1728-1878
Guide to the Collection
Abstract
This collection consists of autographs of U.S. political figures kept by Massachusetts Governor Roger Wolcott, including John Quincy Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, the Marquis de Lafayette, and George Washington.
Biographical Sketch
Roger Wolcott was born in Boston in 1847, the son of Joshua Huntington Wolcott and Cornelia (Frothingham) Wolcott. The family was descended from Oliver Wolcott, one of the founders of Connecticut. Roger Wolcott was a graduate of Harvard College, Class of 1870, and Harvard Law School, 1874, and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar the same year. In addition to his legal practice, Wolcott became involved in Republican Party politics in Massachusetts, winning a seat on the Boston Common Council in 1877 and eventually becoming governor of Massachusetts from 1896 to 1900. Wolcott died in Boston on 21 December 1900.
Collection Description
This collection consists of autograph letters, certificates, and cut-slip autographs of United States political figures kept by Massachusetts Governor Roger Wolcott, including John Quincy Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, the Marquis de Lafayette, George Washington, and Samuel, Jabez, and Ebenezer Huntington, among many others. Included are signatures of many governors of the state of Connecticut.
Acquisition Information
Deposited by Roger Wolcott, Jr., August 1910.
Detailed Description of the Collection
I. Autograph letters, 1770-1878
Arranged alphabetically.
Adams, John Quincy (1735-1826) to Ebenezer Huntington, [Washington, D.C.], 18 Feb. 1818
Buchanan, James (1741-1868) to Ely Moore, Washington, [D.C.], 16 Oct. 1848
Dallas, George M. (1792-1864) to [Ambrose H.] Sevier, Washington, [D.C.], 23 May 1846
Dutton, Henry (1796-1869) to William A. Buckingham, New Haven, [Conn.], 1 Feb. 1865
Edwards, Henry W. (1779-1847) to Asa Spalding, New Haven, [Conn.], 4 Sep. 1809
Ellery, Benjamin (1725-1797) and William Ellery (1727-1820) to [unidentified], Newport, R.I., 19 Apr. 1771
Ellsworth, William W. (1791-1868) to William L. Stoors, Hartford, [Conn.], 13 Feb. 1829
Fillmore, Millard (1800-1874) to Dr. Powers, [Feb. 1849]
Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790) to Andrew Huntington, Passy, 10 Sep. 1784 (copy)
Gerry, Elbridge (1744-1814) to Col. Henry Sherbourne, Cambridge, [Mass.], 3 Mar. 1813 (copy)
Griswold, Matthew (1714-1799) to Asa Spalding, Lyme, [Conn.], 18 Jan. 1786
Harrison, William Henry (1773-1841) to David Holmes, Vincennes, 18 Feb. 1810
Hopkinson, Francis (1737-1791) and John Lawrence, 5 Oct. 1780
Signed bill of exchange to Thomas Mumford.
Hubbard, Richard D. (1818-1884) to [G. H. Greene], Hartford, [Conn.], 7 Aug. 1878
Ingersoll, Charles R. (1821-1903) to Miss L. M. Huntington, New Haven, [Conn.], 9 Apr. 1874
Ingersoll, Jonathan (1747-1823) to Asa Spalding, New Haven, [Conn.], 23 Sep. 1791
Lafayette, Marquis de (1757-1834) to [Ebenezer] Huntington, New Windsor, [Conn.], 14 Feb. 1781
Lewis, Francis (1713-1802) to Jabez Huntington, New York, 27 Oct. 1775
Lincoln, Abraham (1809-1865) to [William A. Buckingham], Washington, D.C., 12 Jan. 1863
Morris, Robert (1734-1806) to Thomas Mumford, Marine Office, 2 Sep. 1782
Quincy, Josiah to Walter S. Alexander, Boston, [Mass.], 4 May 1854
Sherman, Roger (1721-1793) to Jabez Huntington, Philadelphia, 8 July 1779
Smith, John C. to [unidentified], Sharon, 17 Dec. 1829
Toucey, Isaac (1796-1869) to A. Dickins, Navy Department, 20 Oct. 1858
Treadwell, Jonathan [John? (1745-1823)] to Ebenezer Huntington, New Haven, [Conn.], 16 Oct. 1810
Trumbull, John (1756-1843) to Ebenezer Huntington, 10 July 1821
Trumbull, Jonathan (1740-1809) to [James] Hillhouse, Lebanon, 17 Nov. 1771
Trumbull, Jonathan (1740-1809) to Ebenezer Huntington, Lebanon, 30 Nov. 1803
Trumbull, Jonathan (1740-1809) to Ebenezer Huntington, 6 May 1809
Washington, George (1732-1799) to J[abez] Huntington, New York, 15 July 1776
Washington, George (1732-1799) to [Ebenezer] Huntington, Headquarters before York, 15 Oct. 1781
Williams, [William] to Jabez Huntington, Lebanon, 22 Nov. 1770
Wolcott, Oliver (1760-1833) to Ebenezer Huntington, Litchfield, 29 June 1822
II. Certificates, 1728-1870
Jefferson, Thomas (1743-1826) to Messrs. McLaughlin & Taggert, 11 July 1793
Signed check.
Grant, Ulysses S. (1822-1885) and Salmon P. Chase (1808-1873), 27 Feb. 1870
Certificate of contribution to the Metropolitan Memorial M.E. Church, Washington, D.C., issued to William A. Buckingham.
Wolcott, Oliver (1760-1833), 23 May 1796
Appointment of Andrew Huntington to judge of probate in Norwich, [Conn.]
Hancock, John (1737-1793) and Charles Thomson, Jr. (1729-1824), 1 Jan. 1776
Commission to Ebenezer Huntington as first lieutenant of Captain Hanchet's Company in the 22nd Regiment of Foot.
Hancock, John (1737-1793), 15 May 1776
Commission to Ebenezer Huntington as captain of a company in the 22nd Regiment of Foot.
Laurens, Henry (1724-1792) and Charles Thomson, Jr. (1729-1824), 10 Oct. 1778
Commission to Ebenezer Huntington as lieutenant colonel in Samuel B. Wells' Regiment.
Huntington, Samuel (1731-1796), 2 Nov. 1792
Commission to Ebenezer Huntington as adjutant general of the Connecticut Militia, with rank of brigadier general.
Trumbull, Jonathan (1740-1809) and Samuel Wyllys (1739-1823), 14 May 1798
Commission to Ebenezer Huntington as major general of the 3rd Division of Militia in Connecticut.
Smith, John Cotton (1765-1845) and Thomas Day (1777-1855), 1 Jan. 1813
Commission to Ebenezer Huntington as brigadier general commandant of the Military Corps.
Wyllys, George (1710-1796) and Jonathan Trumbull (1740-1809), 14 June 1774
Appointment of Jabez Huntington as judge of the Court of Probate, Norwich, [Conn.]
Talcott, Joseph (1669-1741) and Hez[ekiah] Wyllys (1672-1754), 24 May 1728
Commission to Thomas Mumford as lieutenant of the New London Troop of Horse.
Adams, John (1735-1826), Timothy Pickering (1745-1829), and James Simons, 2 Apr. 1800
Passport for brig Aurora, Hugh Curran, master.
Stiles, Ezra (1727-1795), et al., undated
Yale [diploma?] issued to Ebenezer Huntington.
Huntington, Samuel (1731-1796) and Ben[jamin] Stoddert (1744-1813), 20 July 1780
Commission to Ebenezer Huntington as lieutenant colonel of Colonel Webb's Regiment in the Army of the United States.
Clap, Thomas (1703-1767), et al., undated
Hand-lettered certificate issued to Jabez Huntington.
Clap, Thomas (1703-1767), et al., 9 Sep. 1741
Hand-lettered certificate issued to Jabez Huntington.
Arthur Dobbs (1689-1765) and Alexander Duncan, 10 Apr. 1761
Deed for land in North Carolina to William [Routledge].
III. Cut-slip autographs, 1785-1820, undated
Adams, Samuel (1722-1803), 14 Mar. 1785
Buckingham, William A. (1804-1875), undated
Cleveland, Chauncey F. (1799-1887), undated
Colfax, Schuyler (1823-1885), undated
English, James E. (1812-1890), undated
Foster, L[a] F[ayette] S. (1806-1880), undated
Hawley, J[oseph] R. (1826-1905), undated
Hayes, Rutherford B. ((1822-1893), undated
Henry, Patrick (1736-1799), undated
Holley, A[lexander] H. (1804-1887), undated
Huntington, Ebenezer (1754-1834), undated
Huntington, Ebenezer (1754-1834), 20 Jan. 1820
Huntington, J., Jr., 19 July 1763
Huntington, S[amuel] (1731-1796), undated
Huntington, S[amuel] (1731-1796), 28 June 1792
Jay, John (1745-1829), undated
Jefferson, Thomas (1743-1826), undated
Jewell, Marshall (1825-1883), undated
Johnson, Andrew (1808-1875), undated
Minor, William T. (1815-1889), undated
Pierce, Franklin (1804-1869), undated
Polk, James K. (1795-1849), undated
Seymour, Thomas H. (1807-1868), undated
Taylor, Zachary (1784-1850), undated
Toucey, Isaac (1796-1869), undated
Trumbull, Jo[seph] (1737-1778), undated
Tyler, John (1790-1862), undated
Wheeler, William A. (1819-1887), undated
Jackson, Andrew (1767-1845) and Martin Van Buren (1782-1862), undated
Madison, James (1751-1836), undated
Monroe, James (1758-1831), John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), and [A. Epplee], undated
Tompkins, Daniel D. (1774-1825), undated
Van Buren, Martin (1782-1862) and John Forsyth (1780-1841), undated
Preferred Citation
Roger Wolcott autograph collection, 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:
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Materials Removed from the Collection
Photographs from this collection have been removed to the Roger Wolcott photograph collection (unprocessed) (Photo. Coll. 500.98).