New England Women and Their Families in the 18th and 19th Centuries:

Transcription

1 New England Women and Their Families in the 18th and 19th Centuries: Series A, Manuscript Collections from the American Antiquarian Society Part 2: The Dewey-Bliss Family Collection A UPA Collection from

2 Research Collections in Women s Studies General Editors: Anne Firor Scott and William H. Chafe New England Women and Their Families in the 18th and 19th Centuries: Personal Papers, Letters, and Diaries Series A, Manuscript Collections from the American Antiquarian Society Part 2: The Dewey-Bliss Family Collection Consulting Editor Ellen K. Rothman Project Coordinator and Guide Compiled by Randolph Boehm A UPA Collection from 4520 East-West Highway Bethesda, MD

3 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data New England women and their families in the 18th and 19th centuries personal papers, letters, and diaries [microform]. Series A, Manuscript collections from the American Antiquarian Society / consulting editor, Ellen K. Rothman. microfilm reels. (Research collections in women s studies) Contents: pt. 1. Selected New England collections. pt. 2. The Dewey- Bliss family collection. Each part accompanied by a printed guide, compiled by Randolph Boehm, entitled: A guide to the microfilm edition of New England women and their families in the 18th and 19th centuries personal papers, letters, and diaries. Series A, Manuscript collections from the American Antiquarian Society. ISBN (pt. 1) ISBN (pt. 2) 1. Women New England History 18th century Sources. 2. Women New England History 19th century Sources. 3. Women New England Social conditions Sources. 4. New England Social life and customs Sources. I. Rothman, Ellen K., II. Boehm, Randolph. III. American Antiquarian Society. IV. University Publications of America (Firm) V. Title: Guide to the microfilm edition of New England women and their families in the 18th and 19th centries personal papers, letters, and diaries. Series A, Manuscript collections from the American Antiquarian Society. VI. Series. HQ '0974 dc CIP Compilation 2003 by Congressional Information Service, Inc. All rights reserved. ISBN ii

4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Scope and Content Note... v Note on Sources... xiii Note on Restrictions... xiii Editorial Note... xiii Reel Index Reel 1 Papers of Daniel Dewey... 1 Papers of Charles Augustus Dewey... 1 Papers of Frances Aurelia Henshaw Dewey (Mrs. Charles A. Dewey)... 2 Papers of Francis Henshaw Dewey I... 3 Reel 2 Papers of Francis Henshaw Dewey I cont Papers of Frances Amelia Clarke Dewey (First Mrs. Francis Henshaw Dewey I)... 5 Papers of Prudence Clarke... 5 Papers of Sarah Barker Tufts Dewey (Second Mrs. Francis Henshaw Dewey I)... 5 Reel 3 Papers of Sarah Barker Tufts Dewey cont Papers of Francis Henshaw Dewey II... 7 Reels 4 10 Papers of Francis Henshaw Dewey II cont Reel 11 Papers of Francis Henshaw Dewey II cont Papers of Lizzie Bliss Dewey (Mrs. Francis Henshaw Dewey II) Reels Papers of Lizzie Bliss Dewey cont Reel 15 Papers of Lizzie Bliss Dewey cont Papers of Harrison Bliss Sr Reel 16 Papers of Harrison Bliss Sr. cont Papers of Sarah Haven Howe Bliss (Mrs. Harrison Bliss Sr.) Papers of Harrison Bliss Jr Papers of William Howe Bliss Photographs Papers of Francis Henshaw Dewey III Octavo Volumes iii

5 Reel 17 Octavo Volumes cont Principal Correspondents Index Subject Index iv

6 INTRODUCTION The papers of the Dewey-Bliss family represent five generations of the Dewey family of Williamstown, Northampton, and Worcester, Massachusetts, and four generations of the Bliss family of Royalston and Worcester, Massachusetts. The collection spans from the late eighteenth century into the mid-twentieth century, with the concentration from the 1810s through the 1930s. This collection documents the lives and values of highly literate, upper-class New Englanders. All five generations of Dewey males represented here were lawyers: four graduated from Williams College, three graduated from Harvard Law School, three were judges, and two were Massachusetts Supreme Court justices. Harrison Bliss ( ) whose daughter Lizzie ( ) married Francis Henshaw Dewey II ( ), thereby connecting the two families was a very successful entrepreneur in the booming city of Worcester in the mid-nineteeth century. Several major figures of the nineteenth century are represented in the collection, if only fleetingly: John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Judge Lemuel Shaw, Andrew Jackson, Julia Ward Howe, and others. A sizable portion of the collection was generated by the women of the family. In some cases, these women have their own series of correspondence or diaries in the collection. But often their voices are found scattered through the series of their husband s, son s, father s, mother s, or daughter s papers. These records document events and relationships in the women s lives over the course of many years. It is in the voluminous correspondence series where the women s voices are the clearest in this collection. Related materials in some of the series include school composition books, eulogies and obituaries, and some personal financial records. The males in the family also yield a mix of diaries, correspondence, financial records and other personal documents. The diaries are not narrative chronicles, but lists of events and appointments. The richness of the male voices is also to be found in the correspondence. For a couple of the males, however, there are extensive series of receipted bills. These provide a record of household expenses, furnishings, and in some cases pharmaceutical items for an upper-class family in the late nineteenth century. In an effort to keep this edition focused on the personal aspects of the men s lives, several sizable series of professional correspondence were not microfilmed. The editorial note in this guide lists the portions of these collections that were not microfilmed. That correspondence is open for interested researchers at the American Antiquarian Society. The subgroupings in the collection are organized into series according to the recipients of the letters. Following is a summary of each series in this microfilm collection: Papers of Daniel Dewey Daniel Dewey ( ) was a lawyer in Williamstown, Massachusetts. His high standing in the state is apparent from the fact that he was elected to the Governor s Council in 1809 and again in This series of his papers includes copies of his v

7 commission to the Governor s Council and as presidential elector for Massachusetts in Daniel Dewey was elected to Congress in 1812, held his seat during 1813, and then resigned in the spring of 1814 after accepting an appointment to the Supreme Judicial Council of Massachusetts. The only document in this small series that reveals a personal voice is Dewey s Statement of My Religious Beliefs. The subsequent series pertaining to Daniel s son, Charles Augustus Dewey, however, includes a letter by Daniel to Charles at Lenox Academy. Each generation of Dewey men subsequent to this is documented in correspondence with their fathers (and mothers) during their tenure at boarding schools and colleges. Daniel s wife, Maria Noble, is only briefly mentioned in the collection. From genealogical materials in the collection it is noted that she was a daughter of Judge David Noble, one of the founders of Williams College. Papers of Charles Augustus Dewey Charles Augustus Dewey ( ), son of Daniel Dewey, graduated from Williams College in 1811 and continued the family tradition in the practice of law in Williamstown. Like his father, he was named to the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts in Charles Augustus Dewey was married twice. His first wife, Frances Aurelia Henshaw Dewey ( ), died after giving birth to their son, Francis Henshaw Dewey I. Charles Augustus s second wife was Caroline Hannah Clinton Dewey ( ). There is extensive material by both of these women in the collections, including separate correspondence series described below. The papers of Charles Augustus Dewey include an 1807 letter from his father imparting advice to the young scholar at Lenox Academy as well as letters from Charles s sister, Caroline A. Dewey (Betts). There is also correspondence from Charles s son, Francis Henshaw Dewey I, in the 1830s during the latter s tenure at the Dillingham School in Pittsfield, at Amherst Academy, and at Williams College. There are also several letters from second wife Caroline Hannah Clinton Dewey. In the small series of General Correspondence there are materials from John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Governor Edward Everett, and Chief Justice Lemuel Shaw. There are items pertaining to the legal profession in Massachusetts, the Boston Law Club, and national politics. A number of school records pertain to Charles s tenure as a student at Lenox Academy and Williams College. Papers of Frances Aurelia Henshaw Dewey Although she was only married to Charles Augustus Dewey for less then two years, Frances Aurelia Henshaw Dewey ( ) brought the Henshaw name into the Dewey family, where the appellation was subsequently bestowed upon male and female descendants for more than one hundred years. The Family Correspondence series includes letters from her Henshaw brothers and from her in-laws. The correspondence with the in-laws, Caroline A. Dewey Betts and Samuel R. Betts of Newbergh, New York, is particularly rich in 1820 and 1821 in that both sides of the exchanges are represented. Of special note also, in the General Correspondence subseries are letters to Frances Aurelia Henshaw, before she married, from her female friend, Mary Hooker. These letters were written between 1812 and Finally, there are a few financial records and school records documenting the education of Frances Aurelia Henshaw. The will of her father, Samuel Henshaw, rounds out the series. Note, however, that in the series of her son, Francis Henshaw Dewey I, there is a biography vi

8 of Frances Aurelia among the Genealogical materials (Reel 2, Frame 0593). Also, on Reel 16 there is a subseries of Octavo Volumes that includes two volumes of a journal kept by Frances Aurelia Henshaw Dewey. The first volume spans the years when she was a young woman. The second covers 1820 when she was newly wed. These journals contain philosophical and religious thoughts, poetry, character sketches, and prayers. Papers of Caroline Hannah Clinton Dewey The small series of Papers of Caroline Hannah Clinton Dewey ( ) (not to be confused with her sister-in-law, Caroline A. Dewey Betts) is comprised entirely of affectionate correspondence from her stepson, Francis Henshaw Dewey I, during his tenure as a student at Dillingham School and at Williams College between 1836 and Her correspondence can also be found in the series of her husband s correspondence (Charles Augustus Dewey, described above) and her son s papers (Francis Henshaw Dewey I, described below). Papers of Francis Henshaw Dewey I Francis Henshaw Dewey I ( ) graduated from Williams College in 1840 and attended both Yale College and Harvard Law School. He began the practice of law in Worcester in He married Frances Amelia Clarke in This series contains personal correspondence to Francis Henshaw Dewey I from his sister, female cousins, and stepmother (Caroline Hannah Clinton Dewey). Correspondence from his wife, Frances Amelia, commences in 1850 when she was removed from Worcester first to Northampton then to Georgia in an effort to treat her tuberculosis. Frances correspondence during this period of separation, until the time of her death in 1851, amounts to forty-three letters. There were no children of this marriage. There is a small series of Frances Amelia s papers described below. Francis Henshaw Dewey I married for a second time to Sarah Barker Tufts Wheaton, who had divorced from Henry Wheaton. Sarah had a daughter from her first marriage, Jane Bates Wheaton ( ). Jane Bates Wheaton died at the young age of sixteen, but there is a folder of correspondence between her and her mother while Jane attended boarding school. Jane was adopted by Francis Henshaw Dewey I after the marriage, and she was also known as Jenny Dewey. This series is part of Sarah s correspondence series described further below. The marriage of Sarah Barker Tufts Wheaton and Francis Henshaw Dewey I produced five children who survived to adulthood: Caroline Clinton Dewey ( ), Francis Henshaw Dewey II ( ), John Clarke Dewey ( ), George Tufts Dewey ( ), and Sarah Frances Dewey ( ). There is a significant quantity of husband-wife correspondence between Sarah and Francis Henshaw Dewey I. His letters to her, including courtship correspondence, can be found in her separate correspondence series, which is described below. Her correspondence to Francis Henshaw Dewey I can be found in the present series. There is also correspondence from his children, notably from Francis Henshaw Dewey II during that son s tenure at Williams College ( ) and at Harvard Law School. A small series of General Correspondence documents Francis Henshaw Dewey I s role in the legal profession in Massachusetts. There is professional and friendship correspondence from notables such as Lemuel Shaw, Charles Worthington, Charles Emerson, and Emory Washburn. Some of these letters are in the form of tributes to vii

9 Francis Henshaw Dewey I s career and his ascension to the bench. The General Correspondence also contains letters to Francis Henshaw Dewey I from Williams College alumni. There is also a series of genealogical and biographical data on the Dewey family that was compiled by Francis Henshaw Dewey I. Papers of Frances Amelia Clarke Dewey This very small series of papers contains the correspondence of Francis Henshaw Dewey I to his dying wife during her illness with tuberculosis. Her more extensive correspondence to him can be found in the series of his papers described immediately above. Papers of Prudence Clarke Prudence Clarke was the mother of Frances Amelia Clarke Dewey. This series consists of a single letter from Francis Henshaw Dewey I asking Prudence Clarke for the hand of her daughter in marriage. Papers of Sarah Barker Tufts Dewey This series contains the papers of the second wife of Francis Henshaw Dewey I. It is further divided into Family Correspondence and General Correspondence. The undated folders at the beginning of the Family Correspondence series contain correspondence of Sarah Frances Dewey, at boarding school, to her mother in the 1870s. Courtship correspondence from Francis Henshaw Dewey I can be found in the first dated folder (Reel 2, Frame 0876). Letters of Francis Henshaw Dewey I offering family advice during his absences on the circuit court are in the folders dated between 1875 and Much of the correspondence is from relatives, notably from cousin Susan Dixon, who wrote thirty letters between 1871 and Also noteworthy are letters of Mary Bemis, between 1872 and 1875, about the challenges of her isolated life in Dudley, Massachusetts, as well as changes taking place in the town. Letters from Francis Henshaw Dewey II from Williams College to his mother begin in 1874 and continue during his early professional career in 1876 and Toward the end of the Family Correspondence series, there is correspondence from Francis Henshaw Dewey II s wife, Lizzie Bliss Dewey. There is also correspondence from three of the other children, Caroline Clinton Dewey, George Tufts Dewey, and John Clarke Dewey. The General Correspondence section of the Papers of Sarah Barker Tufts Dewey includes a significant amount of correspondence from female friends. There are also letters from two ministers who were friends of Sarah, Reverend Edward Porter and Reverend Edward Huntington. The folder (Reel 3, Frame 0384) documents Sarah s involvement with the Women s Auxiliary of the Board of Foreign Missions of the Episcopal Church. This series also contains an important folder of Sarah s correspondence to her daughter, Jane Dewey, while Jane was attending boarding school. There are also letters from Francis Henshaw Dewey I to his stepdaughter Jane (Reel 3, Frame 0479). Papers of Francis Henshaw Dewey II Francis Henshaw Dewey II married Lizzie Davis Bliss ( ), and together they are the largest contributors to this collection. Francis Henshaw Dewey II and Lizzie Bliss Dewey had two children, Elizabeth Bliss Dewey ( ) and Francis Henshaw Dewey III ( ). viii

10 Francis Henshaw Dewey II received a law degree from Harvard in 1878 and was admitted to the bar in Worcester in He was involved in many enterprises, including the Mechanics National Bank of Worcester, the Worcester Mechanics Savings Bank, the Worcester Gas Light Company, the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company, and several railroads. For forty years he was also the president of the Worcester Street Railway Company. Additionally, Francis Henshaw Dewey II took up many philanthropic and fraternal causes, including Williams College, Kappa Alpha Society, Clark University, the Worcester Art Museum, the First Unitarian Church of Worcester, and the American Antiquarian Society. The General Correspondence series in which most of Francis Henshaw Dewey II s professional and philanthropic correspondence is contained was not microfilmed with this edition. These materials are open for research in the original collection at the American Antiquarian Society. This microfilm edition contains, instead, the Family Correspondence, Diaries, and School Records of Francis Henshaw Dewey II, as well as a large series of Receipted Bills for personal expenses. Family correspondence includes courtship correspondence from Lizzie Davis Bliss to Francis Henshaw Dewey II (Reel 3, Frame 0596) and Lizzie Bliss Dewey s letters to Francis Henshaw Dewey II over the course of their long lives. There is also substantial correspondence to Francis Henshaw Dewey II from both of his children; from his sisters and brothers; and from nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins. There is a small amount of correspondence from Francis Henshaw Dewey II s father, Francis Henshaw Dewey I, before his death in 1887, but there is a significant stream of letters from his mother until her death in By 1904, Francis Henshaw Dewey III wrote to his father from boarding school and after 1905 from Williams College. By 1911, Francis Henshaw Dewey III wrote to his father from Harvard Law School. Francis Henshaw Dewey III married Dorothy Flagg Bowen before World War I. There is a significant stream of correspondence from both Francis Henshaw Dewey III and his wife during the war from Washington, D.C., and Paris, France, where Francis Henshaw Dewey III located, first with the War Production Board and then with the Versailles Peace delegation. The Diaries of Francis Henshaw Dewey II chronicle the events and appointments in the life of this exceptionally industrious man. They span 1876 through The School Records document a young man s education at St. Marks boarding school in the late 1860s and at Williams College in the early 1870s. The large series of Receipted Bills documents household furnishings, food, consumer items, and many commodities purchased by the Dewey family between 1879 and They provide a detailed record of the material culture and consumption patterns of an upper-class family for that period. The large Receipted Bills subseries spans from Reel 6, Frame 0818 to Reel 11, Frame Papers of Lizzie Bliss Dewey Lizzie Bliss Dewey s papers span from her life as the young Lizzie Davis Bliss through her courtship with and marriage to Francis Henshaw Dewey II and her widowhood between his death in 1933 and her own death in The eighty-year chronicle of papers documenting her life provides a wealth of opportunities for the study of feminine values from her girlhood in 1865 to her old age in the mid-twentieth century. This series is further divided into Family Correspondence ( ), General Correspondence ( ), Diaries (1873, ), Travel Diaries (1898, 1904), and School Records ( ). These series are overlapping and ix

11 interdependent. Researchers working in any time period should consult each of the subseries. Also note that there are significant amounts of Lizzie Bliss Dewey correspondence in the series of papers of her husband, Francis Henshaw Dewey II (described above); her son, Francis Henshaw Dewey III; her father, Harrison Bliss Sr.; and her children (described below). All Lizzie Bliss Dewey letters can be found by consulting the Principal Correspondents Index and the Subject Index at the back of this guide. The Family Correspondence documents Lizzie Bliss Dewey from her childhood in boarding school in Boston. There is a sizable amount of correspondence between Lizzie and her parents, Harrison and Sarah Bliss, during her tenure at Miss Ireland s School in Boston between 1873 and Courtship letters from Francis Henshaw Dewey II can be found in the 1875 folders. Lizzie and Francis Henshaw Dewey II were separated most summers as she moved with the children to a summer home at Narragansett, Rhode Island, while he remained in Worcester on business. Lizzie s side of this annual exchange, which ran from 1885 through 1915, can be found in the Francis Henshaw Dewey II papers described earlier. After World War I, there are letters from Francis Henshaw Dewey III to his mother from Washington, D.C., and during his tenure in Paris with the Versailles Peace delegation. In the 1930s, Lizzie Bliss Dewey s grandchildren occasionally wrote to her. Granddaughter Dorothy Dewey wrote as a student at Smith College. Francis Henshaw Dewey III and his sister, Elizabeth Bliss Dewey, were frequent correspondents into the mid-twentieth century. The General Correspondence series contains a wide array of friendship correspondence to Lizzie Bliss Dewey, including male and female friends. Notable among the male friends are Reverend Edward H. Hall, Worcester industrialist Stephen Salisbury, and Leonard Kinnicutt, a friend from Worcester and a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There is an interesting vein of correspondence from friends at World War I army training camps and from members of the American Expeditionary Forces in France. Much of the general correspondence after 1900 sheds light on Lizzie Bliss Dewey s philanthropic work for churches, women s organizations, and charities. In 1937, Massachusetts U.S. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge wrote to her regarding President Franklin D. Roosevelt s court-packing initiative. Lizzie Bliss Dewey s diaries are brief entries on episodes in her life and not introspective journals, except for the very first diary, kept in 1873 while she was a sixteen year old at Miss Ireland s School. The 1873 diary is perhaps the most rich and revealing diary in the entire collection. It documents her tenure at the boarding school, her church attendance and social visits, her reading habits, and the importance of her lifelong friendship with Reverend Edward Hall, pastor of the First Unitarian Church of Worcester. Lizzie Bliss Dewey s diaries resume in 1922, when she was sixty-six years old. Her reading habits and visits with many of the friends who appear in the General Correspondence are diligently noted. Family matters and visits with relatives who appear in the Family Correspondence are recorded as well. Her own health problems and grief over the death of her husband are covered in the later years of the journal. There are frequent notations on her work with the Unitarian Church and in various philanthropic causes. The hiatus in personal diaries between 1873 and 1922 is broken by two travel diaries. One is dated 1898 and records the Deweys railroad trip to California. A second travel diary for 1904 records their transatlantic voyage and grand tour of Europe. x

12 School Records date from 1865, when Lizzie was nine years old. They include compositions on class trips to Boston, Cambridge, and Dighton. There are notebooks and personal journals of her tenure at Miss Ireland s School. There are eight manuscript volumes created by Lizzie Bliss Dewey on Reels 16 and 17, in the Octavo Volumes series. These include a testimonial volume from members of the Ladies Benevolent Society of the Unitarian Church; account book for the Helping Hand Society of the Unitarian Church; and sketchbooks, notebooks, and collections of watercolors. Papers of Harrison Bliss Sr. Harrison Bliss Sr. (d. 1882) was a wealthy Worcester capitalist. He married Sarah Haven Howe ( ) in Children of this union who are represented in the collection include Lizzie Davis Bliss (noted above), Harrison Bliss Jr. ( ), and William Howe Bliss ( ). These children have their own series of correspondence in the collection (note immediately above and below). There are two series of Harrison Bliss Papers: Family Correspondence, which includes correspondence from his wife, children, and nieces and nephews, and a sizable series of Receipted Bills. This latter series, like the Receipted Bills series in the Francis Henshaw Dewey II Papers, documents the consumption and material culture of an upper-class New England family in the nineteenth century. The Harrison Bliss Receipted Bills series, however, covers a generation before the series in the Papers of Francis Henshaw Dewey II. The Bliss materials begin in 1840 and run though Business correspondence of Harrison Bliss was not microfilmed for this edition but may be consulted at the American Antiquarian Society. Papers of Sarah Haven Howe Bliss This is a small but particularly valuable series. It includes correspondence regarding Sarah Haven Howe Bliss s career as a schoolteacher before she married. It includes courtship correspondence from Harrison Bliss Sr. and letters from both Lizzie Bliss and Harrison Bliss Jr. at boarding school. In addition, there is correspondence from female friends and relatives, including Julia Ward Howe. Papers of Harrison Bliss Jr. This collection includes correspondence between Harrison Bliss Jr. and both of his parents. There is also a file of Civil War letters from a friend who wrote of military campaigns in the South. There is also a certificate of exemption from Civil War service for the young Bliss. Papers of William Howe Bliss This is a small series that contains an account book of William Howe Bliss and an obituary. Papers of Francis Henshaw Dewey III Francis Henshaw Dewey III, like his father and grandfather, graduated from Williams College and Harvard Law School. In 1913 he married Dorothy Flagg Bowen ( ) of Providence, Rhode Island. Francis Henshaw Dewey III had a busy career, practicing law in Worcester and serving as a director of the Mechanics National Bank, two railroads, and an insurance company. He was also a trustee of Clark xi

13 University. In 1918 with his wife and family he moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked for the War Production Board. In 1919 he was part of the American delegation to the peace treaty at Versailles. During the Versailles trip, Dorothy remained in the United States and wrote her husband regularly. Letters from his parents during and immediately after the war are found in this series. Francis Henshaw Dewey III s and Dorothy s replies are to be found in the Papers of Francis Henshaw Dewey II and the Papers of Lizzie Bliss Dewey, described above. The earliest letters in this section date to 1893 and include correspondence to Francis Henshaw Dewey III from his parents and siblings. Octavo Volumes Octavo Volumes make up a separate set of manuscript materials in the collection. All of the Octavo Volumes of a personal interest have been selected for this edition. These include Frances Aurelia Henshaw Dewey s journals as a single young woman and as a newlywed, as well as personal volumes of Lizzie Bliss Dewey. Related Collections UPA has also microfilmed other materials from the American Antiquarian Society, as well as materials from the Newport Historical Society and the Rhode Island Historical Society, as part of New England Women and Their Families in the 18th and 19th Centuries: Personal Papers, Letters, and Diaries. These other parts are: Series A, Manuscript Collections from the American Antiquarian Society Part 1: Selected New England Collections Part 3: Maine and Massachusetts Family Collections Series B, Selections from the Newport Historical Society Part 1: Robinson and Williams Family Collections Part 2: Selected Collections Series C, Selections from the Rhode Island Historical Society Part 1: Selected Collections Part 2: Selected Collections xii

14 NOTE ON SOURCES The Dewey-Bliss Family Papers are held by the American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, Massachusetts NOTE ON RESTRICTIONS Permission to reproduce or quote extensively from the collection should be obtained from the American Antiquarian Society. EDITORIAL NOTE In an effort to maintain the focus on the family and personal aspects of this large collection, several series of business and professional records have been omitted from this microfilm edition. Several small series of personal records have also been omitted. Following is a list of materials that were not microfilmed. These are available for researchers in the original collection at the American Antiquarian Society: Papers of Francis Henshaw Dewey I, Boxes 3 8 Papers of Francis Henshaw Dewey II, Boxes and Boxes Papers of John C. Dewey, George T. Dewey, Caroline Clinton Dewey, Frances Dewey, and Elizabeth Bliss Dewey, Box 39 Papers of Lizzie Bliss Dewey, Boxes Papers of Harrison Bliss, General Correspondence Papers of Dorothy Flagg Bowen Dewey Papers of Harrison Bliss, Boxes and Boxes Papers of Francis Henshaw Dewey III, General Correspondence, Box 50 Octavo Volumes 3 19 xiii

15 REEL INDEX The following is a listing of the folders comprising New England Women and Their Families in the 18th and 19th Centuries: Series A, Manuscript Collections from the American Antiquarian Society, Part 2: The Dewey-Bliss Family Collection. The four-digit number on the far left is the frame at which a particular file folder begins. This is followed by the file title, the date(s) of the file, and the total number of frames. Substantive issues are highlighted under the heading Major Topics. Prominent correspondents are highlighted under the heading Principal Correspondents. Reel 1 Frame No Collection Inventory. 39 frames List of Omissions from the Microfilm. 2 frames. Papers of Daniel Dewey Box Folder 1: Daniel Dewey, Statement of Religious Beliefs, Undated. 3 frames. Major Topic: Religious beliefs Folder 2: Daniel Dewey, Copy of Records from Family Bible. 12 frames. Major Topic: Dewey family genealogy Folder 2a: Daniel Dewey, Commissions, 1805, 1809, and frames. Major Topics: Justice of the peace; U.S. presidential elector Folder 2b: Daniel Dewey, Commissions, 1808, 1810, and frames. Major Topics: U.S. presidential elector; Governor s Council [Massachusetts] Folder 2c: Daniel Dewey, Obituary by Judge [Isaac] Parker. 9 frames. Papers of Charles Augustus Dewey 0085 Folder 3: Family Correspondence, 1807 January 16, frames. Major Topics: Education; Lenox Academy; children; Dillingham School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Principal Correspondents: Daniel Dewey; Caroline A. Dewey; Eliza A. Noble; Francis Henshaw Dewey I Folder 4: Family Correspondence, January 23 November frames. Major Topics: Education; Dillingham School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Amherst Academy. Principal Correspondent: Francis Henshaw Dewey I Folder 5: Family Correspondence, September 19, 1836 August 1, frames. Major Topics: Education; Williams College. Principal Correspondent: Francis Henshaw Dewey I Folder 6: Family Correspondence, September 28, 1838 January 21, frames. Principal Correspondents: Francis Henshaw Dewey I; Caroline Hannah Clinton Dewey. 1

16 0207 Folder 7: Family Correspondence, March 4, 1851 August 15, frames. Major Topic: Death of Francis Henshaw Dewey I s wife, Frances Amelia. Principal Correspondent: Francis Henshaw Dewey I Folder 8: General Correspondence, Envelope Franked by John Quincy Adams, Undated. 2 frames Folder 9: General Correspondence, Personal Letter from Daniel Webster, Undated. 3 frames Folder 10: General Correspondence, Undated. 8 frames Folder 11: General Correspondence, July 1, 1815 July 20, frames. Major Topics: Legal practice of Charles Augustus Dewey; national politics Folder 11a: General Correspondence, Governor Edward Everett, frames Folder 12: General Correspondence, January 1847 November 12, frames. Major Topic: Boston Law Club. Principal Correspondent: Lemuel Shaw Folder 13: School Records, Report Card, Lenox Academy, frames Folder 14: School Records, Copy of Plutarch s Lives, frames Folder 14a: School Records, Oration at Williams College, [1807]. 7 frames Folder 15: Miscellaneous, Records on Height, frames Folder 16: Miscellaneous, Yale College Commencement Program and Catalogue, frames Folder 16a: Miscellaneous, Copy of First Judicial Opinion, frames. Major Topics: Land ownership; property rights Folder 16b: Miscellaneous, Lyceum Lectures, 1829 and Undated. 36 frames. Major Topics: Robert Fulton; engineering; steam navigation Folder 17: Miscellaneous, Certificate as Justice of the Peace, frames Folder 18: Genealogical and Biographical, Obituary, frames Folder 19: Genealogical and Biographical, Funeral Discourse, frames Folder 20: Genealogical and Biographical, Eulogy, frames. Papers of Frances Aurelia Henshaw Dewey (Mrs. Charles Augustus Dewey) 0400 Folder 21: Family Correspondence, June 17, 1807 February 28, frames. Major Topic: Social matters. Principal Correspondents: Frances Aurelia Henshaw; Martha Bates; Samuel Henshaw Folder 22: Family Correspondence, March 11 July 21, frames. Principal Correspondents: Samuel Henshaw; Samuel R. Betts; Caroline A. Dewey Betts; Frances Aurelia Henshaw Dewey Folder 23: Family Correspondence, July 25 October 31, frames. Principal Correspondents: Frances Aurelia Henshaw Dewey; Samuel R. Betts Folder 24: Family Correspondence, November 7, 1820 June 11, frames. Principal Correspondents: Samuel R. Betts; Frances Aurelia Henshaw Dewey; E. L. Henshaw Folder 25: General Correspondence, June 28, 1812 May 9, frames. Principal Correspondent: Mary Hooker Folder 26: Financial Records, Receipts for School Expenses, frames Folder 27: Financial Records, Account Book, frames Folder 28: Financial Records, Receipted Bill, frames Folder 29: Financial Records, Payment of Note, frames Folder 30: School Records, Poems and Essays, Undated. 12 frames Folder 31: School Records, Astronomy, Botany, and Chemistry Lectures, Undated. 13 frames Folder 32: School Records, Theme [Writings], August frames Folder 33: School Records, Astronomy Notebook, frames. Major Topics: Amherst, Massachusetts; education Folder 34: Miscellaneous, Embroidery Patterns, Undated. 10 frames Folder 35: Miscellanous, Letter Wrapper and Invitation, Undated. 3 frames Folder 35a: Obituary, Hampshire Gazette, July 25, frames. 2

17 0658 Folder 36: Will of Samuel Henshaw, frames Folder 37: Caroline Hannah Clinton Dewey (Second Mrs. Charles Augustus Dewey), Family Correspondence, December 3, 1834 July 1, frames. Principal Correspondent: Francis Henshaw Dewey I. Papers of Francis Henshaw Dewey I Box Folder 1: Family Correspondence, 1837 and Undated. 38 frames. Principal Correspondents: Annie B. Henshaw; Florence Dewey; Annette G. Quackenbush; Caroline A. Dewey Betts; Caroline Hannah Clinton Dewey Folder 2: Family Correspondence, February 1838 March 28, frames. Major Topic: Williams College. Principal Correspondents: Caroline A. Dewey Betts; Caroline Hannah Clinton Dewey; Solomon G. Noble Folder 3: Family Correspondence, September 8, 1841 October 27, frames. Major Topic: Harvard Law School. Principal Correspondents: Charles D. Betts; Caroline A. Dewey Betts; Caroline Hannah Clinton Dewey Folder 4: Family Correspondence, May 3 June 28, frames. Major Topic: Tuberculosis. Principal Correspondent: Frances Amelia Clarke Dewey Folder 5: Family Correspondence, July 1 October 7, frames. Major Topic: Tuberculosis. Principal Correspondent: Frances Amelia Clarke Dewey Folder 6: Family Correspondence, October 8 December 31, frames. Major Topic: Tuberculosis. Principal Correspondent: Frances Amelia Clarke Dewey Folder 7: Family Correspondence, frames. Major Topic: Tuberculosis. Principal Correspondents: Frances Amelia Clarke Dewey; Francis Henshaw Dewey I Folder 8: Family Correspondence, frames. Principal Correspondents: Mary C. Dewey; Caroline Hannah Clinton Dewey; Prudence Clarke; John Clarke. Reel 2 Papers of Francis Henshaw Dewey I cont. Box 2 cont Folder 9: Family Correspondence, frames. Principal Correspondents: Caroline Hannah Clinton Dewey; Francis Henshaw Dewey II; Sarah Barker Tufts Dewey (Nellie) Folder 10: Family Correspondence, frames. Major Topics: Williams College; Home School for Boys (Foxboro, Massachusetts). Principal Correspondents: Mary C. Dewey; Francis Henshaw Dewey II; John Clarke Dewey; Sarah Barker Tufts Dewey (Nellie) Folder 11: Family Correspondence, 1875 May 30, frames. Major Topics: Williams College; travel in Italy. Principal Correspondents: Francis Henshaw Dewey II; Maria Noble. 3

18 0122 Folder 12: Family Correspondence, June 2, 1876 August 7, frames. Major Topics: Williams College; Harvard Law School; travel in Italy. Principal Correspondents: Francis Henshaw Dewey II; Maria Noble; Sarah Barker Tufts Dewey (Nellie); Charles Augustus Dewey; Florence Dewey Quackenbush; Sarah Frances Dewey Folder 13: Family Correspondence, Miscellaneous Correspondence to Siblings of Francis Henshaw Dewey I. 13 frames. Principal Correspondents: Francis Henshaw Dewey II; Charles Augustus Dewey; Francis Henshaw Dewey I Folder 14: General Correspondence, Undated. 2 frames Folder 15: General Correspondence, Undated. 21 frames Folder 16: General Correspondence, Letter from Andrew Jackson, frames Folder 17: General Correspondence, May 13, 1828 August 18, frames. Principal Correspondent: Edward Benedict Folder 18: General Correspondence, August 28 November 4, frames. Principal Correspondents: Edward Benedict; Thomas Robbins Folder 19: General Correspondence, November 8 December 1, frames. Major Topics: Teachers; lawyers and legal services; Harvard Law School. Principal Correspondents: Thomas Robbins; Lemuel Shaw; Charles Worthington Folder 20: General Correspondence, December 18, 1841 March 5, frames. Major Topics: Teachers; lawyers and legal services; Harvard Law School. Principal Correspondents: Charles Worthington; John A. Walker; Thomas Robbins; Edward Benedict; Charles Emerson Folder 21: General Correspondence, January 18, 1856 July 24, frames. Major Topics: Lawyers and legal services; judgeship of Francis Henshaw Dewey I. Principal Correspondents: Emory Washburn; Charles Emerson Folder 22: General Correspondence, January 7, 1876 May 24, frames. Major Topic: Judgeship of Francis Henshaw Dewey I Folder 23: General Correspondence, May 27 July 1, frames. Major Topic: Williams College alumni Folder 24: General Correspondence, January 29 April 23, frames. Major Topics: Judgeship of Francis Henshaw Dewey I; Williams College alumni Folder 25: General Correspondence, May 31 August 17, frames. Major Topic: Williams College alumni Folder 26: General Correspondence, August 23 October 3, frames Folder 27: General Correspondence, October 4 October 19, frames Folder 28: General Correspondence, December 23, 1881 October 31, frames. Principal Correspondents: A. G. Kimball; Solomon Clark Folder 29: General Correspondence, November 3 December 14, frames Folder 30: General Correspondence, January 17 July 25, frames Folder 31: General Correspondence, August 14, 1883 December 21, frames Folder 32: General Correspondence, December 21, 1885 June 3, frames. Major Topic: Williams College alumni Folder 33: General Correspondence, June 12, 1886 May 7, frames. Box Folder 9: Genealogical and Biographical Data, Dewey and Henshaw, Undated. 14 frames. Major Topics: Frances Aurelia Henshaw Dewey biography; Henshaw family biographies; Dewey family genealogy; Francis Henshaw Dewey I biography Folder 9a: Genealogical and Biographical Data, 1870s 1880s. 21 frames. Major Topic: Dewey family genealogy. 4

19 0628 Folder 9b: Genealogical and Biographical Data, 1870s 1880s. 24 frames. Major Topic: Dewey family genealogy Folder 9c: Genealogical and Biographical Data (Chester Dewey), frames Folder 10: Genealogical and Biographical Data, Miscellaneous, frames. Major Topic: Dewey family genealogy Folder 11: Genealogical and Biographical Data, Printed, Obituary, George Clinton Dewey, frames Folder 12: Genealogical and Biographical Data, Henshaw Family, Undated. 24 frames. Major Topic: Henshaw family genealogy Folder 13: Genealogical and Biographical Data, Autobiographical Sketch, frames. Major Topic: Francis Henshaw Dewey I Folder 14: Genealogical and Biographical Data, Obituary, frames Folder 15: Genealogical and Biographical Data, Eulogy, frames Folder 16: Genealogical and Biographical Data, Obituary, frames Folder 17: Genealogical and Biographical Data, Eulogy by Frank Goulding. 18 frames Folder 18: Genealogical and Biographical Data, Eulogy, frames Folder 19: Genealogical and Biographical Data, Eulogy, frames Folder 20: Genealogical and Biographical Data, Obituary, Printed, frames. Papers of Frances Amelia Clarke Dewey (First Mrs. Francis Henshaw Dewey I) 0823 Folder 21: Frances Amelia Clarke from Francis Henshaw Dewey I, March 9, frames. Major Topic: Diseases and disorders. Principal Correspondent: Francis Henshaw Dewey I Folder 22: Frances Amelia Clarke Dewey, frames. Papers of Prudence Clarke 0831 Folder 23: Family Correspondence from Francis Henshaw Dewey I, frames. Major Topic: Courtship. Papers of Sarah Barker Tufts Dewey (Second Mrs. Francis Henshaw Dewey I) Box Folder 1: Family Correspondence, Undated (1) 24 frames. Principal Correspondent: Francis Henshaw Dewey I Folder 2: Family Correspondence, Undated (2). 18 frames. Principal Correspondent: Sarah Frances Dewey Folder 3: Family Correspondence, January 1, 1852 December 16, frames. Major Topic: Courtship. Principal Correspondents: Francis Henshaw Dewey I; Jennie B. Dewey; Caroline B. Alvord Folder 4: Family Correspondence, July 4, 1870 December 27, frames. Principal Correspondent: Caroline Clinton Dewey Folder 5: Family Correspondence, February 6 May 5, frames Folder 6: Family Correspondence, May 5 July 4, frames Folder 7: Family Correspondence, July 16, 1873 May 4, frames. Major Topic: Williams College. Principal Correspondents: Francis Henshaw Dewey II; John Clarke Dewey. 5

20 Reel 3 Papers of Sarah Barker Tufts Dewey cont. Box 9 cont Folder 8: Family Correspondence, May 8 December 30, frames. Major Topic: Williams College. Principal Correspondents: Francis Henshaw Dewey II; John Clarke Dewey; George Tufts Dewey; Charles Augustus Dewey Folder 9: Family Correspondence, January 14 April 30, frames Folder 10: Family Correspondence, May 13 November 9, frames. Major Topic: Williams College. Principal Correspondents: Francis Henshaw Dewey II; Francis Henshaw Dewey I Folder 11: Family Correspondence, November 10 December 19, frames. Major Topic: Williams College. Principal Correspondents: Francis Henshaw Dewey I; Francis Henshaw Dewey II; Charles Augustus Dewey Folder 12: Family Correspondence, December 24, 1875 January 18, frames. Principal Correspondents: Charles Augustus Dewey; Francis Henshaw Dewey I Folder 13: Family Correspondence, January 20 April 19, frames. Major Topic: Williams College. Principal Correspondents: Francis Henshaw Dewey II; Francis Henshaw Dewey I Folder 14: Family Correspondence, April 23 May 19, frames. Major Topic: Williams College. Principal Correspondents: Francis Henshaw Dewey II; Francis Henshaw Dewey I Folder 15: Family Correspondence, May 21 August 8, frames. Major Topic: Williams College. Principal Correspondents: Francis Henshaw Dewey II; Francis Henshaw Dewey I Folder 16: Family Correspondence, August 15 November 23, frames. Principal Correspondents: Francis Henshaw Dewey I; Francis Henshaw Dewey II Folder 17: Family Correspondence, February 24, 1877 January 18, frames. Principal Correspondents: Francis Henshaw Dewey II; Caroline B. Alvord Folder 18: Family Correspondence, March 4, 1878 August 3, frames. Major Topic: Travel in Italy. Principal Correspondents: Francis Henshaw Dewey I; Fannie D. Bailey; H. E. Henshaw; Ella Fales; Mable D. Vose; Lizzie Bliss Dewey; Rufus Ellis Dixon; George Vose; Mary C. Dewey Folder 19: Family Correspondence, November 19, 1894 September 26, frames. Principal Correspondents: Isabel Fales; Lewis Dixon Folder 20: General Correspondence, Undated. 21 frames. Major Topic: Social matters. Principal Correspondents: Nell Bugbee; Mary Jackson; Laura Stevens Folder 21: General Correspondence, January 8, 1864 February 5, frames. Major Topic: Teachers. Principal Correspondents: Edward Porter; W. R. Huntington Folder 22: General Correspondence, February 12 May 6, frames. Major Topics: Social matters; education of Caroline Clinton Dewey. Principal Correspondents: W. R. Huntington; Mary Holder. 6

21 0338 Folder 23: General Correspondence, January 23 May 15, frames. Major Topic: Education of Caroline Clinton Dewey. Principal Correspondent: Mary Holder Folder 24: General Correspondence, May 18 September 28, frames. Major Topics: Education of Caroline Clinton Dewey; social matters. Principal Correspondent: Mary Holder Folder 25: General Correspondence, October 22, 1874 April 21, frames. Major Topics: Woman s Auxiliary to Board of Foreign Missions of the Episcopal Church; social matters. Principal Correspondents: Sarah F. Hoyt; W. R. Huntington Folder 26: General Correspondence, May 22, 1877 January 23, frames. Major Topic: Social matters Folder 27: Business Documents, Wills, frames Folder 28: Miscellaneous, Mt. Holyoke College, Record of Attendance, frames Folder 29a: Miscellaneous, Printed Material, Undated. 6 frames Folder 29b: Miscellaneous, Receipt from Tufts Manufacturing Company, January frames Folder 30: Aaron Tufts (Grandfather of Sarah Barker Tufts Dewey), Business Documents, frames Folder 31: Jane Bates Wheaton Dewey (Daughter of Sarah Barker Tufts Dewey), Family Correspondence, 1859 and Undated. 63 frames. Major Topic: Students. Principal Correspondents: Sarah Barker Tufts Dewey; Francis Henshaw Dewey I Folder 32: Charles Augustus Dewey Jr. (Half-Brother of Francis Henshaw Dewey I), Miscellaneous Newspaper Clippings and Obituary. 10 frames. Papers of Francis Henshaw Dewey II Box Folder 1: Family Correspondence, Undated (1). 44 frames. Principal Correspondent: Lizzie Bliss Dewey Folder 2: Family Correspondence, December 24, 1866 July 31, frames. Major Topic: Courtship. Principal Correspondents: Francis Henshaw Dewey II; Lizzie Davis Bliss Folder 3: Family Correspondence, July 3, 1880 March 23, frames. Principal Correspondents: Francis Henshaw Dewey I; Lizzie Bliss Dewey; Sarah Barker Tufts Dewey Folder 4: Family Correspondence, December 25, 1890 September frames. Principal Correspondents: Sarah Barker Tufts Dewey; Francis Henshaw Dewey III Folder 5: Family Correspondence, June 1, 1891 March 19, frames. Principal Correspondents: Elizabeth Bliss Dewey; Francis Henshaw Dewey III; Lizzie Bliss Dewey; John Clarke Dewey; William H. Bliss Folder 6: Family Correspondence, March 21 April 18, frames. Principal Correspondents: John Clarke Dewey; Lizzie Bliss Dewey; George Tufts Dewey; William H. Bliss Folder 7: Family Correspondence, April 19 September 24, frames. Principal Correspondents: John Clarke Dewey; Elizabeth Bliss Dewey Folder 8: Family Correspondence, Undated. 24 frames. Principal Correspondents: Elizabeth Bliss Dewey; Lizzie Bliss Dewey; Sarah Barker Tufts Dewey Folder 9: Family Correspondence, May 28, 1901 July 1, frames. Principal Correspondents: Theodore Bliss; Francis Henshaw Dewey III. 7