1827-1969; bulk: 1827-1953
Guide to the Collection
Restrictions on Access
The Edith Emerson and William Hathaway Forbes papers and additions (except two volumes) are stored offsite and must be requested at least two business days in advance via Portal1791. Researchers needing more than six items from offsite storage should provide additional advance notice. If you have questions about requesting materials from offsite storage, please contact the reference desk at 617-646-0532 or reference@masshist.org.
There are restrictions on the use of this collection. Users must sign an agreement stating that they understand these restrictions before they will be given access to the collection.
Abstract
This collection consists of the family papers of Edith (Emerson) and William Hathaway Forbes, who married in 1865. The collection contains Emerson family correspondence, Forbes family papers (including correspondence, financial papers, special collections, diaries and other volumes, and miscellaneous papers), William Hathaway Forbes correspondence and letterbooks, Ellen (Forbes) and Waldo Emerson Forbes correspondence, and miscellaneous papers. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence of the various families, and in particular of Edith (Emerson) Forbes with family members and friends.
Biographical Sketches
Emerson Family
William Emerson (1769-1811) married Ruth Haskins (1768-1853) in 1796. Among their children were: William Emerson (1801-1868), a lawyer and judge in New York City, living on Staten Island, who married Susan Woodward Haven (1807-1868) in 1833; and Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), who married first Ellen Louisa Tucker (d. 1831) in 1829, and second Lidian Jackson (1802-1892) in 1835.
The children of William Emerson and Susan Woodward (Haven) Emerson were: William Emerson (1835-1864), who married Sarah Hopper Gibbons in 1863; John Haven Emerson (b. 1840), who married Susan Tompkins in 1868; and Charles Emerson (b. 1841), who married Theresia Keveschi ("Tercsi") in 1871.
The children of John Haven Emerson and Susan Tompkins Emerson were Ruth Emerson (b. 1870), William Emerson (b. 1873), Haven Emerson (b. 1874), and the triplets Helena Titus Emerson, Elizabeth Hoar Emerson, and Julia Titus Emerson (b. 1877).
The children of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Lidian (Jackson) Emerson were: Waldo Emerson (1836-1842), Ellen Tucker Emerson (1839-1909), Edith Emerson (1841-1929), and Edward Waldo Emerson (1844-1930). Ellen Tucker Emerson did not marry and lived in Concord throughout her life. She was devoted to family, community, and religion, and helped her father in various ways as a companion and assistant. Edward Waldo Emerson attended Harvard College from 1861 to 1866. After graduating from Harvard Medical School in 1874, he became a doctor and practiced medicine in Concord until 1882. He married Annie Shepard Keyes (1847-1928) in 1874. After Ralph Waldo Emerson's death in 1882, Edward turned to painting, writing, and editing his father's works. Edward Waldo Emerson and Annie Shepard (Keyes) Emerson had seven children, four of whom survived: Ellen Tucker Emerson (1880-1921), who married Charles Davenport in 1920; Florence Emerson (b. 1882); William Forbes Emerson (b. 1884); and Raymond Emerson (1886-1977), who lived in Concord, married Amelia Forbes in 1913, and became a civil engineer and later an investment manager.
On 3 Oct. 1865, Edith Emerson married William Hathaway Forbes, the son of John Murray Forbes and Sarah Swain (Hathaway) Forbes. See under Forbes family biographical information.
Forbes Family
John Murray Forbes (1813-1898) married Sarah Swain Hathaway (1813-1900) in 1834. Their children were: Ellen Randolph Forbes (1838-1860), Alice Hathaway Forbes (1838-1917), William Hathaway Forbes (1840-1897), Mary Hathaway Forbes (1844-1916), John Malcolm Forbes (1847-1904), and Sarah Forbes (1853-1917).
Alice H. Forbes married Edward Montague Cary (1828-1888) in 1875 and had no children. Mary H. Forbes married Henry Sturgis Russell (1838-1905) in 1863 and had six children. Sarah Forbes married William Hastings Hughes (1833-1909) in 1887 and had two children. J. Malcolm Forbes married Sarah Coffin Jones (1852-1891) in 1873 and had seven children, including Ellen Forbes (1886-1954), who married her first cousin Waldo Emerson Forbes. After the death of Sarah C. (Jones) Forbes, J. Malcolm Forbes married Rose Dabney (1864-1947) in 1892 and had three children with her.
William Hathaway Forbes entered Harvard in 1857, but was expelled in 1860, and then was employed at the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, 1860-1861. He served in the First Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry as second lieutenant and first lieutenant, Dec. 1861-Jan. 1863, and in the Second Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry as captain, major, and lieutenant colonel, 14 Jan. 1863-15 May 1865. He was a Union prisoner at Charleston and Columbia, S.C., 6 July-Dec. 1864, and was discharged from the Second Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry on 15 May 1865. He entered his father's firm of J. M. Forbes & Co. in July 1865 and married Edith Emerson on October 3 of that year. In 1871, he received the degree of A.B. from Harvard and built his summer house on Naushon Island (Buzzard's Bay, Mass.). In March 1879, William Hathaway Forbes was named president of the American Bell Telephone Company. For more information, see Arthur S. Pier, Forbes: Telephone Pioneer (New York: Dodd, Mead, 1953).
On 3 Oct. 1865, William Hathaway Forbes married Edith Emerson (1841-1929), the daughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Their children were: Ralph Emerson Forbes (1866-1937), Edith Forbes (1867-1926, "Violet"), William Cameron Forbes (1870-1959, "Cam"), John Murray Forbes (1871-1888, "Don"), Edward Waldo Forbes (1873-1969), Waldo Emerson Forbes (1879-1917), Ellen Randolph Forbes (1880-1881, "Rosebud"), and Alexander Forbes (1882-1965).
Ralph Emerson Forbes married Elise Cabot (1869-1959) in 1901. Their children were: William Hathaway Forbes (b. 1902), Ruth Forbes (b. 1903), Margaret Forbes (b. 1905, "Marnie"), David Cabot Forbes (b. 1908), and Pauline Forbes (b. 1911).
Edith Forbes married Kenneth Grant Tremayne Webster (1871-1942) in 1903. Their children were: Edith Emerson Webster (1909-1986) and Frederic Augustus Webster (b. 1912).
William Cameron Forbes worked as a partner in his grandfather's firm, J. M. Forbes & Co., after 1899 and was appointed by President Roosevelt in 1904 to the Philippine Commission, where he held several administrative posts and then served as governor-general of the islands, 1909-1913. He also served as the ambassador to Japan in 1931-1932 and led an economic mission to East Asia in 1935.
Waldo Emerson Forbes married his first cousin Ellen Forbes (1886-1954) in 1910. Their children were: Stephen Hathaway Forbes (b. 1910), Waldo Emerson Forbes (1912-1955), and Amelia Forbes (b. 1915).
Sources
Emerson, Benjamin Kendall. The Ipswich Emersons A.D. 1636-1900. Boston: David Clapp & Son, 1900.
Genealogical Index of the John Murray Forbes Family 1740-1988, a typescript photocopied genealogy in the collections of the MHS.
Pier, Arthur S. Forbes: Telephone Pioneer. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1953.
Concord Free Public Library, guides to various collections.
Collection Description
This collection is composed of the family papers of Edith (Emerson) Forbes, the daughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson, and her husband William Hathaway Forbes, the son of John Murray Forbes, of Milton, Mass. The collection contains Emerson family correspondence, 1827-1939, and includes letters of the wife and descendants of William Emerson (1769-1811). The main body of the collection consists of Forbes family correspondence and miscellaneous papers, papers concerning Naushon Island, household financial papers, Forbes family diaries and other volumes, private business correspondence of William Hathaway Forbes, and family papers and correspondence of Ellen (Forbes) Forbes and Waldo Emerson Forbes. Much of the correspondence is that of Edith (Emerson) Forbes with numerous family members--her children and her sister Ellen Tucker Emerson, in particular--and with many friends and acquaintances over the years, to 1927. There are also a number of diaries kept by Edith from 1861 to 1924, and they include detailed travel journals for voyages around the world in 1906-1907 and 1910-1911, when she traveled to the Philippines to visit her son William Cameron Forbes.
The additions (1827-1969) include family correspondence and papers of the Emerson family of Concord, Mass., including a series of letters written by Edith Davidson to Ellen Tucker Emerson, as well as family correspondence and miscellaneous papers of the Forbes family of Milton, Mass., mainly John Murray Forbes and Sarah Swain (Hathaway) Forbes and their descendants. This series includes Civil War correspondence of William H. Forbes of the 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry with friends and family members, and several files of material concerning his expulsion from Harvard and trial for assault in 1860. Other series consist of separate business and personal papers of William H. Forbes, including some papers relating to his work with American Bell Telephone Co.; correspondence and papers of Ellen (Forbes) Forbes and Waldo E. Forbes; correspondence files for the J. Malcolm Forbes family and the Mary (Forbes) Russell family; bound volumes of papers related to Forbes family members, including a 1909 diary of Edith (Forbes) Webster, a poetry volume of William H. Forbes, and funeral books and an address book of Edith (Emerson) Forbes; and a letterbook (1909-1915) of Waldo E. Forbes. There is also one carton of transcribed correspondence of Edward Waldo Forbes with friends and family members. The location of the originals is unknown.
Arrangement
The Edith Emerson Forbes and William Hathaway Forbes papers and additions are arranged into two record groups: the original papers in Record Group I (four series) and the additions in Record Group II (six series). The arrangement of Record Group II is similar to that of Record Group I. Record Group I is stored in 31 record cartons, and Record Group II is stored in 10 document boxes and one carton at the end of the collection. The cartons are numbered 1-32, and the document boxes are numbered 1-10. Record Group II includes two volumes stored onsite at Ms. N-2306.
Acquisition Information
Deposited by the J. M. Forbes Family Archives Committee, Apr. 2003, Aug. 2003; Jan. 2004; merged with the William Hathaway Forbes papers, placed on deposit, 1995. Additions deposited by the J. M. Forbes Family Archives Committee, 2004, 2008, 2009.
The notebook of Edith E. Forbes (Vol. A) was a gift from the J. M. Forbes Family Archives Committee, Mar. 2016.
Restrictions on Access
The Edith Emerson and William Hathaway Forbes papers and additions (except two volumes) are stored offsite and must be requested at least two business days in advance via Portal1791. Researchers needing more than six items from offsite storage should provide additional advance notice. If you have questions about requesting materials from offsite storage, please contact the reference desk at 617-646-0532 or reference@masshist.org.
There are restrictions on the use of this collection. Users must sign an agreement stating that they understand these restrictions before they will be given access to the collection.
Restrictions on Use
The papers and additions of Edith Emerson Forbes and William Hathaway Forbes have been placed on deposit at the Massachusetts Historical Society by the J. M. Forbes Family Archives Committee. The Massachusetts Historical Society does not claim ownership of the literary rights (copyright) to this collection. The Massachusetts Historical Society cannot give permission to publish or quote from documents to which it does not hold copyright. Use of these materials does not imply permission to publish. It is the sole responsibility of the researcher to obtain formal permission from the owners of the literary rights (copyright) to publish or quote from documents in this collection.
All reproductions, including photocopies and digital photographs, are for personal use only. Personal use copies may not be donated to or deposited in other libraries or archives, or made available to other researchers, without the written permission of the Massachusetts Historical Society.
Detailed Description of Record Group I
Expand allNOTE: This collection is divided into two parts. This first section is the Edith Emerson Forbes and William Hathaway Forbes papers. The second section, the Edith Emerson Forbes and William Hathaway Forbes additions, is described below. There is significant overlap between the two parts of this collection, and information on various individuals and subjects may be found in both places.
I. Emerson family correspondence, 1827-1939
Arranged chronologically.
Correspondence among Emerson family members of Concord, Mass. and New York. Undated letters are filed alphabetically by author at the beginning of the series. There are letters, 1827-1847, of Ruth Haskins Emerson in Concord to her son William in New York City, with a few letters to Ralph Waldo Emerson and Lidian (Jackson) Emerson. (Please note that there are other letters to Ralph Waldo Emerson in Series II.) From 1849, the bulk of the series consists of family correspondence of Edith, Ellen, Edward, and Lidian Emerson. There are also letters written by various friends to Ellen Tucker Emerson and letters from other Emerson relatives to Ellen Tucker Emerson, Edward Waldo Emerson, and Edith Emerson (later Edith Emerson Forbes). Edith Emerson's correspondence with friends and family through 1864 is included in this series. There are letters written by Una Hawthorne to Edith in this series and also in Series II.A. Edith (Emerson) Forbes's correspondence with friends and Forbes family members beginning with her marriage in 1865 is located in the Forbes family correspondence series (II.A.). All correspondence with Emerson family members is filed in the Emerson family correspondence series. This series includes many letters written by Edith (Emerson) Forbes to her sister Ellen Tucker Emerson, which constitute a record of Edith's married life and various activities, including extensive travel in Europe and the Far East. However, there are few letters written by Ellen to Edith in return. There are a number of letters from Ellen T. Emerson 2nd (daughter of Edward Waldo Emerson) to Edith, until Ellen's untimely death in 1921. There are also a number of letters written in the 1900s by the children of John Haven Emerson.
1827-1866
1867-1882
1883-1893
1894-1903
1904-1939
II. Forbes family papers, 1828-ca. 1964
A. Family correspondence, 1833-1932
Arranged chronologically.
Correspondence among the members of the John Murray Forbes family of Milton, Mass. Undated letters are arranged alphabetically by author at the beginning of the series. The series consists primarily of correspondence among Edith (Emerson) Forbes, William Hathaway Forbes, and their children, as well as John Murray Forbes, Sarah Swain (Hathaway) Forbes, and their daughters. This series includes the correspondence of Edith (Emerson) Forbes, beginning in 1865, with Forbes family members, William Hathaway Forbes, her children, and numerous friends and acquaintances. There are letters written to Edith by her childhood friend Una Hawthorne in this series, as well as in Series I. There are many notes and letters on the engagement (Mar. 1865) and marriage (Oct. 1865) of Edith and William Hathaway Forbes.
There are a significant number of letters written by William Hathaway Forbes to his sister Alice Forbes during the Civil War, when he served with the First Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry and the Second Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry. The letters are written from various points in South Carolina (Jan.-July 1862); Hilton Head (Aug. 1862); Fredericksburg (Sep. 1862); Sharpsburg (Oct. 1862); Snickers Gap, Virginia (Nov. 1862); Readville, Mass. (Dec. 1862); camps around Washington, D.C. (May-June 1863); Centreville (July-Sep. 1863); Vienna (Oct. 1863-May 1864); Falls Church (June 1864); and as a prisoner-of-war in Charleston (Sep. 1864). One letter of 30 July 1863 discusses the death of Robert Gould Shaw. A letter written in Feb. 1864 describes the ambush of part of his regiment near Dranesville.
Edith (Emerson) Forbes was a prolific letter-writer, and this series is particularly strong in correspondence between her and her children, particularly after the death of William Hathaway Forbes in 1897. Correspondence of Edith (Emerson) Forbes, William Hathaway Forbes, and their children with Emerson family members is located in the Emerson family correspondence series (I). Business and general correspondence of William Hathaway Forbes is located in the William Hathaway Forbes papers series (III). Edith (Emerson) Forbes's correspondence before 1865 is located in Series I.
1833-1862
1863-1873
1874-Aug. 1882
Sep. 1882-Mar. 1890
Apr. 1890-1896
1897-Apr. 1901
May 1901-Apr. 1905
May 1905-Mar. 1909
Apr. 1909-1911
1912-Aug. 1914
Sep. 1914-1917
1918-1920
1921-1932
B. Special correspondence and papers, 1842-1937
Arranged by subject.
This series contains discrete sets of correspondence and papers that were separated from the remainder of the collection prior to their transfer to the Massachusetts Historical Society: Naushon papers, the Edith (Emerson) Forbes autograph collection, letters regarding the Hawthorne graves, letters regarding the J. Haskins tomb, letters written to Ralph Waldo Emerson by Edith (Emerson) Forbes and others, and Forbes family typescripts.
i. Naushon papers, 1842-1888
This section consists of correspondence and other miscellaneous papers relating to the purchase of Naushon Island, buildings, maintenance, farming, etc., 1842-1888; charades and riddles used at Naushon; poetry about Naushon; and Peabody family writings and correspondence regarding Naushon, 1850-1866.
ii. Autograph collection, 1872-1925
This section consists of letters written to Edith Emerson Forbes which were separated out prior to their transfer to the MHS. The authors in this autograph collection who wrote more than two notes or letters are William Allingham, Helen Allingham, Lady Ashburton, Alexander Ireland, F. Maxfield Parrish, Anne Thackeray Ritchie, John Tyndall, Sir Francis Younghusband, and Lady Helen Augusta Younghusband. This section includes photocopies of all autograph letters.
iii. Special correspondence, 1867-1921
This consists of letters written to Ralph Waldo Emerson, [1867]-1876, by Edith (Emerson) Forbes, William Hathaway Forbes, Sarah Swain (Hathaway) Forbes, and John Murray Forbes; letters to Edith (Emerson) Forbes regarding the Hawthorne graves, 1902-1921; and letters to Edith Emerson Forbes regarding the J. Haskins tomb, 1903-1905.
Letters to Ralph Waldo Emerson, [1867]-1876
Hawthorne graves, 1902-1921
J. Haskins tomb, 1903-1905
iv. Forbes family typescripts, 1843-1937
These are typed transcriptions of Forbes family letters which are not a part of this collection. The location of the originals is not known. The transcripts include letters of John Murray Forbes, 1843 and 1859; William Hathaway Forbes to Edward Waldo Forbes, 1888-1897; Edith (Emerson) Forbes to Edward Waldo Forbes, 1878-1924; Ralph Emerson Forbes to Elise (Cabot) Forbes, 1885-1937; and William Emerson Forbes to Edith (Emerson) Forbes, 1897-1911.
C. Financial papers, 1860-1923
Arranged chronologically.
These financial papers consist of household bills of Edith (Emerson) Forbes and William Hathaway Forbes in Milton, Mass.; bills and receipts for foreign purchases made by Edith (Emerson) Forbes while traveling abroad at various times; and Edith (Emerson) Forbes's income accounts with J. M. Forbes & Co. (1899-1913).
1860-June 1882
July 1882-1892
1893-1918
1919-1923
D. Miscellaneous papers, 1831-ca. 1964
Arranged by subject.
Edith (Emerson) Forbes address book, undated
Edith (Emerson) Forbes invitation lists, 1913-1916
Edith (Emerson) Forbes inventories of Sheridan Ranch, 1899-1912
Edith (Emerson) Forbes inventories of yacht Merlin, 1910-1915
Miscellaneous inventories of furniture, books, etc., 1905
William Hathaway Forbes memoranda, undated
John Murray Forbes, Jr. school papers, writings, and miscellaneous manuscripts, 1885-1888
Edith (Emerson) Forbes and William Hathaway Forbes travel ephemera, 1900-1906
Wills of J. Malcolm Forbes, 1904, Ralph Emerson Forbes, 1927, William Hathaway Forbes, 1897, and Emma Chambers Jones, 1917
Estate of Mrs. Francis Cunningham, 1904
Memorials of Ellen R. Forbes, 1860, J. Malcolm Forbes, 1904, Alice Forbes Cary, 1917, Mary Forbes Russell, 1917, and Sarah Forbes Hughes, 1917
Amelia Forbes Emerson, "Search for Point Repose," typescript, ca. 1964
Miscellaneous manuscripts
Miscellaneous printed matter, 1831-1952
Notes regarding the correspondence in the collection, written by family members, undated
E. Diaries and other volumes, 1828-1932
Arranged by author.
This series consists of diaries and other volumes created by various Forbes family members. The bulk of the series consists of diaries of Edith (Emerson) Forbes. There are small line-a-day and page-a-day diaries, as well as extensive travel journals, written in the form of letters home to her children. There is also one shared diary volume with her sister Ellen Tucker Emerson, written in the hand of a third party (1846). Other family members represented in this series are: Emma Perkins Forbes, William Hathaway Forbes, an unidentified Forbes family member, Waldo Emerson Forbes, Edward Waldo Forbes, and William Cameron Forbes.
Edith (Emerson) and Ellen Tucker Emerson diary, 1846
Written in another hand. Intermittent entries. Describes activities at home.
Edith (Emerson) Forbes line-a-day diaries, 1861-1889
Edith (Emerson) Forbes page-a-day diaries, 1888-1894, 1896-1908
Edith (Emerson) Forbes page-a-day diaries, 1909-1922, 1924
Edith (Emerson) Forbes travel journal, 1906-1907 (letters)
"Around the world," original journal letters written to her children, 2 Nov. 1906-23 Apr. 1907, describing her journey from San Francisco to Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines (where she visited her son W. Cameron Forbes), other Asian ports, through the Suez Canal to Egypt, on to Europe, and back to Boston.
Edith (Emerson) Forbes travel journal, 1906-1907 (typescript)
Typescript of same. With photographs, postcards, and other ephemera glued onto pages.
Edith (Emerson) Forbes travel journal, 1907 (duplicate)
Edith (Emerson) Forbes travel journal, 1910-1911 (letters)
Original journal letters written home on voyage "Around the World 2nd Time."
Edith (Emerson) Forbes travel journal, 1910-1911 (typescript)
Edith (Emerson) Forbes travel memorabilia
Edith (Emerson) Forbes scrapbook, 1860-1920
Includes photographs and other ephemera glued in.
Emma Perkins Forbes commonplace-book, 1828-1834
Contains both religious and philosophical entries.
Emma Perkins Forbes commonplace-book, 1835-1843
William Hathaway Forbes poetry volume, 1850
William Hathaway Forbes Civil War narrative, 1861, 1863-1864
Manuscript and typed copies of William Hathaway Forbes's narrative of his Civil War experiences, 1861, 1863-1864, entitled "Account of the Rebellion of 1861 and his part in it, written for his children." Includes a description of events leading up to the war, his enlistment in the First Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry in 1861, his experiences in the Second Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry in the autumn of 1863, and his subsequent capture by rebel forces in July of 1864.
William Hathaway Forbes operetta, "Marion Lee," 1865
Unidentified Forbes family member's diary, 1882, 1883, 1891
Kept while visiting in California, with some entries for 1883 and 1891, including entries relating the illness and death of Sarah Coffin Jones Forbes (1852-1891).
Waldo Emerson Forbes and Edward Waldo Forbes travel diary, Feb.-Apr. 1905
Trip to Greece and Italy.
Waldo Emerson Forbes log of Mizbah, various cruises, 2 July-8 Sep. 1907
Includes notes on birds, weather, etc., on Naushon and Naushawena, as well as log entries for cruises.
William Cameron Forbes American Embassy notebook, 1931-1932
Loose-leaf style notebook with memoranda on embassy domestic matters, arranged alphabetically by topic.
III. William Hathaway Forbes papers, 1857-1894
A. General correspondence, 1857-1894
Arranged chronologically.
This series contains "private letters" of William Hathaway Forbes, concerned primarily with investments and other personal financial interests, but not generated in his official business capacity. The series includes a series of letters to Charles E. Perkins beginning in 1857, mostly concerning various investments, and from 1877 and letters to numerous business acquaintances. The bulk of the correspondence consists of letters concerning railroad interests, Ralph Waldo Emerson's publications, household business matters, western land speculation, yachting, and Naushon Island matters. There are two 1864 letters written by prisoners-of-war to William Hathaway Forbes. Researchers should note that there is little, if anything, here that bears upon his professional work for the telephone company.
1857-1884
1885-1894
B. Letterbooks, 1865-1878
Arranged chronologically.
Three volumes of letterpress copies of outgoing correspondence of William Hathaway Forbes.
1865-1873
1874-1876
1876-1878
IV. Ellen (Forbes) and Waldo Emerson Forbes papers, 1886-1953
A. Correspondence, 1886-1953
Arranged chronologically.
Correspondence of Ellen (Forbes) Forbes and Waldo Emerson Forbes with friends, family, and one another. The undated material is arranged alphabetically by author at the beginning of the series, followed by files for unidentified writers to Ellen and to Waldo.
1886-1912
1913-July 1931
Aug. 1931-1953
B. Miscellaneous papers, 1915-ca. 1945
Arranged topically.
Library list, ca. 1945
Europe trip, memorabilia, 1923
"Rules for High Seas," a game
Miscellaneous children's papers, undated
The Magus (printed), 1915
Blank postcards
Detailed Description of Record Group II (Additions)
Expand allNOTE: This collection is divided into two parts. This second section is the Edith Emerson Forbes and William Hathaway Forbes additions. The first section, the Edith Emerson Forbes and William Hathaway Forbes papers, is described above. There is significant overlap between the two parts of this collection, and information on various individuals and subjects may be found in both places.
I. Emerson family papers, 1846-1878
A. Correspondence, 1846-1878
Letters written to Emerson family members, including Edith Emerson (before her marriage), Lidian Jackson Emerson, Ellen Tucker Emerson, and Edward Waldo Emerson, many written by Sarah Swain Hathaway Forbes. Also, a series of letters (1873-1875) to Ellen Tucker Emerson from her friend Edith Davidson, with a few items about Edith Davidson's death, 1877.
B. Miscellaneous papers, undated
Miscellaneous Emerson family papers, including some facsimiles of early Emerson family items and some unidentified notes.
II. Forbes family papers, 1827-1952
A. Correspondence, 1827-1952
Family correspondence of the Forbes family of Milton, Mass., primarily of John Murray Forbes, his wife Sarah Swain (Hathaway) Forbes, and their descendants, in particular their son William Hathaway Forbes, his wife Edith (Emerson) Forbes, and their children. This series includes many letters written by J. M. Forbes and S. S. H. Forbes to their children and grandchildren, as well as letters exchanged by Forbes siblings. Letters of the 1860s include family correspondence with William Hathaway Forbes while he served with the Second Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry during the Civil War. Several files of correspondence in 1860 concern William H. Forbes's expulsion from Harvard and trial for assault on a night watchman in the campus chapel. Later letters consist primarily of correspondence of W. H. Forbes and Edith E. Forbes with their friends, their children, and their grandchildren.
1827-1857
1858-1860
1861-1867
1868-1884
1885-1899
1904-1952
B. Special papers (Naushon), 1857-[189-]
A few miscellaneous papers pertaining to Naushon Island. Includes a poem written by Josiah Quincy.
C. Miscellaneous papers, 1872-1947
This series includes undated writings of Walter S. Hughes, William Cameron Forbes, and William Hathaway Forbes; programs; printed memorials of various family members; miscellaneous printed matter; and ephemera.
Writings, programs, and printed memorials
Printed matter and ephemera
D. Volumes, 1856-1917
Includes a memorandum book, notebook, address book, and funeral books of Edith (Emerson) Forbes; a book of verses collected and/or written by William H. Forbes; and a diary (1909) of Edith (Forbes) Webster.
Edith E. Forbes memorandum book, 1891-1912
Edith E. Forbes notebook, ca. 1882-1901
Note: This notebook is stored onsite at Ms. N-2306.
This notebook contains copies of poems, letters, addresses, and other writings by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Edward Waldo Forbes, and other members of the Forbes family, 1815-1901.
Gift from the J. M. Forbes Family Archives Committee, March 2016.
Edith E. Forbes funeral book, 1860-1911
Edith E. Forbes funeral portfolio, 1872-1917
Edith E. Forbes address book, undated
William H. Forbes poetry volume, 1856-1867
Edith F. Webster diary, 1909
III. William Hathaway Forbes papers, 1881-1897
Personal business papers, including correspondence and other items related to personal business matters of William Hathaway Forbes, such as property management, investments, yachting, and some items related to the American Bell Telephone Company.
IV. Ellen (Forbes) Forbes and Waldo Emerson Forbes papers, 1909-1954
A. Correspondence, 1909-1954
Correspondence of Ellen F. and Waldo E. Forbes and of their children with William Cameron Forbes. This series includes a letterbook (1909-1915) of Waldo E. Forbes (stored onsite), which contains copies of letters written by Forbes on personal business matters such as memberships in clubs, the National Association of Junior Republics, charities, investments, yachts, household employees and property management, and Nashawena and Pasque Islands.
Correspondence, 1912-1954
Letterbook of Waldo E. Forbes, 1909-1915
Note: This letterbook is stored onsite at Ms. N-2306.
B. Miscellaneous papers, 1917-1930
Some items pertaining to William Cameron Forbes, miscellaneous printed items, and poetry by Waldo E. Forbes.
V. Other Forbes family papers, 1856-1899
A. J. Malcolm Forbes family correspondence, 1856-1899
Letters written from family members to J. Malcolm ("Mac") Forbes, as well as letters to Amelia Jones from the children of J. Malcolm Forbes.
B. Mary (Forbes) Russell family correspondence, 1863-1896
Letters written to Mary Forbes Russell and her husband from Forbes family members, mostly John Murray Forbes.
VI. Typed transcriptions of Edward Waldo Forbes correspondence, 1860-1969
Typed transcriptions of letters to and from Edward Waldo Forbes over the course of his life (1873-1969). Correspondents include his parents, siblings, wife, children, grandchildren, and friends and colleagues. Also a few transcriptions of earlier family items dating from 1860. Location of originals unknown.
Preferred Citation
Edith Emerson Forbes and William Hathaway Forbes papers and additions, 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
Loose photographs have been removed to the MHS Photo Archives, Nov. 2005. Some printed items have been cataloged separately in MHS printed materials collections. Mildewed items were photocopied and returned to the family. One watercolor painting has been stored with the photographs.