1800-1999
Guide to the Collection
Abstract
This collection consists of the papers of the interrelated Loring, Jackson, and Noble families of Massachusetts and Connecticut, including those of Charles Greely Loring (1794-1867), Jane Loring Gray (1821-1909), Patrick Tracy Jackson (1844-1918), and John Noble (1908-1964). It contains family correspondence; personal and professional papers; military papers related to the Civil War, World War I, and World War II; writings; diaries; genealogical records; and printed material.
Biographical Sketches
Sketches of family members have been arranged chronologically within each family group.
Loring-Pierce Family Members
Mary Pierce (1780-1863) was born in Aug. 1780 in Litchfield, Conn., the daughter of John Pierce (1730-1783) and his second wife, Mary Goodwin Pierce. She was the youngest of eight children, including five half-siblings--John Pierce (1752-1788), Anna Pierce (1758-1802), Susan Pierce Brace (1762-1830), Ruth Pierce Croswell (1765-1862), and Sarah Pierce (1767-1852)--as well as two full siblings--Timothy Pierce (1774-1801) and James Pierce (1779-1846). Unmarried, she managed the boarding house and financial records of the Litchfield Female Academy, a school founded by her sister Sarah in 1792. She died on 19 Jan. 1852.
Charles Greely Loring (1794-1867) was born in Boston on 2 May 1794, the son of Caleb Loring (1764-1850) and Ann Greely Loring (1769-1819) and the brother of Mary Ann Loring Cunningham (1792-1832), William Joseph Loring (1795-1841), Helen Curtis Loring (1799-1838), Francis Caleb Loring (1809-1874), Sarah F. Loring Gray (1811-1892), and Isanna Elizabeth Loring (1814-1906). He graduated fourth in his class from Harvard College in 1812, then studied at Litchfield Law School in Connecticut. Admitted to the Mass. Bar in 1815, he specialized in marine insurance and real estate and argued several times before the U.S. Supreme Court. He delivered the 1821 Independence Day oration in Boston, chaired a committee to investigate the 1834 Ursuline Convent riots in Charlestown, and served as a Harvard College Fellow from 1835 to 1857. Twice offered appointments to the U.S. Senate, to replace Webster in 1849 and Everett in 1853, Loring declined them both. In about 1857, he became an actuary for Mass. Hospital Life Insurance Co., a position he held until his death. Loring represented Suffolk County in the Mass. Senate in 1862, serving as chair of the Judiciary Committee and the Committee on Mercantile Affairs. He was the author of numerous newspaper articles and political pamphlets, including Reconstruction: Claims of the Inhabitants of the States Engaged in the Rebellion to Restoration of Political Rights and Privileges under the Constitution (1866).
Loring married first Anna Pierce Brace (1798-1836) of Litchfield, Conn. in 1818, and the couple had four children: Caleb William Loring (1819-1897); Jane Lathrop Loring Gray (1821-1909); Susan Mary Loring Jackson (1823-1895); and Charles Greely Loring (1828-1907). After Anna's death in 1836, Charles married Mary Anne Putnam (1804-1845), the daughter of Judge Samuel Putnam, in 1840. After Mary Anne's death in 1845, he married Cornelia Amory Goddard, the daughter of Francis Amory and the widow of George A. Goddard, who survived him. They had one child who died in infancy. Loring was a member of the West Church or Lynde Street Church in Boston (Unitarian), where he served for fifteen years as superintendent of its Sunday School. He spent his winters in Boston and, in 1844, purchased a fifty-acre farm on the Beverly shore, in an area known as Pride's Crossing, where he cultivated soil, fruit trees, and gardens, and raised swine, cattle, and poultry. At the time of his death in 1867, the Beverly land was divided among his four children, each of whom maintained a home on the property.
Anna Pierce Brace Loring (1797-1836) was born on 19 Dec. 1797 in Litchfield, Conn., the daughter of James Brace (1767-1834) and Susan Pierce Brace (1762-1830). From 1811 to 1815, she attended Litchfield Female Academy, the school founded and run by her aunts, Sarah and Mary Pierce, and later taught at the Academy. Anna became engaged to Charles Greely Loring in 1814 while he attended the Litchfield Law School, and the two married in 1818. They had four children: Caleb William Loring (1819-1897); Jane Lathrop Loring Gray (1821-1909); Susan M. Loring Jackson (1822-1895); and Charles Greely Loring (1829-1907). Anna's aunt Mary Pierce took care of her children after Anna's death in 1836.
Jane Lathrop Loring Gray (1821-1909), often called Jeanie by her family, was born on 21 Aug. 1821 in Boston, the daughter of Charles Greely Loring and Anna Pierce Brace Loring. In May 1848, she married Harvard University botanist Asa Gray (1810-1888), and the couple lived in a house in the Botanic Garden in Cambridge. Gray was considered one of America's leading botanists and was an early supporter of Charles Darwin. In addition to a wedding trip to Washington, D.C., Jane accompanied her husband on many of his expeditions to Europe to work with leading scientists, including trips in 1850, 1855, 1868, 1880, and 1887, and on field trips to the southern and western United States in 1872 and 1875. After her husband died in 1888, Jane published The Letters of Asa Gray (Boston, 1894). She died at Pride's Crossing on 29 July 1909.
Jackson Family Members
Patrick Tracy Jackson (1818-1891) was born in Watertown, Mass. on 5 Nov. 1818, the son of textile manufacturer Patrick Tracy Jackson (1780-1847) and Lydia Cabot Jackson (1787-1869). He grew up in Boston and summered in Waltham. At Harvard, Patrick specialized in mineralogy and helped to found the Harvard Natural History Society, graduating in 1838. He learned the cotton manufacturing business with the firm of James K. Mills and Co. (later Charles H. Mills and Co.) as a junior partner and, between 1850 and 1857, built the Hampden Mills at Holyoke with financing from the Loring family. He was treasurer of the Emigrant Aid Society, also known as the Massachusetts State Kansas Committee, which sent arms to the Free Soil Settlers in Kansas and financed the work of John Brown. The Hampden Mills business failed in 1875, and Patrick became a cotton buyer. He also served as director of the Bank of Commerce, examiner of the Suffolk Savings Bank, and treasurer of the Eastern Yacht Club.
In Mar. 1843, Patrick married Susan Mary Loring, and the couple lived in Boston, where they had four children: Patrick Tracy Jackson (1844-1918); Charles Loring Jackson (1847-1935); Anna Pierce Jackson (1855-1922); and Ernest Jackson (1857-1913). They summered in Beverly, where Susan's father owned a farm at Pride's Crossing. Patrick suffered a stroke and died on 10 Nov. 1891.
Susan Mary Loring Jackson (1823-1905) was born in Boston on 22 June 1823 to lawyer Charles Greely Loring and Anna Pierce Brace Loring. After her mother died in 1836, Susan was largely raised by her mother's aunt, Mary Pierce, and she spent her summers in Litchfield, Conn., where Mary and her sister Sarah ran the Litchfield Female Academy. Charles's third wife, the widow Cornelia Amory Goddard, later became a close stepmother to Susan and her siblings. Susan married Patrick Tracy Jackson of Boston in Mar. 1843, and the couple had four children: Patrick Tracy Jackson (1844-1918); Charles Loring Jackson (1847-1935); Anna Pierce Jackson (1855-1922); and Ernest Jackson (1857-1913). She frequently suffered bouts of illness, becoming a housebound invalid after 1850. Because she was unable to visit the theatre, a love which she shared with her family, her children, nieces, and nephews would frequently perform plays and musicals to entertain her.
Patrick Tracy Jackson (1844-1918), known to his family as Tracy, was born to Patrick Tracy Jackson (1818-1891) and Susan Mary Loring on 19 Dec. 1844. He entered Harvard College in 1861 but soon left to join the Union Army. From 1863 to 1865, he served as second lieutenant in the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment and captain of the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment, the third Black regiment raised in Massachusetts. He received his A.B. from Harvard in 1865 and, from 1868 to 1869, was employed in the Hampden Mills in Holyoke. He then worked in the dry goods commission business in Boston and later was a cotton buyer with his son, Arthur Loring Jackson, as P.T. Jackson and Co. He also served as the treasurer of the Boston Provident Association. Patrick married Eleanor Baker Gray (1847-1930), the daughter of Rev. Frederick Turell Gray and Elizabeth Phillips Chapman Gray, in 1871. The couple had four children: Patrick Tracy Jackson (1871-1959); Arthur Loring Jackson (1874-1924); Susan Loring Jackson Noble (1879-1951); and Frederick Gray Jackson (b. 1882). The family lived in Cambridge and summered at Pride's Crossing in Beverly.
Cabot Jackson Russel (1844-1863) was born in New York on 21 July 1844, the son of Sarah Cabot Jackson and William C. Russel, and the cousin of Patrick Tracy Jackson (1844-1918). On 12 Sep. 1862, at the age of 18, Cabot enlisted in the 44th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. He was promoted to captain on 11 May 1863, in command of Company H, 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment under Col. Robert Gould Shaw. Cabot was shot and killed at Fort Wagner in Charleston, South Carolina on 18 July 1863, three days before his nineteenth birthday.
Noble Family Members
John Noble (1829-1909) was born in Dover, N.H. on 14 Apr. 1829, the oldest child of Mark Noble and Mary Carr Copp Noble. He graduated from Harvard with an A.B. in 1850 and, for the next six years, served as submaster at the Boston Latin School. He received a law degree and was admitted to the Suffolk Bar in 1858, practicing law until his appointment in Aug. 1875 as clerk of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. He served on the Board of Overseers of Harvard College from 1898 to 1904 and was a member of New England Historic and Genealogical Society, the Massachusetts Historical Society, and the American Antiquarian Society. He was co-editor with Charles Francis Adams and Andrew McFarland Davis of Massachusetts Province Laws. John married Katherine Williams Sheldon (b. 1849) of Deerfield in 1873, and the couple lived in Roxbury with their children, John Noble (1875-1943) and Isabel Helen Noble Fisher (1884-1937).
John Noble (1875-1943) was the son of John Noble (1829-1909) and Katherine Williams Sheldon. He received his Harvard A.B. in 1897 and his Harvard Law degree in 1900, admitted to the Massachusetts Bar the same year. From 1900 to 1902, he worked in the offices of John D. Long and Alfred Hemenway in Boston, and in 1903, he became a partner with Augustus P. Loring and Harold J. Coolidge in Boston, working chiefly with trust estates. In 1912, he traveled to Panama, spending a few weeks there before the opening of the Panama Canal. John married Susan Loring Jackson (1879-1951) in 1903, and the couple had four children: Eleanor Gray Noble Bourne; Jane Loring Noble Fiske; John Noble (1908-1964); and Charles Loring Jackson Noble. They lived in Cambridge and had summer homes at Pride's Crossing in Beverly and Jaffrey, N.H.
Susan Loring Jackson Noble (1879-1951) was the daughter of Patrick Tracy Jackson (1844-1918) and Eleanor Baker Gray Jackson. She worked as an occupational therapist for injured soldiers in World Wars I and II. From 1917 to 1919, Susan served as a squadron chief in the Women's Motor Corps of the Red Cross, transporting wounded soldiers from wharves to hospitals. She later volunteered for the Red Cross with the Gray Ladies, providing non-medical care for returning American soldiers during World War II. In 1903, she married John Noble (1875-1943), and the couple had four children: Eleanor Gray Noble Bourne; Jane Loring Noble Fiske; John Noble (1908-1964); and Charles Loring Jackson Noble.
John Noble (1908-1964) was born in Cambridge on 19 May 1908, the son of John Noble (1875-1943) and Susan Loring Jackson Noble. He graduated from Milton Academy in 1926, from Harvard in 1930, and from Harvard Law in 1934. As a lawyer for the firm of Warren, Garfield, Whiteside, and Lamson, he successfully argued a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. John married Barbara Elisabeth Warner in 1936, and the couple had four children: John (Joey) Noble (b. 1937); Christopher Noble (b. 1939); George Warner (Sandy) Noble (b. 1941); and Edith Jackson (Edie) Noble Bacon (b. 1954).
Noble enlisted as a lieutenant junior grade in the Naval Reserves in 1941 and was trained in naval air reconnaissance. In Jan. 1944, he was assigned to serve on a jeep aircraft carrier, the Sangamon, which was based at Honolulu and took part in the western and southwestern Pacific campaigns. In the Battle of Leyte Gulf in Oct. 1944, Noble served as air combat intelligence officer for the Escort Carrier Group. He was discharged with the rank of commander in 1946. From 1947 to 1949, Noble was assistant general counsel to James V. Forrestal, the first U.S. Secretary of Defense. He joined the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco) as associate general counsel in 1949, rising to president of Aramco's related organization, the Trans-Arabian Pipeline Company (Tapline) by 1956, and became CEO in 1957. During his tenure with Tapline from 1956 to 1963, Noble and his family lived in Beirut, Lebanon. While there he served as trustee of the American University in Cairo and commodore of the Beirut Yacht Club. In Sep. 1963, he became a vice president of foreign operations for Texaco, a position based in New York City. He moved with his family to New Canaan, Conn., where he died in May 1964 at the age of 55.
Collection Description
The Loring-Jackson-Noble family papers consist of 18 document boxes and 1 oversize box spanning the years 1800 to 1999. The collection has been divided into six series: Loring family papers; Jackson family papers; Noble family papers; Gray-Chapman-Rogers family papers; unidentified family papers; and genealogies and family histories. Loring family papers contain those of the family of Charles Greely Loring, his wife Anna Pierce Brace Loring, and Anna's aunt Mary Pierce. Family correspondence, discussing family news, daily life, and social events in Litchfield, Conn., Boston, and Beverly, Mass., forms the bulk of the series. Correspondence and papers of Boston lawyer Charles Greely Loring primarily pertain to the purchase and development of his farm at Pride's Crossing in Beverly, Mass., including soil studies, descriptions of fruit tree cultivation and farming tasks, and observations recorded in diaries from 1852 to 1859. The papers of Charles's daughter, Jane Loring Gray, contain correspondence with her husband, Harvard botanist Asa Gray, a small collection of Asa's personal correspondence, and Jane's 1841 diary of her trip through New York to Niagara Falls.
Jackson family papers include those of Patrick Tracy Jackson (1818-1891), his wife Susan Loring Jackson, their siblings, and their children, particularly their son Patrick Tracy Jackson (1844-1918). Family correspondence and personal papers reflect the elder Jackson's career as a cotton merchant; Susan Loring Jackson's studies at the Litchfield Female Academy; and the Civil War service of the younger Jackson and his cousin Cabot Jackson Russel. Of note are Jackson's papers pertaining to his service as ordnance officer for the 1st and 5th Massachusetts Cavalry Regiments and Russel's brief Feb. 1863 diary describing his activities with the Mass. 44th Infantry.
Noble family papers are largely those of John Noble (1829-1909) and his wife Katherine Sheldon Noble; John and Katherine's son John Noble (1875-1943) and his wife Susan Jackson Noble; and John and Susan's son John Noble (1908-1964) and his wife Barbara Warner Noble. They include John's (1829-1909) 1847 diary of his Harvard sophomore year; John's (1875-1943) detailed 1912 diary of his journey to the Panama Canal; and Susan's records of her service in the Women's Motor Corps. of the American Red Cross. The bulk of the series consists of the papers and personal correspondence of John Noble (1908-1964), reflecting his work as a lawyer, World War II Naval officer aboard the U.S.S. Sangamon during the 1944 Battle of Leyte Gulf, Department of Defense attorney, counsel for Aramco, and president of the Trans-Arabian Pipeline Company. His correspondence includes vividly illustrated letters to his sons from the South Pacific in the 1940s and discussions of politics, the oil industry, and the life of an American living in the Middle East in the 1950s and '60s.
Acquisition Information
Gift of John Noble, MD, and Lisa Kaneb, November 2014.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Expand allI. Loring family papers, 1803-1938
This series contains the papers of the family of Charles Greely Loring, including his father Caleb Loring; his siblings Mary Ann Loring Cunningham, William Joseph Loring, Helen Curtis Loring, and Francis Caleb Loring; Charles's wives Anna Pierce Brace Loring, Mary Ann Putnam Loring, and Cornelia Amory Goddard Loring; and his children Caleb William Loring and his wife, Elizabeth Smith Peabody Loring, Jane Lathrop Loring Gray and her husband Asa Gray, and Susan Mary Loring.
Only the correspondence of Susan Mary Loring before her marriage to Patrick Tracy Jackson in 1843 can be found in this series. For Susan's later correspondence, see Series II.A. Jackson family correspondence, and for her other papers, see Series II.C. Susan Loring Jackson papers.
Also included are the papers of the family of Anna Pierce Brace Loring, including Anna's mother Susan Pierce Brace, her aunts Sarah and Mary Pierce, and her brother John Pierce Brace. The bulk of the series consists of family correspondence.
A. Family correspondence, 1803-1938
Arranged chronologically. Undated letters are arranged alphabetically by correspondent.
Included in this subseries is correspondence between the family members of Charles Greely Loring. The bulk of letters dating from the 1820s were written to Anna Pierce Brace Loring, while those of the 1830s were largely written to Jane Lathrop Loring (later Gray). Mary Pierce, aunt of Anna Pierce Brace Loring, is a frequent correspondent, particularly with Charles Greely Loring from 1816 until her death in 1863. Topics in her correspondence with Charles include his courtship with Anna Pierce Brace, the Litchfield Female Academy (founded by Mary's sister Sarah Pierce), Charles's career, activities in Litchfield, Conn. and Boston, and political events of the times.
Other family correspondence describes daily life and social events in Boston and Litchfield, as well as news and activities of the interrelated Loring, Brace, and Pierce families. Topics include family births, deaths, and marriages; religion; political events; travel; and children's health, behavior, and education. Of note are Anna Brace's letter to her brother John Brace on 5 July 1817 about seeing President Monroe in Boston; Charles Greely Loring's 15 June 1825 letter to his wife Anna describing Lafayette's procession to lay the cornerstone of the Bunker Hill Monument; John Cunningham's 1830 letter to his cousin Caleb William Loring describing his experiences in Rio de Janeiro; Charles Greely Loring's 23 June 1833 letter to his children describing his trip to Niagara Falls; and Anna Brace Loring's 1835 letter to her daughter Jane about her trip to New Orleans. Later correspondence includes that of various nieces, nephews, and cousins in the extended Loring family.
Some letters are accompanied by a summary or typescript prepared by descendant John Noble (1908-1964) in the 1930s for his family history, "Squire Loring." The series also includes typescripts of letters not found within this collection, copied by John Noble from the collections of others. These typescripts consist largely of the early correspondence of Charles Greely Loring with his parents, siblings, wife Anna, and his wife's aunt Mary Pierce.
i. Original correspondence, 1803-1938
1803-1830
1831-1847
1848-1938
undated
ii. Transcripts of correspondence in other collections, 1813-1852
1813-1816
1817-1852
B. Charles Greely Loring (1794-1867) papers, 1812-1879
Included in this subseries are Loring's correspondence, personal papers, printed material, and diaries. Much of the material pertains to Loring's development of his fifty-acre estate at Pride's Crossing in Beverly Farms, including papers related to its original purchase, its development into a working farm, expenses, planting records, purchases of additional land, importation of farm animals, and daily activities.
See also Series I.A.: Loring family correspondence.
i. Personal papers, 1812-1879
Arranged chronologically.
This subseries contains personal correspondence, letters of recommendation, papers related to Loring's July 4th oration for the town of Boston in 1821, and correspondence with his Beverly neighbor Charles Cushing Paine about rights of way and property boundaries. 1844 papers pertain to the purchase of his farm in Beverly, including research for developing the farm such as studies of soil analysis, fruit trees, and manure. Also included is a detailed building contract for his Beverly house, the first constructed on the North Shore exclusively for summer use. Other farm papers include an 1851 contract and correspondence with his farm manager containing lists of supplies and farm tasks; 1858 bills and receipts collected as Loring took an active role in reducing farm expenses; and an 1864 sketch and plans for an orchard house and grapery.
Additional papers include Sep. 1867 accounts from publishers Little, Brown Co. related to the publication of Loring's pamphlet Reconstruction: Claims of the Inhabitants of the states engaged in the rebellion to restoration of political rights and privileges under the constitution; bills and receipts collected for the settling of Loring's estate after his death in Oct. 1867, and an 1879 inventory of furniture that Loring bequeathed to his wife Cornelia and she in turn bequeathed to his four children upon her death. A Dec. 1861 account of the voyage of the Pembroke family from Boston to China is among Loring's papers for reasons that are unclear.
1812-1858
1859-1879
ii. Beverly diaries, 1852-1859
Arranged chronologically.
Loring's three diaries describe daily activities on his Beverly farm. They include brief entries on the weather, farm activities such as plowing and planting, and observations about plants and animals. The journals also record Loring's trips to Boston, as well as the arrival of family and guests.
Apr. 1852-Sep. 1855
May 1856-Nov. 1857
May 1858-June 1859
iii. Printed material, 1845-1867
Arranged chronologically.
The bulk of Loring's printed material are farm publications, including an 1845 issue of New England Farmer, seed and manure advertisements, and fencing diagrams.
C. Anna Pierce Brace Loring papers, 1816-1836
Arranged chronologically and by record type.
This subseries contains the papers of Anna Pierce Brace Loring, the first wife of Charles Greely Loring (1794-1867). They include "tokens of friendship" from her days at the Litchfield Female Academy; poems to Anna from Charles during their courtship; letters from friends, including A. W. Curtis, Elizabeth Howard, and Hannah Glover; and a letter from a milliner discussing the purchase and design of a new hat. Anna's account book includes a record of money she received from Charles and expenses for her clothing, gifts, household goods and services, and the needs of her children.
See also Series I.A.: Loring family correspondence.
Personal papers, 1816-1836
Account book, 1828-1834
D. Jane Loring Gray papers, 1841-1892
The papers of Jane Lathrop Loring Gray, the daughter of Charles Greely Loring and Anna Pierce Brace Loring, include correspondence with her husband, Harvard botanist Asa Gray; southern botanist and enslaver Thomas Minott Peters; Pennsylvania Civil War soldier J. Trimble Rothrock; and various friends and acquaintances. Also in the subseries is Jane's diary describing her trip to Niagara Falls, as well as a small collection of her husband's papers.
See also Series I.A.: Loring family correspondence, and Series II.A.: Jackson family correspondence.
i. Correspondence with Asa Gray, 1855-1867
Arranged chronologically.
Jane's correspondence with her husband Asa Gray includes letters from Asa during his 1855 trip to London and two 1867 letters from Jane written during her father's final illness.
ii. Personal papers, 1845-1892
Arranged chronologically.
The bulk of Jane's personal papers is 1847 and 1848 correspondence related to her engagement and wedding. Botanist Thomas Minott Peters, an enslaver from Moulton, Ala., explains the south's justification for slavery in a long March 1861 letter.(See also letters from Peters in Asa Gray's papers.) Also included are letters from J. Trimble Rothrock, a Civil War soldier who describes his experiences with the 132st Pennsylvania Volunteers, at Judiciary Square Hospital in Washington, D.C. from Jan. to Mar. 1863, and as captain of the 19th Regular Pennsylvania Volunteers Cavalry in Virginia in July 1863. (See also Rothrock's letters in Asa Gray's papers.) A house inventory in Jane's hand lists the furniture and contents of each room of the Gray's Cambridge home after Asa's death.
iii. Asa Gray papers, 1842-1880
Arranged chronologically.
A small collection of Asa's papers includes a light-hearted letter to American botanist John Torrey about educated women; several letters from Thomas Minott Peters, including a 27 Jan. 1863 letter discussing the Emancipation Proclamation; and letters from soldier and former student J. Trimble Rothrock near Fredericksburg, Va. in Nov. 1862.
iv. "Journal of a Journey to Niagara," 1841
Jane's diary chronicles her trip with her sisters and Brace cousins from 22 June to 4 July 1841. In it she describes the natural and historic sites on her trip through New York by rail and steamer.
E. Loring-Pierce-Brace family papers, 1803-1890
This series includes papers related to Mary Ann Loring (later Cunningham) and Helen C. Loring, the sisters of Charles Greely Loring (1794-1867); Mary and Sarah Pierce, the aunts of Anna Pierce Brace Loring; James Pierce, Anna's uncle; and other family members.
i. Mary Pierce papers, 1813-1856
Arranged chronologically.
Mary's papers contain letters from friends, including several 1815 letters from Peleg Sprague, a Litchfield Law School classmate of Charles Greely Loring who became a U.S. senator from Maine. Also included are letters from Laurens P. Hickok, a Litchfield minister.
See also Series I.A.: Loring family correspondence.
ii. Sarah Pierce papers, 1819-1836
Arranged chronologically.
The papers of Sarah Pierce, founder of the Litchfield Female Academy, include an 1819 poem by Catherine Beecher, correspondence from friends, and a notebook containing a manuscript draft of a play, financial memos, poems, and other writings.
iii. Miscellaneous Loring-Pierce-Brace family papers, 1803-1890
Arranged chronologically.
Papers include Mary Ann Loring's 1803 certificate of achievement from Mrs. Cranch's Academy in Milton Abbey, a literary prize, and an award for "best scholar." Also in this subseries are several papers of James Pierce (the brother of Mary and Sarah Pierce), Helen C. Loring's 1838 farewell letter to her Sunday School students, an 1890 letter to Charles Greely Loring (1828-1907) from William Everett, and other miscellaneous papers.
II. Jackson family papers, 1834-1927
Papers in this series include those of Patrick Tracy Jackson (1818-1891); his sisters Sarah Cabot Jackson Russel and Hannah Lowell Jackson Cabot; his wife Susan Mary Loring Jackson; his children Patrick Tracy Jackson (1844-1918), Charles Loring Jackson, Anna Pierce Jackson, and Ernest Jackson; his nephew Cabot Jackson Russel; and his daughter-in-law Eleanor Baker Gray Jackson.
A. Family correspondence, 1834-1911
Arranged chronologically and by record type.
This subseries contains letters between Patrick Tracy Jackson (1818-1891) and his sisters discussing news of family, schooling, and travels from 1834 to 1840, and 1842 courtship letters between Patrick and Susan Loring in Litchfield. Also included are a large group of letters from Patrick and Susan to Susan's sister Jane Loring Gray, the bulk from 1850 to 1851 and from 1868 to 1869. They write from Boston and Beverly with news of their families and children.
From 1852 to 1860, the series includes letters from Cabot Jackson Russel to his cousin Patrick Tracy Jackson (1844-1918) discussing schoolwork, boyhood adventures, baseball, dancing school, and, later, interest in girls and dating. 1860 letters to Patrick from his parents exhort him to be more serious in his studies and his future goals. Several 1862 letters include discussions about the Civil War enlistments of Patrick and Cabot Jackson Russel. They include letters from Susan to Jane about Patrick leaving for the war and the war effort at home, letters to Patrick from Cabot about going to war at the age of 18, and farewell letters to other family members. July 1862 letters from Patrick to his parents aboard the steamer Daniel Webster near Fort Monroe discuss finding his uncle (later General) Charles Greely Loring and seeing Gen. George McClellan. Several letters from Charles Greely Loring at the Headquarters of the Army of the Potomac give Patrick advice about his commission and include money to buy a saber and officer's uniform.
Later correspondence includes that of Patrick and his parents in the 1870s, notably a letter from his father sending Patrick to St. Louis to work in the cotton trade; Jackson family birthday remembrances; and an 1880 letter from Eleanor Gray Jackson, the wife of Patrick Tracy Jackson (1844-1918), to her father-in-law from New Orleans discussing civil service reform.
B. Patrick Tracy Jackson (1818-1891) papers, 1835-1865
Arranged chronologically and by size.
Jackson's papers include an 1835 medical report, his 1838 Harvard University diploma, 1865 letters to North Carolina cotton manufacturer Lindsley Beach, and an undated letter from Charles Lowell. Also included is a series of shipping receipts and insurance policies detailing three commercial voyages carrying coffee and cotton cloth: Sept 1838 and May 1839 voyages of the brig Old Colony from Boston to Rio de Janeiro; and a Nov. 1843 voyage of the ship Rajah from Boston to Manila.
See also Series II.A. Jackson family correspondence.
Papers, 1835-1865
Harvard University diploma, 1838
C. Susan Loring Jackson papers, 1834-1883
Arranged chronologically and by record type.
Early papers include an 1834 letter from Dorothea L. Dix and 1835 letters and poems from Susan's schoolmates. Papers related to her years at the Litchfield Female Academy from 1838 to 1841 include report cards, a lengthy account listing her expenses, a farewell address to her schoolmates and teachers, and letters from friends. Later papers include correspondence and accounts. Susan's memoranda book contains poems and notes about milestones in the lives of her children, including their births, christenings, illnesses, first teeth, and first steps.
See also Series I. A. Loring family correspondence for Susan's family correspondence before her marriage to Patrick Tracy Jackson in 1843, and Series II.A. Jackson family correspondence for her correspondence after 1843.
Personal papers, 1834-1883
Memoranda book, 1844-1867
D. Patrick Tracy Jackson (1844-1918) papers, 1862-1916
Jackson's papers include childhood and Civil War correspondence, his military commission and discharge, and records he kept as ordnance officer for his regiments.
See also Series II.A. Jackson family correspondence.
i. Personal correspondence, 1862-1916
Arranged chronologically.
Personal correspondence includes May and June 1862 letters from J. J. Lowell at Camp Winfield Scott in Virginia describing his wartime experiences, undated childhood letters from George Goddard, and other miscellaneous letters.
ii. Military papers, 1863-1869
Arranged chronologically.
Military papers include Jackson's commission as second lieutenant in the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment in Apr. 1863, his muster-in roll in May 1863, and a Sep. 1863 certificate excusing him from duty due to typhoid fever. Also included are ordnance invoices for Company E in Warrenton, Va. and monthly returns of clothing, camp, and garrison equipage from Dec. 1863 to Mar. 1864. After Jackson's promotion to first lieutenant in the 5th Regiment, Company I in Mar. 1864, his papers contain ordnance invoices and monthly returns for the 5th at Point Lookout, Md., from July to Oct. 1864 and Aug. to Sep. 1865. Documents also include his Sep. 1865 resignation letter and his Oct. 1865 discharge. Papers from 1866 and 1867 include affidavits and reports of discrepancies on property returns, as well as his close of accountability and certificate of non-indebtedness.
E. Miscellaneous Jackson family papers, 1845-1927
Arranged chronologically by family member and by document type.
Miscellaneous papers include poems in various hands, many addressed to Ernest Jackson; Cabot Jackson Russel's sparsely written Civil War journal describing his daily activities with the Massachusetts 44th Infantry Regiment from 1 to 8 Feb. 1863; handwritten theater programs describing plays that the family performed; papers of Harvard professor Charles Loring Jackson, including notes and drafts related to his "History of the Chemical Department of Harvard College 1865-1912"; Eleanor Baker Gray Jackson's genealogical correspondence; and the 1919 will of Anna Pierce Jackson.
Poems, 1845-1902
Cabot Jackson Russel journal, Feb. 1863
Newspaper clippings, 1863-1924
Theater programs, 1875-1909
Charles Loring Jackson papers, 1885-1927
Eleanor Baker Gray Jackson correspondence, 1909-1916
Anna Pierce Jackson will, 1919
III. Noble family papers, 1824-1999
Papers in this series include those of John Noble (1829-1909); his siblings Mary Noble and George Washington Copp Noble; his wife Katherine Williams Sheldon Noble; his son John Noble (1875-1943); and John's wife Susan Loring Jackson Noble. Also included are the papers of John and Susan's children: John Noble (1908-1964) and his wife Barbara Warner Noble; Eleanor Gray Noble Bourne; Jane Loring Noble Fiske; and Charles Loring Jackson Noble. The papers of John Noble (1908-1964) comprise the bulk of this series. Papers include correspondence, personal papers, diaries, writings, scrapbooks, World War I Red Cross records, World War II Pacific Fleet narratives, and papers related to the oil industry in the Middle East.
A. Family correspondence, 1832-1963
Arranged chronologically.
Early Noble family correspondence is largely that of John Noble (1829-1909) and his son John Noble (1875-1943). It includes childhood letters to the elder John Noble from his family members, as well as correspondence related to the settlement of his parents' estates and the division of his family's land in Wakefield, Mass. and Somersworth, N.H. Correspondence from 1909 to 1915 is primarily between John Noble (1829-1909), his mother Katherine W. S. Noble, his aunt Mary Noble, and his uncle George W. Copp Noble pertaining to the death of his father, family finances, real estate sales and donations, and the family's efforts to support Mary.
From 1936 to 1938, the bulk of correspondence is between John Noble (1908-1964), his brother Charles Loring Jackson Noble, John's wife Barbara Warner Noble, and John's parents, John Noble and Susan Loring Jackson Noble. Included are 1938 letters from John and Susan describing their trip to Europe.
World War II correspondence from 1944 to 1946 is largely that of John Noble (1908-1964) to his wife Barbara and their three sons, John (Joey), Christopher (Chrissy) and George (Sandy), describing his wartime experiences. Illustrated by elaborate colored pencil sketches, his detailed accounts describe the people, landscape, and daily life at sea and in the South Pacific from Feb. to Nov. 1944. John's letters to his wife Barbara continue from Jan. 1945 until his return in 1946.
Correspondence from 1956 to 1963 is primarily that of John Noble (1908-1964) to his siblings Eleanor Noble Bourne, Jane Noble Fiske, and Charles Loring Jackson Noble, as well as to his sons at school at Milton Academy and Harvard University, and to his wife from the Middle East. Topics include the family's move to Beirut, Lebanon; the boys' studies and, later, job hunting; travel logistics; Pride's Crossing property management; and family trusts and finances. John's letters occasionally mention Middle East politics and culture, particularly after 1960. An 8 Apr. 1959 letter describes a White House luncheon for King Hussein, where John speaks with President Eisenhower and Vice President Nixon. Correspondence primarily consists of the retained copies of John's typed correspondence, along with some originals.
B. John Noble (1829-1909) papers, 1824-1908
This subseries includes Noble's correspondence, personal papers, a journal describing his Harvard experiences in 1847 and 1848, legal and historical writings, and a scrapbook of newspaper clippings.
See also Series III.A. Noble family correspondence.
i. Correspondence and personal papers, 1836-1908
Arranged chronologically.
Included are childhood letters, correspondence related to historical and genealogical research, and letters regarding Noble's 1908 retirement as clerk of the Mass. Supreme Judicial Court. Papers also include the 1866 contract of John's brother, George Washington Copp Noble, to rent school rooms in Boston for what would become the Noble and Greenough School. Undated papers include drafts for Noble's entry in the Biographical History of Massachusetts and a blueprint of land in Great Falls, N.H.
ii. Diary of Harvard sophomore year, 1847-1848
Noble's diary records his impressions of Harvard College from Aug. 1847 to Apr. 1848, discussing his studies, daily activities, and the weather. A typescript of the journal includes illustrations.
iii. Writings and research, ca. 1895-1904
Arranged chronologically.
Noble's writing and research includes manuscript drafts, typescripts, research notes, and copies of records related to his various articles and speeches.
"The Trial and Punishment of Crimes" research notes, ca. 1895
"A Few Notes on Shays' Rebellion," [1902]
Essay on the history of rings, Jan. 1904
"The Citizen as a Juror and a Witness," n.d.
Copies of 17th-century Massachusetts Colony records, n.d.
iv. Scrapbook, 1824-1885
Noble's scrapbook, which he began in 1837, includes newspaper clippings of poetry, essays, and political addresses; manuscript poems and notes; and a handwritten copy of a March 1847 "Somersworth Gazette." The volume was originally a lottery account book, most likely owned by his father Mark Noble, listing lottery ticket numbers from numerous states from 1824 to 1828.
C. John Noble (1875-1943) papers, 1897-1923
Arranged chronologically and by record type.
See also Series III.A. Noble family correspondence.
i. Personal papers, 1897-1923
Papers include an 1897 Harvard Class Day ticket; letters from John's Harvard classmates; several letters from Edward Everett Hale; retained copies of correspondence concerning a 1904 lawsuit over damages to the family's Wakefield N.H. farm; a 1907 address Noble delivered to the Colonial Society concerning his ancestor Jonathan Chapman; John's appointment as administrator of his father's estate; and 1911 letters responding to John's request for information about his father for his forthcoming memorial, including one from Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes. The bulk of papers pertain to the family's gift of land to the town of Somersworth, N.H. for use as a park and memorial to Mark Noble and Mary Carr Copp Noble. Documents include property deeds, stock certificates, and correspondence related to the gift and the choice of trustees for the park.
ii. "Journal While Visiting the Panama Canal" (typescript), 1912
A typescript of Noble's 1912 diary describes his visit to the Panama Canal region with his wife in Mar. and Apr. 1912, including detailed descriptions of the sights and people of Colon, Christobal, Panama City, Taboga, and Culebra. The location of the original journal is unknown.
D. Susan Loring Jackson Noble papers, 1917-1944
See also Series III.A. Noble family correspondence.
i. Personal papers, 1936-1944
Arranged chronologically.
This subseries contains personal correspondence, including letters from Katherine P. Loring and others discussing family history and genealogy; genealogical notes and papers; and a 1939 Red Cross volunteer certificate.
ii. Women's Motor Corps records, 1917-1919
The Women's Motor Corps was a volunteer American Red Cross organization formed to transport wounded returning soldiers from wharves to hospitals during World War I. Susan Noble's papers reflect her service as chief of Boston's Squad 9 and include lists of squad members and their contact information, correspondence with headquarters about squad instructions, newspaper clippings, class schedules, military drills, rules and regulations, correspondence with squad members, drivers' daily records, and an annual report. Also included is a manuscript draft of Susan's "A Brief History of the Women's Motor Corp."
E. John Noble (1908-1964) papers, 1908-1964
Noble's papers reflect his varied experiences as a Massachusetts lawyer, recreational sailor, World War II naval officer, Department of Defense attorney, president of the Trans-Arabian Pipeline Company in Beirut, and vice president of Foreign Operations for Texaco. They include personal and professional correspondence, military papers, and printed material.
See also Series III.A. Noble family correspondence.
i. Personal, military, and professional papers, 1908-1964
Arranged chronologically and by size.
Early papers consist of Noble's certifications as a District Court attorney for Connecticut and Massachusetts, papers related to his 1943 commission in the U.S. Naval Reserves, and financial and tax accounts. Correspondence includes letters about sailing and maritime history, letters from his law partners concerning ongoing cases, and correspondence related to family legal matters and real estate affairs while he served in the war. World War II V-Mail from friends often discussed the politics of the day.
Military papers contain communications related to the U.S. Pacific Fleet, specifically the U.S.S. Sangamon, on which Noble was stationed. Included are Nov. 1944 intelligence bulletins and memos concerning the Battle of the Philippines and Pacific Fleet Carrier Division 22. 1945 papers include travel authorizations, correspondence with Noble's law firm about resuming his practice, Noble's promotion to commander, and discharge papers.
1947 correspondence is related to Noble's unsuccessful efforts to publish the illustrated letters of his South Pacific World War II experiences that he sent to his sons in 1944. (See Series III.A. Noble family correspondence.) Additional correspondence is related to Noble's position as assistant general counsel with the Department of Defense, including a 1948 memo from Defense Secretary Forrestal thanking him for his work, and letters related to his resignation in 1949. Papers of the early 1950s pertain to Noble's career with the Arab-American Oil Co. (Aramco) as vice president of the Trans-Arabian Pipeline Co. (Tapline), where he negotiated with the governments of Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan in the sale of crude oil. Based in New York, he corresponded with international business acquaintances, superiors, and co-workers. Some correspondence also reflects his interest in genealogy and history.
Mar. 1956 correspondence reflects Noble's promotion to president of Tapline and his move to Beirut, including many letters of congratulations and Noble's replies. Other correspondence is related to family finances and property management, clubs and business organizations, travel logistics, his sons' schooling, and social events. Letters, largely John's retained copies, also discuss negotiations with Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia; the Suez Crisis; and politics of the Middle East, often including copies of relevant magazine and newspaper articles. Later papers are related to his 1963 move to Connecticut as vice president of Texaco, and his May 1964 death.
1908-1955
1956-1959
1960-Mar. 1962
Apr. 1962-1964
District court certificates, 1936-1950
ii. Printed material, 1922-1964
Arranged chronologically.
Printed material includes programs and clippings related to Milton Academy; papers pertaining to Noble's World War II military service; 1947-1949 articles and clippings related to the career and suicide of Secretary of Defense James Forrestal; various oil company publications, including a 1951 Tapline brochure and copies of Pipeline Periscope (1956-1963); and clippings from Middle East newspapers announcing Noble's promotion to director of Aramco in Oct. 1963.
F. Miscellaneous Noble family papers, 1836-1999
This subseries contains the papers of Mark Noble and Katherine Sheldon Noble of Great Falls, N.H., the parents of John Noble (1829-1909); Barbara Warner Noble, the wife of John Noble (1908-1964); and Barbara and John's son, John Noble (b. 1937). They include correspondence, personal papers, financial papers, a travel diary, and material related to genealogy and family history.
i. Mark Noble papers, 1836-1848
Arranged chronologically.
Among Noble's papers is an 1836 invitation to the Union Ball at Great Falls, N.H. and an 1848 appointment as Great Falls postmaster.
ii. Katherine Sheldon Noble papers, 1904-1911
Arranged chronologically.
Papers include genealogical correspondence; 1909 sympathy letters upon the death of Katherine's husband, including a letter from the artist Ellen Day Hale; and correspondence related to the publication of her husband's memorial.
iii. Barbara Warner Noble papers, 1933-1986
Arranged chronologically and by record type.
Papers include personal correspondence, invitations, bills, and receipts. Barbara's travel diary contains brief entries chronicling her vacations from 1958 through 1986, including a 1958 trip to Scandinavia and a 1974 trip to the Caribbean, highlighting her activities and social engagements.
Personal papers, 1933-1957
Travel diary, 1958-1986
iv. John Noble (b. 1937) papers, 1945-1999
Arranged chronologically and by record type.
Personal papers include primary school essays, poems for family celebrations, and drafts of plays. Also included is material gathered for a biography of Noble's father, John Noble, including information on the 2nd Battle of the Philippines, photos (the originals of which have been removed to the MHS Photo Archives), and Noble's preface to his father's illustrated children's story "Adventures of Lik-lik and Little Manu." Noble's autograph collection contains signatures from letters in the family collection.
Personal papers, 1945-1974
Biography of John Noble (1908-1964), 1999
Autograph collection, n.d.
IV. Gray-Chapman family papers, 1800-1896
Arranged chronologically and by record type.
This series includes papers of the family of Eleanor Baker Gray, the wife of Patrick Tracy Jackson (1844-1918), including those of her maternal grandfather Jonathan Chapman, her father Rev. Frederick Turell Gray, and her sisters Margaret Rogers Gray Bacon and Marian P. Gray. (This family is not related to Asa Gray, the husband of Jane Loring Gray.)
Papers include the scrapbook of Marian P. Gray (b. 1853) containing news clippings commemorating the 100th anniversary of the American Revolution and the Centennial Ball, dated from 1875 to 1876; an 1800 acrostic; and several family obituaries.
Correspondence and personal papers include an 1844 deed of Jonathan Chapman, obituaries, clippings related to family genealogy, and miscellaneous letters.
Newspaper clippings of the letters of Rev. Frederick Turell Gray (1835-1893) to the editor of the Boston Transcript primarily discuss the enlargement of the Boston State House, Beacon Hill, and the statue of John Hancock.
Marian P. Gray scrapbook, 1800-1876
Correspondence and personal papers, 1844-1896
Frederick T. Gray letters to editor of Boston Transcript, 1885-1893
V. Unidentified family papers, 1830-1941
Arranged chronologically and by record type.
This series consists of the poems, writings, and financial documents of unidentified individuals or of persons unrelated to the Loring-Jackson-Noble family. Writings and personal papers consist largely of poems, but also include essays, notes, memos, recipes, a house inventory, and several short stories. An 1858 account book contains brief entries recorded in several different hands. Printed material includes concert programs, invitations, diet regimens, and miscellaneous pamphlets.
Writings and personal papers, 1830-1938
Account book, 1858
Printed material, 1841-1941
New York Tribune "Centennial sheet," May 1876
VI. Genealogies and family histories, 1878-1995
A. Genealogical material, 1878-ca. 1995
Arranged chronologically within family groups.
Noble family genealogical material largely consists of the notes of John Noble (1829-1909) and his son John Noble (1875-1943) about their Copp family ancestors, including copies of wills, town records, clippings of Boston Transcript genealogical queries, and an indexed genealogical register. Pierce-Brace family genealogical notes were compiled by Jane Loring Gray and contain rough notes, a few pieces of correspondence, and a genealogical notebook. Chapman-Rogers family genealogical notes were compiled by Eleanor Baker Gray Jackson and also contains some genealogical correspondence. The 1990 Jackson-Noble genealogical chart was most likely compiled by John Noble (b. 1937). Other material includes a notebook of genealogical references and notes on the Chadbournes, Copps, Greelys, Lorings, Nobles, Palmers, and other related families.
Noble family genealogical material, 1878-1995
Pierce-Brace family genealogical notes, ca. 1890
Gray-Chapman-Rogers family genealogical notes, 1930
Jackson-Noble genealogical chart, ca. 1990
Misc. genealogical material, n.d.
Misc. genealogical material, n.d.
Misc. genealogical material, n.d.
B. Family histories, ca. 1930-1987
This subseries contains material compiled by John Noble (1908-1964), including an inventory of family letters and a manuscript dramatizing the story of Charles Greely Loring and his family using transcriptions from the letters. Also in the series is a 1987 family history project organized by John Noble (b. 1937).
i. "Contents of family trunk," ca. 1930
Prepared by John Noble, this ca. 1930 inventory lists the contents of a family trunk containing bundles of letters, many of which he would use to write his family history, "Squire Loring." (The bulk of the letters listed in the inventory are not in this collection.)
ii. "Squire Loring" manuscript, ca. 1936-1937
Using family letters, largely those of Charles Greely Loring, Anna Pierce Brace Loring, and Mary Pierce, John Noble created a dramatized biographical account of his ancestors and their lives in the early 1800s in Boston and Litchfield, Conn. Primarily surrounding the courtship and early years of marriage of Charles and Anna, the draft of "Squire Loring" includes a narrative typescript with excerpts from correspondence, handwritten annotations and corrections, and numerous illustrations. (Typescripts of letters that are found within this collection have been filed with the original. Photographs have been removed from the draft to the MHS Photo Archives and replaced with photocopies.)
Draft typescript, 1937
Research material, ca. 1936-1937
iii. Family history project, 1987
This 1987 family history project was created for the Loring-Jackson family reunion by John Noble (b. 1937). It contains historical vignettes, copies of family manuscripts, articles related to family remembrances, and an outline of significant events in the family's history.
Preferred Citation
Loring-Jackson-Noble 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.
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Materials Removed from the Collection
Photographs from this collection have been removed to the MHS Archives.
Broadsides have been removed to MHS Printed Material. They include: "Come help the cause along!" The members of the Washington Total Abstinence Society … are requested to meet...(Great Falls, N.H., 1843); Democratic Republican Ticket [186-?]; Whig National Ticket [186-]; and Regular Ticket Ward 11: Union Republican ticket...for Mayor, Frederic W. Lincoln Jr....[186-].