1807-2018; bulk: 1817-1922
Guide to the Collection
Restrictions on Access
The Abbot family papers 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.
Abstract
This collection contains the papers of the Abbot family. The bulk of the material is from Joseph Hale Abbot and William Fitzhale Abbot. Included are letters, personal and professional papers, financial records, diaries, news clippings, writings, poetry, student work, autographs, genealogical research, and family history.
Biographical Sketches
Joseph Hale Abbot (1802-1873) was born 25 September 1802 on Abbot Hill in Wilton, New Hampshire, to Ezra Abbot (1771-1847) and Rebekah Hale Abbot (1781-1860). He was first educated by Rev. Thomas Beede at Wilton before completing his college preparation in 1818 at Drummer Academy in Byfield, Massachusetts, where his uncle Abiel Abbot (1765-1859) was preceptor. He then attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, graduating in 1822. He next spent a year at Harvard College as a graduate student. For the next three years, he taught at private schools in Beverly and Watertown, Massachusetts. From 1825 to 1827, Hale, as he was known, was a librarian and instructor of Latin, Spanish, French, and geometry at Bowdoin. This was followed by six years (1827-1833) as a professor of modern languages, mathematics, natural philosophy, and chemistry at Phillips Exeter Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, where his relative Benjamin Abbot (1762-1849) was principal. Abbot opened his own private School for Young Ladies in Boston, which operated from 1833 to 1859. After his school's closure, he spent the next 10 years providing scientific definitions to Joseph Emerson Worcester's dictionary. During this time, he was also principal at Beverly High School (1861-1867) and later a private instructor (1867-1872) in Boston. Throughout his career, Abbot gave many lectures on various scientific subjects and published scientific articles. The last 15 years of his life were spent working on an English grammar book.
He married Frances "Fanny" Ellingwood Larcom (1807-1883), daughter of Henry Larcom (1777-1862) and Fanny Ellingwood Larcom (1780-1847), 13 May 1830. Hale and Fanny had seven children, six of whom survived to adulthood: Henry Larcom Abbot (1831-1927), Edwin Hale Abbot (1834-1927), Francis Ellingwood Abbot (1836-1903), Emily Frances Abbot (1839-1899), Edward Stanley Abbot (1841-1863), and William Fitzhale Abbot (1853-1922). Joseph Hale Abbot died 7 April 1873 in Cambridge at the home of his daughter.
William Fitzhale Abbot (1853-1922) was born 27 April 1853 to Joseph Hale Abbot and Frances Ellingwood Larcom Abbot in Boston. Abbot spent his childhood in Beverly, where he first attended school, then Cambridge Latin School (1868-1870), and finally Harvard College (1870-1874). While a student, he was a member of Pi Eta and Phi Beta Kappa. After his graduation, he worked for two years at Noble and Greenough School, then in Boston (1874-1876), then as a private instructor for a year (1876), as an assistant principal at the Indianapolis Classical High School (1877-1880), and then Worcester High School, where he later became the head of the Classical Department (1880-1922). His other professional interests included membership in the American Philological Association, Classical Association, National Education Association, Harvard Teachers' Association, Worcester Teachers' Association, and Public Education Association, as well as others. He was also a member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Sons of the Revolution, and Worcester Historical Society, among numerous other organizations that pertained to his personal interests. Abbot had a keen interest in family history and genealogy and produced a number of works about his family branches.
William Fitzhale Abbot married Caroline Ward Sewall (1860-1939), daughter of Edmund Quincy Sewall (1828-1908) and Louise Kilham Lovett Sewall (1831-1906) of Wilmington, Delaware. Her brother was Theodore Lovett Sewall (1853-1895), with whom Abbot was principal at the Indianapolis Classical High School. Other siblings include Edmund Devereux Sewall (1855-1923), Samuel Lovett Sewall (1862-1938), Frederick Farley Sewall (1867-1906), and Louise Lovell Sewall Chapman (1871-1947). William and Caroline had five children: Edmund Quincy Abbot (1884-1960), Hale Wellington Abbot (1885-1964), Larcom Abbot (1885-1885), Miriam Abbot (1890-1990), and Theodore Sewall Abbot (1897-1992). William Fitzhale Abbot died 21 April 1922 in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Note: See Appendix 1 for a genealogy of the Abbot family, Appendix 2 for a genealogy of the Dane and Ellingwood families, and Appendix 3 for a genealogy of the Hale and Everett families.
Collection Description
The Abbot family papers consist of 10 record cartons and 2 document boxes of manuscripts, printed material, and 66 manuscript volumes. They document the Abbot family and their extended families mainly from 1817 to 1922. The bulk of the material pertains to Joseph Hale Abbot and William Fitzhale Abbot.
Joseph Hale Abbot's papers consist of correspondence, personal and professional papers, and biographical material written mostly after his death. Correspondence (1817-1873) covers Joseph's time as a student at Bowdoin College in Maine, his career as an educator, and his varied scientific interests. Correspondents include his family, extended family, classmates, former students, fellow educators, acquaintances, and peers in the scientific community. His personal papers (1816-1873) contain material from his student years at Bowdoin, writings, diary entries, testimonials on his opinion about the use of ether, and material relating to his family life. His professional papers (1817-1871) contain material pertaining to his Young Ladies' School and teaching positions at Bowdoin College, Philips Exeter Academy, and Harvard College; his work on Worcester's dictionary; membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; and articles, speeches, lectures, and miscellaneous work by Abbot on a variety of topics.
William Fitzhale Abbot's papers consist of correspondence, personal and professional papers, and 55 volumes of diaries. Correspondence (1857-1921) includes letters between William and various Abbot family members, friends, students, and colleagues. His personal papers (1865-1925) relate to his time at Harvard College, mainly as a student, as well as his school years at Cambridge High School. Other material includes writings, a lecture given by Abbot, and biographical material from before and after his death. His professional papers (1870-1923) cover his teaching positions at Indianapolis Classical High School and Worcester Classical High School. It also includes his resume, recommendations by his peers, material relating to his involvement in the Classical Association of New England and the National Education Association, and course outlines. His diaries (1866-1922) cover his life as a student, teacher, courting, and life with his family. Some diaries are shared with his wife Caroline Ward Sewall Abbot. They also include inserts of correspondence, printed material, and ephemera that pertain to his daily life and events.
Other Abbot family members represented in the collection include Frances "Fanny" Ellingwood Larcom Abbot and Caroline Ward Sewall Abbot. Their papers consist of correspondence with other Abbots and extended family, as well as personal papers, including their own writings and miscellaneous material. The collection also has some material for various other Abbot family members, including the Jacob Abbot (1803-1879) family, the Edwin Hale Abbot (1834-1927) family, the Henry Larcom Abbot (1831-1927) family, the Emily Frances Abbot Vaughan (1839-1899) family, Miriam Abbot Holmes (1890-1990), the Francis Ellingwood Abbot (1836-1933) family, the Edmund Quincy Abbot (1884-1960) family, Theodore Sewall Abbot (1897-1992), the Stanley Harris Abbot (1863-1935) family, and the Hale Wellington Abbot (1885-1964) family, among others. Also included in the family papers is a collection of autographs from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Abbot family papers also contain genealogical research and family history compiled by various Abbot family members, with the bulk done by William Fitzhale Abbot. Research traces the family tree to George Abbot (1615-1681), the first Abbot to arrive in America. The material also traces other early ancestors, including the Barker, Bragg, Fiske, Chandler, and Larcom families, and covers early settlement areas of Andover and Beverly in Massachusetts, and Wilton, New Hampshire.
As noted by Historic Beverly (PDF), which holds additional family papers, much of the material has some staining after it was submerged in mud following Hurricane Agnes in 1972.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Quincy Sewall Abbot, December 2020.
Restrictions on Access
The Abbot family papers 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.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Expand allI. Joseph Hale Abbot papers, 1816-1873
This series contains Joseph Hale Abbot's correspondence, personal and professional papers, and biographical material compiled after his death.
A. Correspondence, 1817-1970
Joseph Hale Abbot's correspondence consists of letters between Abbot and various family members, former classmates mainly from Bowdoin College, extended family, and numerous friends, acquaintances, former students, inquiries to attend his school, and peers in the religious, education, and science fields. Of interest is a letter from Dr. James Thacher of Plymouth asking Abbot for a scab so he can create a vaccine for kinepox (1820). Professional correspondence discusses the pneumatic paradox, electromagnetism, Latin and Greek, and numerous other topics.
Other correspondents include William Allen, John Stocker Coffin Knowlton, Benjamin Hale, George Cobb Wilde, Edward Lasell, Charles Grafton Page, Thomas Sherwin, David Wood Gorham, John James Dixwell, John Frost, John Dudley Philbrick, Carl Ritter, Samuel Atkins Eliot, Joseph Lovering, Benjamin Eddy Cotting, Andrew Preston Peabody, Charles Toppan Thayer, Epes Sargent Dixwell, George Ripley, Francis Alger, Josiah Parsons Coole, Jr., Phebe Ann Coffin Hanaford, Clarence John Blake, John Bernard Swett Jackson, Benjamin Apthorp Gould, Jr., Jared Sparks, Samuel Kirkland Lothrop, Denison Olmsted, and Jacob Bigelow.
Family, 1817-1873
Arranged chronologically.
Abbot family, 1817-1863, undated
Rebekah Hale Abbot (1781-1860), 1817-1860
Dorcas Abbot Bishop (1804-1833), 1817-1833
Ezra Abbot (1772-1847), 1818-1846
Abiel Abbot (1765-1859), 1819-1846
Rebekah Abbot Knight (1800-1882), 1820-1873
Ezra Abbot (1805-1876), 1823-1870, undated
Emily Abbot (1810-1835), 1825-1835
Jacob Abbott (1803-1879), 1825-1847
Abiel Abbot (1770-1828), 1825-1827
Benjamin Abbot (1762-1849), 1826-1827
Abiel Abbot (1808-1896), 1826-1834
Samuel Abbot (1786-1839), 1827-1838
Frances Ellingwood Larcom Abbot (1807-1883), 1830, 1858-1872
Harriet Abbot Abbot (1814-1886), 1830-1831, 1873
Harris Abbot (1812-1884), 1831-1863
Nelson Abbot (1816-1890), 1831-1873
Anne Wales Abbot (1808-1908), 1833-1873
Catharine Abbot Abbot (1808-1891), 1837, undated
Abiel Abbot Livermore (1811-1892), 1845-1850
George Jacob Abbot (1812-1879), 1845, undated
Abby Anne Abbot Rockwood (1818-1912), 1848, 1871
John Hale Abbot (1825-1905), 1852
Ezra Abbot (1819-1884), 1855, 1865
William Fitzhale Abbot (1853-1922), 1856-1872
Emily Frances Abbot Vaughan (1839-1899), 1858
Henry Larcom Abbot (1831-1927), 1858
Joseph Abbot (1809-1967), 1862
Classmates, 1822-1872
Arranged chronologically.
1822-1857
John Appleton (1804-1891), 1822-1825, 1872
Timothy Walker Stone (1805-1826), 1822-1825
William Smyth (1797-1868), 1843
Jabez Cushman Woodman (1804-1869), 1864, 1868
Personal and professional, 1820-1873
Arranged chronologically.
1820-1873
Parker Cleaveland (1780-1858), 1820-1843
Warren Burton (1800-1866), 1824-1863
Francis Bowen (1811-1890), 1829, 1854, 1856
Dorothea Dix (1802-1887), 1834-1839, undated
Folder 71 consists of transcripts.
William Ellery Channing (1780-1842), 1834, undated
Gideon French Thayer (1793-1864), 1839, 1845
Benjamin Silliman, Jr. (1816-1885), 1840-1845
James Pollard Espy (1785-1860), 1842-1844
Benjamin Silliman, Sr. (1779-1864), 1843
Horace Mann (1796-1859), 1846, 1849
Cora Lyman Shaw (1828-1922), ca. 1847
William Francis Channing (1820-1901), 1848, 1857
Charles Thomas Jackson (1805-1880), 1849-1854
Includes a carte de visite of Jackson.
George Barrell Emerson (1797-1881), 1850-1867
Edward Everett Hale (1822-1909), 1851-1856, 1868
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809-1894), 1852
Edward Everett (1794-1865), 1852, 1857
John Amory Lowell (1798-1881), 1854
John Carter (1819-1879), 1859-1860
William Abbott Everett (1828-1912), 1862
Thomas Bulfinch (1896-1867), 1867
John Gorham Palfrey (1796-1881), undated
Sarah Preston Everett Hale (1796-1866), undated
Alexander Hill Everett (1792-1847), undated
Miscellaneous transcripts from 1818-1846, undated
B. Personal papers, 1816-1906
Arranged chronologically.
Material in this subseries consists of poetry, a testimonial to L. S. Webster's ability as a chirography instructor, and a memorial to Dr. Martin Gay by Abbot. Bowdoin College materials include schoolwork on the projection of the solar eclipse in September 1811, articles about his time at Bowdoin written for The Academe under the pseudonym Impeleyer Geyter, excerpts from letters, and correspondence between Abbot's son William Fitzhale Abbot and the school librarian George Thomas Little. Other material includes excerpts that likely came from a diary, conduct reports by Abbot for his children, and his opinions on the use of ether for medical purposes.
Writings, 1816-1850
Bowdoin College, 1820-1906
Possible diary excerpts from 1828-1834 [manuscript copy], undated
Family life, undated
Ether controversy, 1848-1868
Household account book, 1862-1873
C. Professional papers, 1817-1871
Arranged chronologically in two groups.
The professional papers of Joseph Hale Abbot consist of material pertaining to his Young Ladies' School, including printed material, financial records, student lists, recollections by former students, and composition work by students C. D. Smith, Anna M. Renouf, Helen E. Renouf, Caroline Healey Dall, Susan Hale, Mary R. Sleeper, Fanny L. Barrett, S. C. Lord, Emily Abbot, Ednah D. Littlehale, Kate Gordon, and Helen Torry. Other material includes notes, articles, and records of pay disputes for his work on Worcester's dictionary; printed material and meeting announcements for the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; and catalogs, letters, and other papers from his years as a teacher at Bowdoin College, Philips Exeter Academy, and Harvard College. Also included are articles, speeches, lectures, and miscellaneous work by Abbot on a variety of topics.
Articles, speeches, and lectures, 1817-1824, undated
Articles, speeches, and lectures—Lecture on heat at Exeter Lyceum, 1831
Articles, speeches, and lectures—"An Attempt to Determine by Experimental Research the True Theory of the Pneumatic Paradox," American Journal of Science and Arts, excerpt reprint, 1840
Articles, speeches, and lectures—"A Description of Several New Electro-Magnetic and Magneto-Electric Instruments and Experiments," American Journal of Science and Arts, No. 1, Vol. 40, ca. 1840
Articles, speeches, and lectures—"Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Vol. II, May 1848-May 1852," 1852
Articles, speeches, and lectures—Spanish translation of State Bank of Hartford v. Republic of Mexico, 1869
Articles, speeches, and lectures—"Preliminary Remarks to the Demonstration of the Binomial Theorem," undated
Bowdoin College, 1820-1830
Watertown Private School financials, 1823
Mathematic workbook, ca. 1825
Philips Exeter Academy, 1833, 1871
Letters of recommendation from 1833-1865 [copies], undated
Young Ladies' School—Financials and pupil lists, 1834-1853
Young Ladies' School—Composition assignments, 1835-1868, undated
Young Ladies' School—Miscellaneous, 1837-1868, undated
American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1838-1864
Harvard University, 1841-1843, 1858
Worcester's dictionary, 1859-1860, undated
D. Biographical material, 1858-ca. 1970
Arranged chronologically.
This series contains biographical sketches of Joseph Hale Abbot, as well as some other Abbots, and memorials and obituaries. Also in this series is a letter by Fanny Larcom Abbot Wells recalling Abbot's relationship with his wife Frances Ellingwood Larcom Abbot.
Bowdoin College biographical sketches, 1858, 1882
Memorials to Joseph Hale Abbot, 1873-1894
Original biography by William Fitzhale Abbot, ca. 1890
Miscellaneous, 1945, undated
Updated biography, ca. 1970
"Joseph Hale Abbot and His Ancestors," by William Fitzhale Abbot, undated
"Joseph Hale Abbot and His Ancestors," by William Fitzhale Abbot, undated
II. Frances Ellingwood Larcom Abbot papers, 1828-1882
This series contains the correspondence and personal papers of Fanny Ellingwood Larcom Abbot. They include letters between Fanny and various Abbot family members and autobiographical material consisting of excerpts from diary entries and recollections about her childhood.
A. Correspondence, 1828-1882
Arranged chronologically.
Dorcas Abbot Bishop (1804-1833), 1828-1833
Emily Abbot (1810-1835), 1833
Rebekah Hale Abbot (1781-1860), 1834-1858
Rebekah Abbot Knight (1800-1882), 1834-1850
Abbot family, 1835-1854
Sarah Jane Abbot (1821-1857), 1837-1859
Abigail Dane Bunten Twiss (1831-1919), 1859, 1861, 1882
Abiel Abbot (1808-1896), 1861, 1873
Emily Frances Abbot Vaughan (1839-1899), 1861-1862
Abigail Dane Whipple Bunten (1790-1879), 1866-1875, undated
Joseph Hale Abbot (1802-1873), 1870-1871
B. Personal papers, 1858-1872
Arranged chronologically.
Autobiographical material, 1858-1872
"Uncle Remus," attributed to Frances Ellingwood Larcom Abbot, undated
III. William Fitzhale Abbot papers, 1857-1925
This series contains William Fitzhale Abbot's correspondence, personal and professional papers, and diaries.
A. Correspondence, 1857-1921
Correspondence of William Fitzhale Abbot includes letters between Abbot and various family members, friends, and professional associates. Letters from Abbot's wife Caroline Ward Sewall Abbot include loose excerpts from her diary and drawings from their children. Professional correspondence mostly pertains to employment.
Personal, 1857-1920
Arranged mostly chronologically.
Frances Ellingwood Larcom Abbot, 1860-1883
Francis Ellingwood Abbot (1836-1903), 1857-1903
Anne Wales Abbot (1808-1908), 1858, 1890-1899
Edwin Hale Abbot (1834-1927), 1860, 1869
Emily Frances Abbot Vaughan (1839-1899), 1862-1899
Rebekah Abbot Knight (1800-1882), 1866-1880
Ezra Abbot (1819-1884), 1878
Engagement, April-September 1879
Henry Ellingwood Abbot (1871-1881), 1879, 1881
Includes a letter from a cousin in Wilton, New Hampshire, detailing the death of Henry Ellingwood Abbot.
Theodore Lovett Sewall (1853-1895), 1880-1895
Edmund Devereux Sewall (1855-1923), 1882-1912
Philip Stanley Abbot (1867-1896), 1885-1894, undated
Abiel Abbot Vaughan (1839-1907), 1886, 1896, 1906
Ethel Vaughan (1867-1923), 1886, 1896, 1906
Caroline Ward Sewall Abbot (1860-1939), 1886-1920
Mary Alvina Dodge Parsons (1839-1912), 1893, undated
Henry Eben Burnham (1834-1917), 1902
Theodore Sewall Abbot (1897-1992), 1904
Abby Ann Abbot Rockwood (1818-1912), 1908
Oliver Richmond Cook (1863-1942), 1910
Edmund Hale Abbot (1881-1966), 1912-1914
Abigail Dane Bunten Twiss (1831-1919), 1916
Envelopes, 1833-1913, undated
Professional, 1874-1921
Arranged chronologically.
1874-1916
Augustus Whitting, 1874, 1876
William Reynolds Dimmock (1835-1878), 1874, 1876
George Washington Copp Noble (1836-1919), 1874-1879
Edward Everett Hale (1822-1909), 1876
Frank H. Harvey, 1879
Students, 1879-1921, undated
Worcester High School, 1880-1899
Proctor Academy (Andover, New Hampshire), 1880-1881
Higher School for Boys (Chicago, Illinois), 1881-1882
Evans Woolen, 1881-1916
Mary E. Washburn, 1889-1899
Smith Academy, Washington University (St. Louis, Missouri), 1890
Harry Howard Hill, 1893-1897
Edward Henry Warren, 1895, 1904-1905
Allyn and Bacon Publishers, 1898-1899
Archibald Livingston Hodges, 1898
Packer Collegiate Institute (Brooklyn, New York), 1899
Henry Goddard Leach, 1900
Margaret C. Waites, 1901, 1905
Alfred Butler, 1907-1913
Grace Hadley, 1909-1910
John Green Wight, 1913
Contains a photograph of a house called the Gables in Clinton, New York.
B. Personal papers, 1865-1925
Arranged chronologically.
This subseries contains the personal papers of William Fitzhale Abbot. Harvard College material consists of class catalogs, requirements and electives, class standings, reports, editions of The Magenta, Class Day programs, some student work, and miscellaneous ephemera and printed material. Material pertaining to Cambridge High School consists of report cards and programs for the school's annual exhibition (1870). Other material includes an excerpt from Fanny Ellingwood Larcom Abbot's diary regarding her feelings for her son William, a childhood composition (ca. 1853), and a later speech on the Puritans (1889).
Harvard College, 1865-1884
Cambridge High School, 1869-1870
Financial records, 1876-1911
1882-1884, undated
Writings, 1889, undated
Obituaries and memorials, 1922-1925
Biographical material, undated
C. Professional papers, 1870-1923
Arranged chronologically.
This subseries contains the professional papers of William Fitzhale Abbot. They include letters of recommendations, material pertaining to his former places of employment, and course outlines used by him as a teacher. Also included is material from professional associations he was affiliated with.
Resume and letters of recommendation, 1870, 1876, 1897
Indianapolis Classical School, 1876, 1878, 1886
Worcester Classical High School, 1893, 1922-1923
Classical Association of New England, 1907-1921
"Natural and Artificial Stimuli in Teaching Latin," speech for the National Education Association, July 1910
Latin and Greek courses, undated
D. Volumes, 1855-1922
The volumes of William Fitzhale Abbot mainly consist of diaries, some of which are shared with his wife Caroline Ward Sewall Abbot. The diaries also contain loose inserted material, such as printed material, newspaper clippings, correspondence, ephemera, and other miscellaneous items. Reminiscences contain biographical entries begun by Fanny Ellingwood Larcom Abbot and later added to by William Fitzhale Abbot.
Diaries, 1866-1922
Arranged chronologically.
1 July-14 October 1866
1867
1868
1869
1870
1870
1871
1871
27 April 1871-28 November 1878
1872
1873
1873
Travel diary for New Hampshire, June-July 1873
1874
Loose items removed, 1874
14 November 1878-25 October 1903
1882
1883
1884
1885
1886
1887
1888
1889
1890
1891
1892
1893
1894
1895
1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920
1921
1922
Reminiscences, 1855-1856, 1871, undated
This volume was begun by Fanny Ellingwood Larcom Abbot to record the early years of William's life. He later added his own entries.
IV. Caroline Ward Sewall Abbot papers, 1876-1939
This series contains the papers of Caroline Ward Sewall Abbot. Correspondence consists of letters from various Abbot family members, including Philip Stanley Abbot and Sarah Otis Ernst Abbot. Correspondents from the Sewall family include Samuel Lovett Sewall, Louise Lovett Sewall Chapman, and others. The personal papers of Caroline Ward Sewall Abbot consist of material from her time as a student at St. Paul High School (St. Paul, Minnesota), biographical material, poetry, and an article entitled "Mother's Duties to Children, Physical, Mental and Moral, or The Limit of Natural Devotion" for The Woman's Record, Vol. II, No. 23, October 1890 (St. Paul).
A. Correspondence, 1879-1924
Arranged chronologically.
Condolences were written to Caroline on the death of her husband William Fitzhale Abbot.
William Fitzhale Abbot, 1879-1918
Abbot family, 1882-1916, undated
Emily Frances Abbot Vaughan (1839-1899), 1883, 1896
Francis Ellingwood Abbot (1836-1903), 1883, 1896
Sewall family, 1886, 1891, 1903
Theodore Lovett Sewall (1853-1895), 1887, undated
Edmund Quincy Sewall (1828-1908), 1890-1906
Louise Kilham Lovett Sewall (1831-1906), 1890-1891, undated
Personal, 1897, 1904, undated
Contains two letters (1897, 1904) from the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute signed by Booker T. Washington.
Edmund Quincy Abbot (1884-1960), 1898, 1906
Edmund Devereux Sewall (1855-1923), 1902-1906
Condolences from family, 1922-1923
Condolences from friends and acquaintances, 1922-1924
B. Personal papers, 1876-1939
Arranged chronologically.
Miscellaneous, 1876, 1939
Writings, 1890, undated
V. Abbot family papers, 1807-2018
Arranged chronologically.
This series contains papers of various Abbot family members and their descendants. Miscellaneous Abbot family material includes an Abiel Abbot (1765-1859) letter to his brother Ezra (1772-1847), Jacob Abbot (1768-1834) correspondence, a copy of a diary excerpt of Edward Stanley Abbot (1841-1863), and the will of Sarah Jane Abbot (1821-1857).
Autographs include William Channing Gannett, Hugh McCulloch, Henry Augustus Wise, Andrew Atkinson Humphreys, Chester Warren Bulfinch, Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar, George Barrell Emerson, Alexander Hamilton Vinton, James Thomas Fields, Franklin Haven, William Henry Rideing, and Charles Christopher Byrne.
Miscellaneous Abbot family members, 1807-2014
Jacob Abbot (1803-1879) family papers, 1829, 1907
Edwin Hale Abbot (1834-1927) family papers, 1852-2006, undated
Edwin Hale Abbot (1834-1927) family papers—"Fall and Redemption," Summit Tales: Early Adventures in the Canadian Rockies, Graeme Pole (Altitude Publishing: 2005)
Henry Larcom Abbot (1831-1927) family papers, 1855, undated
Emily Frances Abbot Vaughan (1839-1899) family papers, 1862-2006
Emily Frances Abbot Vaughan (1839-1899) family papers—Composition book, 1862
Miriam Abbot Holmes (1890-1990) papers, 1891-1990
Miriam Abbot Holmes (1890-1990) papers—Baby book by Caroline Ward Sewall Abbot, 1891-1901
Francis Ellingwood Abbot (1836-1903) family papers, 1908, undated
Edmund Quincy Abbot (1884-1960) family papers, 1922-2013, undated
Theodore Sewall Abbot (1897-1992) correspondence, 1922, 1982-1983
Stanley Harris Abbot (1863-1935) family papers, 1935-2018
Hale Wellington Abbot (1885-1964) family papers, 1977-1981
Autographs, undated
VI. Genealogy and family history, 1887-2009
The series contains genealogical material and family history research done by various members of the Abbot family.
George Abbot (1615-1681) and his descendants, 1887, 2000-2002, undated
Joseph Hale Abbot and his ancestors and descendants, undated
Barker family, 1887, 2000
Bragg-Fiske family, undated
Chandler family, 2004
Larcom family, undated
Abbot family houses featured in "A Group of Early Colonial Houses at Andover, Mass.," in The Massachusetts Magazine, Vol. V, No. I, January 1912
Cemetery records, 1998, undated
Military service, undated
Phillips Academy (Andover, Massachusetts), 2004
Research and notes, 1899, 2000-2009
Appendix 1: Abbot Family Genealogy
Expand allThis genealogy includes some relevant Abbot family members represented in this collection.
1. John Abbot (1735-1818)
son of John Abbot (1704-1793) and Phebe Fiske Abbot (1712-1802)
m. Abigail Abbot (1733-1807)
1. Abiel Abbot (1771-1828)
m. Eunice Wales (1773-1832)
1. Emily Abbot (1799-1904)
m. Stevens Everett (1797-1833)
1. Mary Susan Everett (1832-1871)
m. Henry Larcom Abbot (1831-1927)
2. Anne Wales Abbot (1808-1908)
2. Abiel Abbot (1741-1809)
son of John Abbot (1704-1793) and Phebe Fiske Abbot (1712-1802)
m. Dorcas Abbott (1744-1829)
1. Abiel Abbot (1765-1859)
m. Elizabeth Abbot (1766-1853)
2. Jacob Abbot (1768-1834)
m. Catherine Thayer (1779-1843)
1. George Jacob Abbot (1812-1879)
m. Ann Taylor Gilman Emery (1815-1861)
3. Benjamin Abbot (1770-1823)
m. Phebe Abbot (1771-1857)
4. Ezra Abbot (1772-1847)
m. Rebekah Hale (1781-1860) (see Hale family)
1. Rebecca Abbot (1800-1882)
m. Isaac Knight
2. Joseph Hale Abbot (1802-1873)
m. Frances "Fanny" Ellingwood Larcom (1807-1883)
1. Henry Larcom Abbot (1831-1927)
m. Mary Susan Everett (1832-1871)
1. Frederic Vaughan Abbot (1858-1928)
2. Marion Stanley Abbot (1864-1955)
3. Elinor Everett Abbot (1867-1950)
4. Henry Ellingwood Abbot (1871-1881)
2. Edwin Hale Abbot (1834-1927)
m. first Mary Clark Carter (1836-1860)
m. second Martha Trask Steele (1839-1932)
1. Philip Stanley Abbot (1867-1896)
2. Edwin Hale Abbot, Jr. (1881-1966)
3. Constance, adopted
3. Francis Ellingwood Abbot (1836-1903)
m. Katharine Fearing Loring (1839-1893)
1. Everett Vergnies Abbot (1862-1925)
2. Edward Stanley Abbot (1863-1957)
3. Fanny Larcom Abbot (1872-1964)
m. Ralph Gent Wells (1879-1958)
4. Emily Frances Abbot (1839-1899)
m. Abiel Abbot Vaughan (1839-1907)
1. Ethel Vaughan (1867-1923)
2. Stanley Vaughan (1870-1872)
5. Edward Stanley Abbot (1841-1863)
6. William Fitzhale Abbot (1853-1922)
m. Caroline Ward Sewall (1860-1939)
1. Edmund Quincy Abbot (1884-1960)
m. Melinda Wheeler Rockwood (1884-1960)
Persis Lovejoy Abbot (1921-2014)
2. Hale Wellington Abbot (1885-1964)
m. first Lillian Norris
m. second Mary Ethel Browning O'Donnell (1893-1958)
Larcom Wayne Abbot (1920-1981
Hale Stanley Abbot (1928-1977)
3. Larcom Abbot (1885-1885)
4. Miriam Abbot (1890-1990)
m. Francis S. Holmes
5. Theodore Sewall Abbot (1897-1992)
m. Alice Eleanor Howell (1902-1996)
Quincy Sewall Abbot (1932-2023)
3. Dorcas Abbot (1804-1833)
m. Ebenezer Bishop (1798-1827)
4. Ezra Abbot (1805-1876)
m. Sarah Hooker (1824-1905)
5. Abiel Abbot (1808-1896)
6. Emily Abbot (1810-1835)
7. Harris Abbot (1812-1884)
m. Caroline Anne Greeley (1836-1911)
1. Stanley Harris Abbot (1863-1935)
m. Mary Kimball (1868-1921)
1. Charles Mack Abbot (1905-1970)
m. Jennie Maria Knight (1906-2003)
1. Elinor Abbot (1938-2020)
8. Harriet Abbot (1814-1886)
m. Hermon Abbot (1814-1878)
9. Nelson Abbot (1816-1890)
m. Hannah Holt Pevey (1821-1891)
10. Abby Ann Abbot (1818-1857)
m. Lubim Burton Rockwood (1816-1872)
William Emerson Rockwood (1854-1899)
m. Persis Abbot Lovejoy (1858-1913)
Melinda Wheeler Rockwood (1884-1965)
m. Edmund Quincy Abbot (1884-1960)
11. Sarah Jane Abbot (1821-1857)
12. John Hale Abbot (1825-1905)
5. Dorcas Abbot (1774-1847)
m. Eliphalet Putnam (1766-1826)
6. son (1776-1776)
7. Samuel Abbot (1777-1782)
8. Abigail Abbot (1779-1812)
m. Jonathan Livermore (1770-1845)
1. Abiel Abbot Livermore (1811-1892)
9. Persis Abbot (1781-1859)
m. Henry Lovejoy (1781-1863)
Henry Lovejoy (1804-1887)
m. Melinda Crosby Wheeler (1817-1883)
Persis Abbot Lovejoy (1858-1913)
m. William Emerson Rockwood (1854-1899)
Melinda Wheeler Rockwood (1884-1965)
m. Edmund Quincy Abbot (1884-1960)
10. Rhoda Abbot (1784-1853)
m. Ephraim Peabody (1776-1853)
11. Samuel Abbot (1786-1839)
12. Phebe Abbot (1788-1825)
m. Ezra Abbot (1785-1871)
Ezra Abbot (1819-1884)
m. Emily Everett (1829-1888)
Appendix 2: Dane-Ellingwood Families Genealogy
Expand allThis genealogy includes relevant Dane-Ellingwood family members represented in this collection.
Daniel Dane (ca. 1716-1768)
m. Abigail Burnham (1717-1799)
1. Abigail Dane (1740-1829)
m. Samuel Patch (1738-1807)
2. Lydia Dane (1742-1845)
m. Thomas Appleton (1740-1830)
3. Daniel Dane (1743-1819)
m. Sarah Goodhue (1747-1832)
4. Samuel Dane (1745-1777)
m. Hannah Ellinwood/Ellingwood (1749-1777)
Elizabeth Dane (1772-1861)
m. Andrew Dodge (1771-1828)
Nathan Dane Dodge, Sr. (1808-1890)
m. Sarah Perkins Shepherd (1804-1881)
Mary Alvina Dodge (1839-1912)
m. Ebenezer Parsons (1832-1909)
5. John Dane (1748-1829)
m. Jemima Fellows (1750-1827)
6. Sarah Dane (1751-1821)
m. Ebenezer Ellinwood
7. Nathan Dane (1752-1835)
m. Mary "Polly" Brown (1750-1840)
8. Molly Dane (1758-1839)
m. first William Ellingwood
m. second Thomas Whipple
1. Mary Ellingwood
2. Fanny Ellingwood (1780-1847)
m. Henry Larcom (1777-1862)
1. Frances "Fanny" Ellingwood Larcom (1807-1883)
m. Joseph Hale Abbot (1802-1873)
3. Betsey Whipple (1788-1873)
m. Ezekiel Ryder (1785-1861)
4. Abigail Whipple (1790-1879)
m. John Bunten (1783-1859)
1. Abigail Dane Bunten (1831-1919)
m. Andrew N. Twiss (1827-1891)
5. Anna Dane Whipple (1793-1847)
m. Bradford Burnham (1787-1866)
1. Henry Larcom Burnham (1814-1893)
m. Maria A. Bailey (1820-1893)
1. Henry Eben Burnham (1834-1917)
6. Sarah Whipple (1795-1827)
m. Richard Merrill
7. William Ellingwood Whipple (1797-1861)
Appendix 3: Hale-Everett Families Genealogy
Expand allThis genealogy includes some relevant Hale-Everett family members represented in this collection.
Richard Hale (1717-1802)
m. first Elizabeth Strong
m. second Abigail Cobb Adams
1. Samuel Hale (1747-1826)
2. John Hale (1748-1802)
m. Sarah Adams
3. Joseph Hale (1750-1784)
m. Rebecca Harris
1. Rebekah Hale (1781-1860)
m. Ezra Abbot (1771-1847)
4. Elizabeth Hale (1751-1813)
m. first Samuel Rose
m. second John Taylor
5. Enoch Hale (1753-1863)
m. Octavia Throop
1. Nathan Hale (1784-1863)
m. Sarah Preston Everett (1796-1866)
Sarah Preston Everett Hale's brothers were Alexander Hill Everett (1792-1847) and Edward Everett (1794-1865)
1. Edward Everett Hale (1822-1909)
6. Nathan Hale (1755-1776)
7. Billey Hale (1757-1785)
m. Hannah Barker
8. Richard Hale (1757-1793)
m. Mary Wright
9. David Hale (1761-1822)
m. Lydia Austin
10. Joanna Hale (1764-1838)
m. Nathan Howard
Preferred Citation
Abbot family papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.
Persons:
Organizations:
Subjects:
Materials Removed from the Collection
Photographs from this collection have been removed to the Abbot family photographs (Photo. Coll. 416).
Artwork by Dorcas Abbot Bishop (1804-1833) has been removed to the MHS Art and Artifacts collection.
The following printed materials have been removed and cataloged separately:
Abbot, Elinor, Our Company Increases Apace (SIL International, 2007)
Abbot, Elinor, Transformations: The Reconstruction of Social Hierarchy in Early Colonial Andover, Massachusetts (UMI Dissertation Information Service, 1990)