will of Samuel Haven's father, Joseph Haven (1698-1776), as well as documents relating to the settlement of his estate and deeds to land in N.H. and Mass.
Wills, 1768, 1776
Deeds, 1759-1835
II. Appleton family papers, 1692-1972
A. Appleton family correspondence, 1752-1941, 1972
Arranged chronologically.
The Appleton family correspondence contain the letters of Sophia Haven Appleton and her daughters as well as correspondence related to Appleton family portraits. Other items of interest include an inventory of Thomas Fayerweather's estate (July 1805) and letters of the Fayerweather family from the late eighteenthcentury. Appleton family correspondence regarding genealogy can also be found in Series V: Genealogical material, Box 5, folders 1-13.
B. Appleton family legal documents, 1835, 1892
Arranged chronologically.
The Appleton family legal documents contain a letter to Charles J. Appleton from his brother, John J. Appleton, concerning the sale of land (1835) as well as statements by Charles Louis Appleton and Marie Augustine Appleton granting Sophia Louise Appleton Bradbury power of attorney (1892).
C. Appleton family sermons, 1692, 1726-27
Arranged chronologically.
The Appleton family sermons include sermons written by Reverend Henry Gibbs and contain notes of unidentified sermons dated 1727 in Cambridge signed by an Appleton. These notes are probably those of Reverend Nathaniel Appleton of Cambridge, Mass. who was ordained as the minister of the church in 1717. (He married the daughter of Reverend Henry Gibbs of Watertown, Mass. in 1720 and was the father of Mehitabel Appleton who married Reverend Samuel Haven.)
D. Charles John Appleton papers, 1826-39
Arranged chronologically.
The Charles John Appleton papers contain his correspondence with family during his residence in Brazil as an officer in the Brazilian Navy (1826-31) and include letters to Charles John Appleton in Cambridge from former colleagues in Brazil (1832-39).
E. Sarah Fayerweather Appleton - Gerald Fitzgerald
Arranged chronologically.
The Sarah Fayerweather Appleton - Gerald Fitzgerald correspondence consists of letters to Sarah Fayerweather from Civil War soldier, Gerald Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was a member of Company A of the 12th Mass. Volunteer Infantry Regiment (1861 - August 1862) and of Company B of the 2nd Mass. Volunteer Infantry Regiment (Aug. 1862 - his death on May 3, 1863 at Chancellorsville). The letters reveal details about the daily activities of Fitzgerald's regiment and provide opinion on the war effort in general. He also gives a detailed character sketch of General Hooker (April 1863). Locations covered in Fitzgerald's correspondence include: Fort Warren (Boston, Mass.), Harristown, Va., Richmond, Va., Fairfax, Va., and Antietam.
III. Cutter family correspondence, 1840-41, 1902-38
Arranged chronologically.
Correspondence includes letters between Charlotte H. Cutter and her sister Catherine L. Cutter. Also contains the letters of Caroline Cutter and Louis Fayerweather Cutter.
IV. Perkins family papers, 1771-1868
Arranged chronologically.
Perkins family papers include documents relating to Elijah Perkins, service in the Mass. Militia during the Revolutionary War in Col. [Samuel] Johnson's Regiment, Aug.- Nov. 1777, and the will (1825) of Thomas Perkins (1758-1830). Letters to Thomas Perkins (b. 1824) from his wife Lizzie give details of the birth of their first child. Letters to Lizzie S. Perkins (b. 1841) from her older sister Mary D. Perkins Shepard provide detailed descriptions of European cities visited from 1861-1862.
V. Genealogical material
Arranged by family.
A. Haven family genealogy
The Haven family genealogy contains accounts of Haven family history including biographical sketches of William Haven, William Appleton Haven, and Sophia Henderson Haven and includes genealogical charts, family trees, correspondence, ephemera, newspaper clippings, and bound volumes.
General
Correspondence
Ephemera
Clippings
Bound volumes
B. Haven/Sheafe family genealogy
The Haven/Sheafe genealogy contains genealogical charts, family crests, and newspaper clippings of the Haven and Sheafe families.
General
Bound volume
C. Appleton family genealogy
The Appleton family genealogy contains newspaper clippings, ephemera, correspondence of Appleton family members in France, genealogical charts and family trees, and biographical sketches of Reverend Nathaniel Appleton and Sarah Fayerweather Appleton. There are notes compiled by Sarah Fayerweather Cutter and copies of letters written by her mother, Sarah Fayerweather Appleton.
General
Correspondence
Ephemera
Clippings
Misc. printed materials
D. Appleton/Boardman family genealogy
The Appleton/Boardman genealogy includes loose papers, newspaper clippings, copies of diary entries of Boardman family members, and copies of documents related to the ecclesiastical councils that Samuel Haven was involved in.
General
Bound volumes
E. Cutter family genealogy
The Cutter family genealogy includes loose papers, genealogical charts, correspondence and an article from Library Journal on the death of Charles Ammi Cutter and his dedication to the library profession. Newspaper clippings include obituaries, wedding announcements, and articles related to the Cutter family.
General
Correspondence
Ephemera
Clippings
F. Osgood family genealogy
The Osgood family genealogy contains bound volumes of newspaper clippings and copies of deeds.
Bound volumes
G. Osgood/Pickering family genealogy
The Osgood/Pickering genealogy contains letters and loose papers relating to family history as well as genealogical charts, copies of land deeds, and newspaper clippings.
H. Miscellaneous and Unidentified
Materials Removed from the Collection
Photographs
Photographs from this collection have been removed to the Haven-Appleton-Cutter family photographs, ca. 1850-1905. Photo. Coll. 158.
Engravings
The following prints have been removed to the Engravings collection.
England, Great Waldingford; Great Wldingford Church; Torrey C.C., engraver: 19th century. (4 copies)
Portrait. Appleton, John. Chretien, Gilles-louis, engraver: early 19th century.
Portrait. Appleton, John Adams. Artist unidentified: late 19th century.
Portrait. Appleton, John James. Bouchardy, del. and engraver: early 19th century.
Portrait. Appleton, Thomas. St. Memin, Fevret de, engraver: late 18th century.
Preferred Citation
Haven-Appleton-Cutter papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.