1682-1966
Guide to the Collection
Abstract
This collection consists of papers of the Wigglesworth, Sargent, Dixwell, Bowditch, Norton, Goddard, Andrews, and Hunt families, including correspondence, deeds (mostly to lands in Boston), wills, inventories, poetry, school papers and books, sketches, genealogical material, diaries, account books, and scrapbooks.
Biographical Sketches
Bowditch Family
Nathaniel Bowditch (1773-1838) was a prominent intellectual, astronomer, mathematician, author of The New American Practical Navigator, and fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1800, he married Mary Ingersoll (1781-1834), and their children were: Nathaniel Ingersoll Bowditch (1805-1861); Jonathan Ingersoll Bowditch (1806-1889); Henry Ingersoll Bowditch (1808-1892), a physician, abolitionist, and author of Public Hygiene in America (1877) who married Olivia Yardley in 1838; Charles Ingersoll Bowditch (1809-1820); Mary Ingersoll Bowditch (1816-1893), who married Epes Sargent Dixwell in 1839 (see Dixwell family); William Ingersoll Bowditch (1819-1909); and Elizabeth Boardman Ingersoll Bowditch (1823-1888), who married John James Dixwell in 1846.
Dixwell Family
John Dixwell (1607-1688) was a judge and regicide who fled England during the Restoration and settled in New Haven, Conn. In 1673, he married Joanna Ling (d. 1673), and after her death, he married Bathsheba How in 1677. His children were: Mary Dixwell (b. 1679), who married John Collins in 1707; John Dixwell (b. 1681); and Elizabeth Dixwell (b. 1682).
John Dixwell (b. 1681) was apprenticed to a goldsmith and became a merchant. One of the people who formed the New North Church in Boston, he was elected deacon in 1716. In 1708, he married Mary Prout, and their children were: Basil Dixwell (1711-1746 or 1764), who was apprenticed to a goldsmith in Boston, settled as a merchant in Providence, R.I., joined the army, and went to Louisbourg in 1745; John Dixwell (1718-1749); and Elizabeth Dixwell (b. 1716), who married Joseph Lathrop in 1739.
John Dixwell (1718-1749) was apprenticed to a brazier in Boston and became a successful merchant. He married Mary Hunt, and out of their three children, only a daughter, Mary Dixwell, survived to maturity.
Mary Dixwell married Samuel Hunt, the preceptor of a grammar school in Boston, in 1774. Their children were: John Dixwell Hunt (1775-1776); Samuel Hunt (1777-1834); John Dixwell Hunt (1778-1779); Susanna Hunt (1780-1806); John Hunt (1781-1898); and George Hunt (1783-1829).
Samuel Hunt (1777-1834) was an eminent Boston physician who graduated from Harvard in 1796 and got his M.D. in 1811. In 1804, he changed his name to John Dixwell to avoid confusion with another Boston physician named Samuel Hunt. In 1805, he married Esther Sargent (1776-1865), and their children were: John James Dixwell (1806-1876), a Boston merchant who married Elizabeth Boardman Ingersoll Bowditch in 1846; Epes Sargent Dixwell (1807-1899); and George Basil Dixwell (1814-1885), a merchant in India (Calcutta) and China.
Epes Sargent Dixwell (1807-1899) graduated from Harvard in 1827 and became a lawyer in Boston and master of the Latin School, then operated his own private school in Boston. In 1839, he married Mary Ingersoll Bowditch, and their children were: Fanny Bowditch Dixwell (1840-1929), who married Oliver Wendell Holmes in 1872; Esther Sargent Dixwell (d. 1927), who married Charles H. Owen; Susan Hunt Dixwell (1845-1924), who married Gerrett Smith Miller in 1867; John Dixwell (1848-1931), who married Kate M. Gurney in 1875; Arria Dixwell (b. 1850), who married Archibald Murray Howe in 1881; and Mary Catherine Dixwell (1855-1951), who married George Wigglesworth in 1878 (see Wigglesworth family).
George Chichester Oxenden was a descendent of the Dixwells in England and owner of the family ancestral estate Broome Park in Kent. He was a contemporary of Epes Sargent Dixwell.
Goddard Family
Nathaniel Goddard (1767-1853) was the son of John Goddard of Brookline, Mass., wagonmaster-general for the colonial army in the Revolution. A merchant and resident of Boston, Mass., Nathaniel Goddard was involved in the East India trade. In 1797, he married Lucretia Dana (1773-1866), the daughter of Amariah and Dorothy Dana of Amherst, Mass. Their children were: Lucretia Dana Goddard (1798-1876), who married Benjamin Gould in 1823; Frederic Warren Goddard (1800-1820); George Augustus Goddard (1802-1845), who married Cornelia Amory in 1841; Henrietta May Goddard (1805-1895), who married Edward Wigglesworth in 1835 (see Wigglesworth family); Mary Storer Goddard (1807-1881), who married Henry Weld Fuller in 1835; Frances Dana Goddard (1810-1880), who married Henry White Pickering in 1835; Nathaniel Goddard (1812-1890); Benjamin Goddard (1812-1900); Louisa May Goddard (1814-1907); Georgiana Goddard (1817-1865), who married John Adams Blanchard in 1848; and Frederica Warren Goddard (1822-1894), who married William Storer Eaton in 1849.
Norton Family
John Norton (1651-1716) graduated from Harvard in 1671 and got his M.A. in 1716. He was ordained in 1678 and became pastor of the First Church in Hingham, Mass. In 1678, he married Mary Mason, and their children were: Elizabeth Norton, who married John Quincy, and John Norton (1680-1721).
John Norton (1680-1721) was the son of Rev. John Norton, pastor of the First Church in Hingham, Mass. He married Elizabeth Thaxter (b. 1692), and their children were: John Norton (1717-1750), William Norton, and Samuel Norton. After the death of John Norton (1680-1721), Elizabeth Thaxter Norton married the Hon. Benjamin Lincoln. They had six daughters and two sons, the elder of whom was General Benjamin Lincoln. He was the half-brother of John Norton (1717-1750) and half-uncle to Samuel Norton (1744-1832) (see below).
John Norton (1717-1750) was born in Hingham, Mass. In 1740, he married Anna Belknap (1719-1807), aunt of Massachusetts Historical Society founder Rev. Jeremy Belknap. Their son was Samuel Norton (1744-1832).
Samuel Norton (1744-1832) married Jane Andrews (1755-1840) of Hingham, Mass. Their children were: John Norton (1773-1843); Jane Norton (1774-1856), who married Thomas Wigglesworth in 1803 (see Wigglesworth family); Samuel Norton (1778-1837); and Andrews Norton (1786-1853), who married Catherine Eliot and was the father of Charles Eliot Norton.
Sargent Family
Epes Sargent (1748-1822) was a merchant and first collector of the port of Gloucester, Mass., appointed by George Washington in 1789. He moved to New Hampshire in 1794 to pursue his interests in botany, science, and the classics. He returned to Boston in 1802 and was president of the Suffolk Institution Company (marine insurance), among other organizations. In 1772, he married Dorcas Babson (1749-1836), and their children were: Catherine Sargent (1774-1852), an abolitionist and reformer; Esther Sargent (1776-1865), who married Dr. John Dixwell (formerly Samuel Hunt--see Dixwell family) in 1805; Charles Lennox Sargent (1778-1820); Arria Sargent (1779-1805); John James Sargent (1781-1801); Anna Sargent (1782-1873), who married John Parker (1783-1844); Henrietta Sargent (1785-1871), an abolitionist and reformer; Dorcas Sargent (1787-1837), who married Abiel Chandler in 1828; and Epes Sargent (1789-1815).
Wigglesworth Family
Edward Wigglesworth (ca. 1693-1765) was the son of Rev. Michael Wigglesworth, the author of A Day of Doom and Meat Out of the Earth. He graduated from Harvard in 1710 and became the first Hollis Professor of Divinity at Harvard. In 1729, he married Rebecca Coolidge (d. 1754), and their children were: Rebecca Wigglesworth (1730-1783), who married Stephen Sewall (see below) in 1763; Edward Wigglesworth (1732-1794); Mary Wigglesworth (1735-1758); and Sybil Wigglesworth (1736-1746).
Edward Wigglesworth (1732-1794) graduated from Harvard in 1749 and was elected second Hollis Professor of Divinity on the death of his father in 1765. He was married three times: first to Margaret Hill (d. 1776), then to Dorothy Sparhawk, and finally to his cousin Sarah Wigglesworth, daughter of Rev. Samuel Wigglesworth. His children were: Margaret Wigglesworth (b. 1766), who married Rev. John Andrews (the brother of Jane Andrews, who married Samuel Norton); Mary Wigglesworth (1768-1784); Edward Wigglesworth (1771-1794); and Thomas Wigglesworth (1775-1855).
Thomas Wigglesworth (1775-1855) graduated from Harvard in 1793 and was an East India merchant at 16 India Wharf. His home was at 19 Franklin Place, Boston. He married Jane Norton (1774-1856), the daughter of Samuel Norton of Hingham, Mass., and the sister of Professor Andrews Norton. Their children were: Edward Wigglesworth (1804-1876); Jane Wigglesworth (1805-1868), who married Henry Grew; Mary Wigglesworth (1807-1882); Anne Wigglesworth (1809-1891); Samuel Wigglesworth (1811-1847), who married Louise Davenporte in 1841; and Thomas Wigglesworth (1814-1907), who graduated from Harvard in 1833 and worked as a merchant with his father at India Wharf.
Edward Wigglesworth (1804-1876) graduated from Harvard in 1822 and studied law at Judge Prescott's office. He helped Dr. Lieber in the publication of the Encyclopaedia Americana, 1829, and served as trustee and president of Massachusetts General Hospital, among other organizations. In 1835, he married Henrietta May Goddard, daughter of Nathaniel Goddard. Their children were: Jane Norton Wigglesworth (1836-1920), who married Henry Sturgis Grew in 1863 and whose daughter Jane married J. Pierpont Morgan, Jr.; Mary Goddard Wigglesworth (1838-1909), who married Henry Pickering in 1864; Edward Wigglesworth (1840-1896), a dermatologist who founded the Boston Dispensary for Skin Diseases, headed the Department of Diseases of the Skin at Boston City Hospital, and taught at Harvard Medical School; Anna Cornelia Wigglesworth (1845-1878), who married W. Scott Fitz; Henrietta Goddard Wigglesworth (1847-1929), who married first Edward Jackson Holmes in 1871 and second W. Scott Fitz in 1888; and George Wigglesworth (1853-1930).
George Wigglesworth (1853-1930) got his L.L.B. from Harvard in 1878 and his L.L.D. in 1928. He practiced law in Boston, became president of the York Manufacturing Company (textiles), and served on the boards of directors of various other companies. He was a trustee of Massachusetts General Hospital and other charities, overseer of Harvard, and treasurer at M.I.T., and he was involved with other educational institutions. In 1878, he married Mary Catherine Dixwell, and their children were: Anna Wigglesworth (b. 1879), who married lawyer Philip P. Chase in 1903; Norton Wigglesworth (b. 1882), who married Lois Watson; Marian Wigglesworth (b. 1884), who married Lloyd T. Brown, M.D., in 1911; Ruth Wigglesworth (b. 1886), who married Theodore Whitney, Jr., in 1924; Richard Wigglesworth (b. 1891), a U.S. congressman who married Florence Joyes Booth in 1931; and Frank Wigglesworth (b. 1893), who married Isabella Councilman in 1916.
Stephen Sewall (1734-1804) was a classical scholar who was also interested in politics and science. In 1761, he graduated from Harvard, was appointed Hebrew instructor there, and simultaneously taught at Cambridge Latin School. He worked as librarian of the college library from 1762 to 1763 and prepared a new Hebrew grammar, based on Israel Lyons's work, that was published in 1763. In 1764, he was appointed Hancock Professor of Hebrew and Oriental Languages at Harvard. Given a leave of absence in 1784 due to health problems (intemperance), he afterwards published several treatises on language and did some freelance work for Harvard. He represented Cambridge in the General Court as a Whig in 1777 and was one of the 62 original members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1763, he married Rebecca Wigglesworth, the daughter of Edward Wigglesworth, first Hollis Professor at Harvard.
Collection Description
This collection consists of 52 document boxes, 2 cased volumes, 4 oversize boxes, and 1 OOS folder of papers of the Wigglesworth family and the related Andrews, Bowditch, Dixwell, Goddard, Hunt, Norton, and Sargent families, as well as papers of Harvard professor Stephen Sewall, who married Rebecca Wigglesworth in 1765. The collection contains correspondence, 1682-1966, scrapbooks, deeds (mostly to lands in Boston), wills, inventories, poetry, school papers and books, sketches, genealogical material, diaries, memoranda and account books, other bound volumes, and family artifacts. Included are papers of regicide John Dixwell; Epes Sargent; lawyer and educator Epes Sargent Dixwell; China trade merchants John J. and George B. Dixwell; India trade merchant Thomas Wigglesworth; Frederick Dabney of the Azores; Rev. John Norton of Hingham; abolitionists Henrietta and Catherine Sargent; George Wigglesworth; and Harvard professors Stephen Sewall, Edward Wigglesworth, and his son Edward Wigglesworth, as well as the diaries of Henrietta May Goddard, Anna Cornelia Wigglesworth, and Mary Catherine Dixwell Wigglesworth. The collection also contains a scrapbook about and some letters of Oliver Wendell Holmes; letters concerning the shipwreck of the Agrigento off Greece, 1876; and a letter of and other material about Nathaniel Bowditch. Correspondents include Charles Eliot, Benjamin Lincoln, Joseph Lovering, Charles E. Norton, Josiah Quincy, George Washington, and others.
Acquisition Information
Gift of the Wigglesworth family, 1986. Vol. 1 acquired by purchase, Sep. 2011.
Other Formats
Digital facsimiles of the Wigglesworth family papers are available on Leisure, Travel & Mass Culture: The History of Tourism, a digital publication of Adam Matthew Digital, Inc. This digital resource is available at subscribing libraries; speak to your local librarian to determine if your library has access. The MHS makes this resource available onsite; see a reference librarian for more information.
Detailed Description of the Collection
I. Loose papers, 1682-1966
NOTE: For a list of some of the correspondents represented in this series, see the Select Correspondent Index below.
A. Family correspondence, 1682-1966
1682-1827
This box contains copies of original manuscripts and correspondence pertaining to John Dixwell (1607-1688), his son John Dixwell (b. 1681), and Sir Basil Dixwell in England, 1682-1725; a deed to Edward Wigglesworth (ca. 1693-1765) from Sarah Leverett, 1726; a letterbook of Basil Dixwell (b. 1711) with letters concerning family and financial affairs and seeking assistance from Sir Basil Dixwell in England, 1731-1742; correspondence of John Dixwell (1718-1749), 1740s; papers related to Dixwell family affairs, 1750s; Epes Sargent family correspondence, including letters from Rev. John Murray to Epes Sargent, 1770-1799; letters from Edward Wigglesworth to Samuel Quincy, 1782, and Samuel Norton, 1794; letters from John Andrews to Thomas Wigglesworth, 1812; correspondence of the Goddard, Norton, and Wigglesworth families, 1820s; correspondence of Epes Sargent Dixwell, including recommendations by prominent men and appointments of Dixwell to positions in the Latin School, 1820s; letters from Benjamin Lincoln, Jr., to Thomas Wigglesworth, 1823; and an agreement for the U.S. Review and Literary Gazette, signed by W. C. Bryant, Harrison Gray, Charles Folsom, and Edward Wigglesworth, 1826.
1828-1839
This box contains the appointment of Epes Sargent Dixwell as submaster of the Latin School, signed by James Bowdoin, 1828, and correspondence of Samuel Norton, John James Dixwell, Epes Sargent Dixwell, Frederick Dabney, the Bowditch family, the Sargent family, Anna Sargent Parker, John Andrews, and Thomas Wigglesworth.
1840-1843
This box contains correspondence of the Wigglesworth, Dixwell, Sargent, Goddard, and Bowditch families; Anna Sargent Parker and John Parker; and George C. Oxenden. Included are letters from Frederick Dabney to Epes Sargent Dixwell.
1844-1859
This box contains correspondence of the Wigglesworth, Dixwell, Sargent, Goddard, and Bowditch families; Anna Sargent Parker and John Parker; George C. Oxenden; and Ephraim Peabody. Correspondence of Epes Sargent Dixwell includes letters from Frederick Dabney, letters from students and parents, and letters about the Hunt family.
1860-1875
This box contains correspondence of the Dixwell, Bowditch, and Wigglesworth families; Anna Sargent Parker; Henrietta Sargent; R. I. Cleveland; Jane Grew; George C. Oxenden; C. W. Loring; and Wendell Goodwin. Correspondence of Epes Sargent Dixwell includes letters from students and parents and letters about the Hunt family. The box also contains letters of Mary Ann Flynn, George Wigglesworth's nurse, and letters from George Wigglesworth to his family during his travels in Europe, 1875-1876.
1876-1882
This box contains correspondence of the Dixwell and Wigglesworth families, Anna Sargent Parker, R. I. Cleveland, George C. Oxenden, C. W. Loring, and Wendell Goodwin. Correspondence of Epes Sargent Dixwell includes letters from students and parents. The box also contains letters of Mary Ann Flynn, George Wigglesworth's nurse; letters from George Wigglesworth to his family during his travels in Europe, 1875-1876; letters about his shipwreck experience off Greece, 1876; and congratulatory notes on his engagement and marriage to Mary Catherine Dixwell, 1877-1878.
1883-1899
This box contains Wigglesworth family correspondence, as well as letters to Epes Sargent Dixwell about his work Otia Senectutis, 1884-1885, and responding to a dinner invitation, 25-29 Oct. 1887. Included are letters from many eminent men of the time.
1900-1935
This box contains correspondence of Epes Sargent Dixwell and the Wigglesworth family.
Papers related to the death of George Wigglesworth, 1930-1931
This box contains letters to Mary Catherine Dixwell Wigglesworth on the death of her husband, George Wigglesworth.
1936-1966
This box includes letters to Anna Wigglesworth Chase on the death of her mother, Mary Catherine Dixwell Wigglesworth, 1951, and letters about George Wigglesworth's estate, 1950s.
B. Papers of Stephen Sewall, 1724-1796
This subseries contains notes in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek; notes on astronomy, grammar, and miscellaneous topics; correspondence; sermons and sermon notes; an undated diary; commonplace-books; a book of extracts, 1793; and an account book, 1796. Included are a 1757 copy of the laws of Harvard College, a 1760 "Essay on Grammar," 1763 and 1767 manuscript copies of Sewall's "A Plan to Promote Classical Learning," his 1765 inaugural oration (in Latin), and a [1768] essay on the Dighton Rock inscription.
C. Real estate papers, wills, and inventories, 1724-1935
This subseries contains deeds to lands, mostly in Boston, and other miscellaneous papers pertaining to real property transactions, 1735-1905. Also included are the wills of Sir Basil Dixwell (d. 1750), John Dixwell (1607-1688), John Dixwell (1777-1834), William Dixwell (d. ca. 1639), Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935), Epes Sargent (1748-1822), Thomas Walker, and George Wigglesworth; inventories of George Wigglesworth's estate, Thomas Walker's estate, John Osborne's estate, the Dixwell silver, and paintings; and miscellaneous notes and newspaper clippings.
D. Poetry and school papers, 1783-1935
This subseries contains poems, undated and 1783-1935; New Year's poems, 1845-1855; school papers of Edward Wigglesworth, 1825, George Wigglesworth, 1865-1878, and Mary Catherine Dixwell, 1871-1872; miscellaneous essays, speeches, and notes; sketches by Epes Sargent Dixwell; and ephemera.
E. Genealogical material, 1745-1951
Bowditch family, 1830-1940
Dixwell and Goddard families, 1822-1913
Hunt, Norton-Andrews, Sargent, and Wigglesworth families, 1745-1951
II. Bound volumes, ca. 1700-1901
A. Diaries and memoranda books, 1777-1898
[Stephen Sewall] diary, 1777-1798
This journal, kept by Stephen Sewall, contains entries written in 1777 noting his attendance at court; entries kept from 12 Oct.-10 Nov. 1780 describing a voyage to Penobscot, Me., including weather and sailing conditions; and entries for 1798 consisting primarily of accounts.
Henrietta May Goddard diaries
The diaries of Henrietta May Goddard, later Mrs. Edward Wigglesworth, were kept during her travels to Connecticut and New York. The first diary, kept in 1822, describes a brief trip from Boston through Massachusetts to Stafford, Conn., noting scenery of interest and stops en route. The second diary describes two similar trips to New York State, 15 July-18 Aug. 1830 and 16 July-2 Sep. 1860. Entries note Goddard's travels throughout the state via canal boat and stagecoach, including visits to Niagara Falls, West Point, and Saratoga Springs.
Diary, 1822
Diary of two journeys, 1830, 1860
Epes Sargent Dixwell diaries
The diaries of Boston lawyer and educator Epes Sargent Dixwell contain brief entries describing his legal studies, cases, and trials; his teaching career at the Boston Latin School and the private school he created and operated in Boston; family news and social engagements; and local and national news, in particular scientific developments and the events of the Civil War and the Spanish American War. Also included are sketches of Mt. Washington drawn during a visit to New Hampshire in Aug. 1857 and descriptions of his travels in Europe, 27 July-6 Nov. 1867 and 6 May-11 Nov. 1876.
Diary extracts, 1833-1884
Memoranda book, 1859
Diary, 1897-1898
Edward Wigglesworth memoranda books
The memoranda and commonplace-books of lawyer Edward Wigglesworth consist primarily of poems, quotations, household recipes, and personal and spiritual reflections. Occasional entries note Wigglesworth's legal practice, particularly his interest in real estate, personal accounts, and his role as a trustee and president of Massachusetts General Hospital.
Memoranda book, 1842
Memoranda book, Winter 1842-1843
Memoranda book, 1843-1863
Memoranda book, June 1844
Memoranda book, Summer 1844
Memoranda book, 1844
Memoranda book, 1845
Memoranda book, 1846
Memoranda book, 1847
Memoranda book, 1849
Memoranda book, 1851, with inventory of books
Memoranda book, Aug. 1851
Memoranda book, Nov. 1851
Memoranda book, 1852
Memoranda book, 1853
Memoranda book, 1854
Memoranda book, 1855
Thomas Wigglesworth diary, 1851
The diary of merchant Thomas Wigglesworth, kept from 14 Jan.-13 Sep. 1851, notes family news and events such as birthdays and weddings, the weather, and Wigglesworth's interest in the purchase of horses.
Anna Cornelia Wigglesworth diary, 1863-1864
The diary of Anna Cornelia Wigglesworth was kept in Paris and Italy, 4 Dec. 1863-25 June 1864. Entries describe daily activities, social engagements, shopping, and sightseeing excursions to museums, gardens, churches, and historic sites.
George Wigglesworth diaries
The diaries of George Wigglesworth primarily describe his travels in Europe. One volume, kept from 6 Nov. 1872-6 Jan. 1873, notes his travels in France, including visits to Versailles and Marseilles. Three volumes, kept from June-Dec. 1875, describe an ocean voyage from New York to England, and his travels in England, Ireland, Scotland, France, and Germany. One additional volume, a pocket diary for 1892, notes family news.
Diary, 1872
Diary, [June-July] 1875
Diary, [July-Aug.] 1875
Diary, [Aug.-Sep.] 1875
Diary, 1892
Mary Catherine Dixwell Wigglesworth diaries
The diaries of Mary Catherine Dixwell Wigglesworth were kept from 26 Jan.-25 Dec. 1890 and 7 Jan.-15 Aug. 1898. Entries primarily note social engagements and family news.
Diary, 1890
Engagement book, 1898
B. Account books, 1784-1901
John Norton account books
Account book, 1784
Waste book, 1788
Waste book, 1788
Journal, 1788
Ledger, 1788
Ledger, 1788
Samuel Norton account books
Journal, 1793
Waste book, 1793
Account book, 1795
Ledger, 1798-1802
Account book, 1830s
Epes Sargent account book, 1814-1824
Estate of Thomas Wigglesworth account book, 1855-1862
Estate of Edward Wigglesworth account book, 1876-1892
Henry Pickering account book, 1897-1901
C. School books, 1765-1791
Note: Thomas Wigglesworth, Jr.'s history book, 1830-1832, was transferred to the Harvard University Archives, Oct. 1993.
Mathematics notebooks, undated, 1765
Edward Wigglesworth mathematics book, 1788
Thomas Wigglesworth mathematics book, 1791
D. Inventories, 1850-1896
Book catalog, undated
Record of paintings, drawings, etc., 1850-1883
Inventory of paintings, 1884-1896
Thomas Wigglesworth inventory of paintings, 1896
E. Biographical and genealogical material, 1857-1886
Sargent family genealogy, undated
Mary Goddard Pickering notes on Nathaniel Goddard, undated
Mary Ingersoll Bowditch notes on Nathaniel Bowditch, undated
Mary Ingersoll Bowditch notes on Nathaniel Bowditch, undated
Wigglesworth records, 1857
Henrietta May Goddard Wigglesworth genealogy, 1886
F. Epes Sargent Dixwell volumes, 1851-1881
Tuition book of the Private Latin School, 1851-1872
Register of pupils at the Private Latin School, 1851-1881
Two sketchbooks, 1865-1880
The pencil drawings in these two small books consist primarily of sketches of New Hampshire and European scenes.
G. Miscellaneous bound volumes, ca. 1700-1877
[John Norton] sermon notes, ca. 1700
Edward Wigglesworth: "Doctrine of Reprobation," [1766]
Henrietta May Goddard (Wigglesworth) volumes
Poetry and songbook, 1819
Scrapbook, 1830s
Epes Sargent: "History of Benjamin," ca. 1820
Jane Norton Wigglesworth volumes
Letterbook, 1825 (mostly blank)
Letterbook, 1828 (mostly blank)
Henrietta Sargent commonplace-book, 1828-?
Thomas Wigglesworth volumes
Shipping list, 1832-1837
Shipping list, 1836-1842
Mary Goddard Wigglesworth stories, 1849-1850
List of Boston ships and owners, ca. 1863
George Wigglesworth volumes
Tea list for college tea party, ca. 1875
"Description of a Yacht Race," ca. 1875
Mary Catherine Dixwell Wigglesworth notebook for engagement and marriage, 1877
Mary Ingersoll Bowditch book of extracts, undated
A[nna] W[igglesworth] index, undated
III. Scrapbooks, 1820-1937
NOTE: For a list of some of the correspondents represented in this series, see the Select Correspondent Index below.
A. Mary Catherine Dixwell Wigglesworth and George Wigglesworth scrapbooks, 1864-1937
Family record I, 1879-1909
Family record II, 1894-1917
Family record IIIa, 1910-1920
Family record IIIb, 1892-1922
Family record IV, 1904-1911
George Wigglesworth school papers, 1864-1873
George Wigglesworth speeches, 1905-1930
George Wigglesworth speeches, 1906-1929
George Wigglesworth speeches and writings, 1875-1924
Family correspondence and miscellaneous papers, 1882-1932
Miscellaneous papers, 1874-1877
Miscellaneous papers, 1880-1919
Miscellaneous papers, 1920-1925
Miscellaneous papers, 1926-1930
Golden wedding anniversary, 1928
Death of George Wigglesworth, 1872-1937
Death of George Wigglesworth, 1930-1931
Death of George Wigglesworth, 1930-1931
Scrapbook of parties, dances, dinners, etc., 1897-1919
This scrapbook, kept by Mary Catherine Dixwell Wigglesworth, documents the social activities of her children, including parties, excursions, dances, dinners, and other events. Included are guest lists, menus, thank you letters, photographs, and other papers, as well as a few journal-like entries.
Acquired by purchase, Sep. 2011.
World War I, 1915-1929
This volume has been cased, but the original box numbering has been retained.B. Epes Sargent Dixwell scrapbooks, 1820-1897
Writings, 1820-1897
Lectures given to the Cambridge Scientific Club, 1867-1878
Christmas poems, 1847-1885
C. Miscellaneous scrapbooks, 1849-1937
Death of Dr. John Dixwell, 1918-1933
Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1926-1937
Henrietta Sargent: Poetry and newspaper clippings, 1849-1896
D. Cards and memorabilia, 1877-1930
Mary Catherine Dixwell Wigglesworth and George Wigglesworth greeting cards, 1877-1881
Edward Wigglesworth memorabilia, 1903-1930
Postcards, undated
Postcards, undated
Select Correspondent Index
Select Letters in Loose Papers (Series I)
Francis Ellingwood Abbot (1836-1903) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 6 July 1885
Alexander Agassiz (1835-1910) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 25 Oct. 1887
Frederic DeForest Allen (1844-1897) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 29 Dec. 1884
Henry Ingersoll Bowditch (1808-1892) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 27 Dec. 1884
Nathaniel Bowditch (1773-1838) to S. F. LaCroix, 18 Sep. 1805
Francis Bowen (1811-1890) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 25 Dec. 1884
Francis Bowen (1811-1890) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 28 Oct. 1887
Phillips Brooks (1835-1893) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 5 May 1891
Francis James Child (1825-1896) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, [Jan. 1885]
Francis James Child (1825-1896) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 27 Dec. 1894
Josiah Parsons Cooke (1827-1894) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 26 Oct. 1887, per M.H.C.
Charles Franklin Dunbar (1830-1900) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 26 Oct. 1887
Louis Dyer (1851-1908) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 17 Jan. 1885
Louis Dyer (1851-1908) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 10 June 1886
Charles William Eliot (1834-1926) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 26 Mar. 1869
Charles William Eliot (1834-1926) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 29 Oct. 1887
Charles William Eliot (1834-1926) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 10 June 1894
George Barrell Emerson (1797-1881) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 12 Aug. 1840
Cornelius Conway Felton (1807-1862) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 21 Feb. 1860
[Oliver] Wolcott Gibbs (1822-1908) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 28 Dec. 1884
[Oliver] Wolcott Gibbs (1822-1908) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 27 Oct. 1887
William Watson Goodwin (1831-1912) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 26 Dec. 1884
William Watson Goodwin (1831-1912) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 25 Oct. 1887
Edward Everett Hale (1822-1909) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 29 May 1845
Edward Everett Hale (1822-1909) to Edward Wigglesworth, 8 Dec. 1845 (in Oversize #4)
Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935) to Mary I. Bowditch Dixwell, 24 Oct. [n.d.]
Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935) to Mary I. Bowditch Dixwell, 22 July 1861
Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 22 Dec. 1877
Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 20 Sep. 1889
Abigail Homans to Mary C. Dixwell Wigglesworth, 1 Mar. 1930
Abigail Homans to Mary C. Dixwell Wigglesworth, 1 July 1930
John Thornton Kirkland (1770-1840) to Edward Wigglesworth, 12 July 1825
George Martin Lane (1823-1897) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 28 Dec. 1884
George Martin Lane (1823-1897) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 26 Oct. 1887
Amos Lawrence (1786-1852) to Mary I. Bowditch, 25 Feb. 1838 (a note of greetings)
Benjamin Lincoln (1733-1810) to Samuel Norton, 11 Sep. 1782
Benjamin Lincoln (1733-1810) to [Mr. Dickerson], 13 Oct. 1790
John Larkin Lincoln (1817-1891) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 30 Mar. 1885
Joseph Lovering (1813-1892) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 15 Apr. 1844
Joseph Lovering (1813-1892) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 30 Jan. [1885]
Joseph Lovering (1813-1892) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 26 Oct. 1887
Abbot Lawrence Lowell (1856-1943) to George Wigglesworth, 4 Sep. 1924 (typed, signed)
Charles Eliot Norton (1827-1908) to Edward Wigglesworth, 5 May 1876
Charles Eliot Norton (1827-1908) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 17 Jan. 1885
Charles Eliot Norton (1827-1908) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 25 Oct. 1887
Henry Warren Paine (1810-1893) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 12 Jan. 1885
Robert Treat Paine (1835-1910) to George Wigglesworth, 17 Feb. 1896
Thomas William Parsons (1819-1892) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 14 June [1885]
Andrew Preston Peabody (1811-1893) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 20 Mar. [1861 or 1891]
Andrew Preston Peabody (1811-1893) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 26 Dec. 1884
Wendell Phillips (1811-1884) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 8 Mar. 1839
Edward Charles Pickering (1846-1919) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 25 Oct. 1887
Josiah Quincy (1772-1864) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 9 Oct. 1844
Josiah Quincy (1772-1864) to Mary I. Bowditch Dixwell, 11 Feb. 1847
John Osborne Sargent (1811-1891) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 29 Dec. 1884
John Langdon Sibley (1804-1885) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 23 Oct. 1874
Joseph Henry Thayer (1828-1901) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 29 Dec. 1884
John Trowbridge (1843-1923) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 26 Oct. 1887
John Collins Warren (1778-1856) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 4 Nov. 1834
George Washington (1732-1799) to Benjamin Lincoln, 11 Feb. 1796
Justin Winsor (1831-1897) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 26 Oct. 1887, per C.W.
Robert Charles Winthrop (1809-1894) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 10 Nov. 1840
Morrill Wyman (1812-1903) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 27 Oct. 1887
See also: Recommendations for Epes Sargent Dixwell, 1827 and 1828
Select Letters in Scrapbooks (Series III)
Louis D. Brandeis (1856-1941) to George Wigglesworth, 27 Nov. 1926
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1926-1930.
Louis D. Brandeis (1856-1941) to George Wigglesworth, 11 Mar. 1927
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1926-1930.
Louis D. Brandeis (1856-1941) to George Wigglesworth, 18 Aug. 1927
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1926-1930.
Richard Henry Dana (1851-1931) to Mary Catherine Dixwell Wigglesworth and George Wigglesworth, 20 June 1925
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1920-1925.
Daniel Chester French to Roger L. Scaife about his war memorial in Milton, Mass., 14 Jan. 1923 (manuscript)
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1920-1925.
Daniel Chester French to Roger L. Scaife about his war memorial in Milton, Mass., 20 Jan. 1923 (typed)
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1920-1925.
Daniel Chester French to Roger L. Scaife about his war memorial in Milton, Mass., 3 Feb. 1923 (typed)
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1920-1925.
Daniel Chester French to Roger L. Scaife about his war memorial in Milton, Mass., 10 Feb. 1923 (typed)
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1920-1925.
Daniel Chester French to Roger L. Scaife about his war memorial in Milton, Mass., 17 Mar. 1923 (typed)
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1920-1925.
Daniel Chester French to Roger L. Scaife about his war memorial in Milton, Mass., 1 Nov. 1923 (typed)
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1920-1925.
Daniel Chester French to Roger L. Scaife about his war memorial in Milton, Mass., 30 July 1924 (typed)
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1920-1925.
Daniel Chester French to Roger L. Scaife about his war memorial in Milton, Mass., 20 Sep. 1924 (typed)
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1920-1925.
Daniel Chester French to Roger L. Scaife about his war memorial in Milton, Mass., 13 Dec. 1924 (typed)
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1920-1925.
Daniel Chester French to Roger L. Scaife about his war memorial in Milton, Mass., 27 Feb. 1925 (typed)
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1920-1925.
Daniel Chester French to Roger L. Scaife about his war memorial in Milton, Mass., 7 Mar. 1925 (typed)
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1920-1925.
Daniel Chester French to Roger L. Scaife about his war memorial in Milton, Mass., 9 Sep. 1925 (typed)
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1920-1925.
Daniel Chester French to Roger L. Scaife about his war memorial in Milton, Mass., 30 Sep. 1925 (typed)
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1920-1925.
Daniel Chester French to Roger L. Scaife about his war memorial in Milton, Mass., 6 Oct. 1925 (typed)
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1920-1925.
Daniel Chester French to Roger L. Scaife about his war memorial in Milton, Mass., 8 Oct. 1925 (typed)
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1920-1925.
Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935) to Mary Catherine Dixwell Wigglesworth, 10 Mar. 1931
In Oliver Wendell Holmes scrapbook.
Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935) to Mary Catherine Dixwell Wigglesworth, 24 Mar. 1931
In Oliver Wendell Holmes scrapbook.
Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935) to Mary Catherine Dixwell Wigglesworth, 20 Apr. 1931
In Dr. John Dixwell scrapbook.
Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935) to Mary Catherine Dixwell Wigglesworth, 30 Sep. 1931
In Oliver Wendell Holmes scrapbook.
Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935) to Mary Catherine Dixwell Wigglesworth, 11 Oct. 1931
In Oliver Wendell Holmes scrapbook.
Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935) to Mary Catherine Dixwell Wigglesworth, 19 Dec. 1931 (Christmas card)
In Oliver Wendell Holmes scrapbook.
Henry Cabot Lodge (1850-1924) to George Wigglesworth, 16 Feb. 1922
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1920-1925.
Abbot Lawrence Lowell (1856-1943) to George Wigglesworth, 29 May 1925
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1920-1925.
Abbot Lawrence Lowell (1856-1943) to Mary Catherine Dixwell Wigglesworth, 8 July 1928
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1926-1930.
John Lowell (1824-1897) to George Wigglesworth, 14 Jan. 1880
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1880-1919.
Charles Eliot Norton (1827-1908) to George Wigglesworth, 20 May 1887
In George Wigglesworth scrapbook, 1880-1919.
Josiah Quincy (1772-1864) to Epes Sargent Dixwell, 10 July 1830
In Epes Sargent Dixwell writings.
Preferred Citation
Wigglesworth family 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.
Persons:
Organizations:
Subjects:
Materials Removed from the Collection
Engravings, daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, silhouettes, some artifacts, coins, medals, and paper currency have been removed from the collection and cataloged separately. Daguerreotypes and ambrotypes are stored by format. Daguerreotypes are located in Photo. Coll. 1 (Photos. 1.45-46, 1.48, 1.56, 1.86, 1.91, and 1.157), and ambrotypes are located in Photo. Coll. 2 (Photos. 2.22, 2.40, 2.48-52, and 2.133). Photographs from this collection have been removed to the Wigglesworth family photographs II (Photo. Coll. 92). Please see the guide to Photo. Coll. 92 at http://www.masshist.org/collection-guides/view/fap016 for more information.
Artifacts removed to the MHS Artifacts Collection include two Bowditch Christmas meeting ribbons, 1886, one printed and one handmade; a printing plate of Epes Sargent Dixwell's book plate; a printing plate of the "MIBD-ESDs" (Mary Ingersoll Bowditch Dixwell-Epes Sargent Dixwell) Christmas card; a stencil plate with "Mrs. T. Wigglesworth" punched out; a printing plate for the calling card of "Miss Bowditch"; and a Broome Hall (Kent, England) original roof tile.