Minot-Rackemann Family Papers

1824-1952

Guide to the Collection

Table of Contents

Collection Summary

Biographical Sketches

Sources

Collection Description

Related Materials

Arrangement

Acquisition Information

Organization of the Collection

Detailed Description of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Access Terms

Photographs Removed from the Collection

Collection Summary

Creator:	Minot-Rackemann family
Title:	Minot-Rackemann family papers
Dates:	1824-1952
Physical Description:	4 document boxes
Call Number:	Ms. N-380
Repository:	Massachusetts Historical Society 1154 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02215 library@masshist.org

Abstract:

The collection consists of correspondence, receipts, and ephemera related to members of the Minot, Rackemann, Wigglesworth and Sedgwick families, 1824-1952.

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Biographical Sketches

Individuals most heavily represented in the collection:

Louisa Davis Minot (1788-1858)

Louisa was born on 10 May 1788 to Daniel Davis and Lois Freeman. She married William Minot in 1810 and together they had five children: Mary, George Richards, William, Francis and Julia. For thirty years, she was president of the Bethesda Society and of the Franklin Infant School. In addition, she wrote in periodicals, painted, and taught drawing in public schools. She died on 21 January 1858.

William Minot II (1817-1894)

William was born on 7 April 1817 to William Minot and Louisa Davis. He married Katharine Maria Sedgwick, daughter of Charles Sedgwick and Elizabeth Buckminster Dwight, in 1842 and together they had seven children: Jane Sedgwick, Alice, William, Charles Sedgwick, Robert Sedgwick, Henry and Laurence. He died on 26 February 1894.

Francis Minot (1821-1899)

Francis was born on 12 April 1821 to William Minot and Louisa Davis. He graduated from Harvard University in 1841 and attended medical school on Mason Street, Boston. In 1859 he was elected visiting physician to the Massachusetts General Hospital, and later became consulting physician. Francis married Sarah Parkman Blake on 16 February 1861 and together they had one child, Julia, born 1 December 1863. He remained a consulting physician until his death on 11 May 1899.

Sarah Parkman Blake Minot (1833-1869)

Sarah was born on 19 June 1833 to Samuel Parkman Blake and Anne Boylston (Cunningham) Blake of Roxbury. She married Francis Minot on 16 February 1861 and had one daughter Julia. She died on 10 February 1869.

Julia Minot (1823-1875)

Julia was born on 23 January 1823 to William and Louisa Davis Minot. For many years she was an invalid and died on 22 March 1875, unmarried.

Catharine Maria Sedgwick (1789-1867)

Catharine Maria was born on 28 December 1789 to Theodore Sedgwick and Pamela Dwight, in Stockbridge. She shared a close relationship with her brothers Theodore II, Henry Dwight, Robert and Charles. She eventually became one of America's most popular authors producing novels such as Redwood (1824) and Hope Leslie (1827). She remained unmarried until her death on 31 July 1867.

Elizabeth Dwight Sedgwick Rackemann (1826-1891)

Elizabeth was born on 15 July 1826, the third child of Charles Sedgwick and Elizabeth Buckminster Dwight. On 20 June 1855 she married Frederick William Rackemann, son of Daniel Rackemann and Philippine Florentine (Marianne) Rackemann of Bremen, Germany. They had six children between 1857 and 1868: Charles Sedgwick, Frederick William, Felix, Elizabeth Sedgwick, Louise Sedgwick and Wilfred Rackemann. Frederick Rackemann died 16 August 1884 and Elizabeth on 24 September 1891.

Fanny Pomeroy Rackemann (b.1856)

Fanny was born on 6 December 1856 to Theodore Sedgwick Pomeroy and Isabella Low. She married Charles Sedgwick Rackemann, however her marriage and death date are unknown.

Charles Sedgwick Rackemann (1857-1933)

Charles was born on 21 June 1857 to Frederick William Rackemann and Elizabeth D. S. Rackemann. He became an prominent attorney in Boston, becoming senior member of the firm, Rackemann, Sawyer and Brewster. On 27 June 1900 he married Fanny Pomeroy, who was his third cousin. He died on 29 March 1933 and left no children.

Felix Rackemann (1861-1934)

Felix was born on 17 June 1861 in Lenox to Frederick William Rackemann of Bremen, Germany and Elizabeth Dwight Sedgwick Rackemann. He studied in the office of Francis V. Balch, entered Harvard Law School on 28 September 1882, left in 1883 and completed his studies in the office of Isham and Lincoln, Chicago. He was admitted to the Bar of Illinois in 1885 and the Massachusetts Bar in 1886. On 19 May 1886, he married Julia Minot, daughter of Francis Minot and Sarah Parkman Blake. They built a large house at 1065 Brush Hill Road, Milton where they raised their children: Francis, Elizabeth Sedgwick and Sarah Parkman. He began in Boston as a member of the firm Balch and Rackemann, later Dunbar, Rackemann and Brewster and then Dunbar and Rackemann. He also practiced in the United States District Court and the U. S. Supreme Court.

Elizabeth Sedgwick Rackemann I (1863-1924)

Elizabeth was born on 25 July 1863 to Frederick W Rackemann and Elizabeth D. Sedgwick. She died unmarried on 7 January 1924.

Julia Minot Rackemann (1863-1945)

Julia was the only child of Francis Minot and Sarah Parkman Blake, born on 1 December 1863. She married Felix Rackemann on 19 May 1886 and they had three children: Francis Minot, Elizabeth Sedgwick and Sarah Parkman. She died in Milton, Massachusetts in 19 April 1945.

Edward Wigglesworth (1885-1945)

Edward was born on 3 November 1885 to Edward Wigglesworth and Sarah Frothingham Johonnot. He graduated from Harvard University in 1908 and on 15 June 1914 married Sarah Parkman Minot. They had six children (see Sarah Parkman Rackemann Wigglesworth).

Francis Minot Rackemann (1887-1973)

Francis was born on 4 June 1887 to Felix Rackemann and Julia Minot Rackemann in Milton Massachusetts. He earned his undergraduate degree in 1909 and his medical degree in 1912 from Harvard, eventually becoming a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital. On 28 April 1917, he married Dorothy Mandell, daughter of William Dutton Mandell and Carrie Braman Mandell, both of Boston. He died in March 1973.

Elizabeth Sedgwick Rackemann II (1890-1897)

Elizabeth was born on 30 March 1890 to Felix Rackemann and Julia Minot Rackemann. She died in Milton, Massachusetts on 9 November 1897.

Sarah Parkman Rackemann Wigglesworth (b. 1892)

Sarah Parkman (known as Sally) was born on 7 July 1892 to Felix Rackemann and Julia Minot Rackemann. She married Edward Wigglesworth on 15 June 1914 and had 6 children, Edward, Thomas, Mary, Jane, Sally and Anne. In the winter they lived at 7 Chestnut Street, Boston and in the summer they occupied a large farm at Topsfield, Massachusetts.

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Sources

Minot, James Jackson. Ancestors and Descendants of George Richards Minot 1758-1802. [S.l.: s.n.], 1936.

Minot, James Jackson. The Minot Family: Record of Births, Marriages and Deaths 1754-1934.Copied from Family Bibles, 1934.

The Sedgwick Family Website: http://www.sedgwick.org

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Collection Description

The bulk of the collection consists of multi-generational family papers related to members of the Minot, Rackemann, Wigglesworth and Sedgwick families. The correspondence between family members consists primarily of exchanges of news and information about current events as well as reminiscences about the past. The collection is divided into five series: Correspondence to Catharine Maria Sedgwick, Minot family correspondence, Rackemann family papers, Wigglesworth family receipts and correspondence, and Ephemera. The papers provide contextual information regarding Catharine Maria Sedgwick in a series of letters to Catharine from lifelong friend Louisa Davis, in addition to references to her by other family members. The Minot family correspondence consists of letters between William Minot and his wife Louisa Davis, their children Mary, Francis and Julia and their grandchild Julia, many written during the family's extensive European travel. The Rackemann family correspondence is dominated by writings to Felix Rackemann and his courtship with Julia Minot. The Wigglesworth family papers consist primarily of household receipts and a few family letters. The Ephemera consists of playbills, obituaries and a school report.

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Related Materials

The Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS) holds the following collections related to the Minot-Rackemann family papers:

Minot-Rackemann family photographs, ca. 1866-1930. Photo. Coll. 136.

The Massachusetts Historical Society holds numerous collections of Minot and Sedgwick family papers, including those of Catharine Maria Sedgwick. See the collection descriptions in ABIGAIL and the finding aids to individual collections for more information.

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Arrangement

Julia Minot, daughter of Francis Minot and Sarah Parkman Blake married Felix Rackemann in 1886, resulting in her place in both the Minot and Rackemann series of correspondence. Correspondence written by Julia as a young, unmarried girl will be found in the Minot series. However, correspondence to or from Julia Minot with a Rackemann family member or after her marriage are filed in the Rackemann series.

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Acquisition Information

Gift of Mary W. McAdoo (Mrs Richard B.) of Cambridge, Mass., June 2003.

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Organization of the Collection

The collection is organized into the following series:


	I. Letters to Catharine Maria Sedgwick, 1824-1850
	II. Minot family correspondence, 1826-1886
	III. Rackemann family papers, 1874-1919
		A. Correspondence, 1875-1914
		B. Bound Volumes, 1904-1919
	IV. Wigglesworth family receipts and correspondence, 1880-1952
	V. Ephemera, 1831-1885

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Detailed Description of the Collection


Box	Folder	Volume	Contents
Box 1	Folder 1-7		I. Letters to Catharine Maria Sedgwick, 1824-1850 The papers mainly consist of letters from Louisa Davis Minot to her friend and author Catharine Maria Sedgwick. During her 50th birthday celebrations, Louisa recalled to Catharine that when she knew her at fourteen years old she had, "that foretelling face of what you were to be." The writings mainly reflect the events in Louisa's life, however they also touch upon Catharine's, including her trip to Europe in 1839, comparison of her books with others and the state of her health and anxiety in 1845. In addition to their initial friendship, their paths overlap further with the marriage of Louisa's son William to Catharine's niece, Katharine with whom Sedgwick shared a close relationship; Louisa remarked to Catharine in 1842 that William and Kate's engagement was "springing from our friendship."
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			II. Minot family correspondence, 1826-1886 The correspondence consists primarily of family news exchanged between immediate and extended family members, including a series of love letters between William Minot and Louisa Davis Minot (1820s) and between their son, Francis Minot and his wife Sarah Parkman Blake. There are also series of letters to Julia Minot from her mother Louisa in the 1840s, letters from Francis Minot to his parents and his sisters, Mary and Julia, while living in Paris, and a series of letters written from Sarah Parkman Blake to her mother in 1856-7 that had been sewn together. Although the letters were separated due to preservation concerns their order has been retained. The correspondence reflects the amount of family traveling, particularly in Europe and their efforts to meet one another during their travels. In particular, the collection of letters adds much contextual information regarding the author, Catharine Sedgwick Minot, and her writing. Her activities are often discussed, as is the reaction to her presence and the amount of influence she had acquired. In September 1827, William Minot wrote to his wife Louisa about how good it was to be connected to the Sedgwick family and their celebrity. In August 1829 Louisa wrote that William was trusted to take Catharine's manuscript to New York with him. (NB. It is important to differentiate between Julia Minot, daughter of William Minot and Louisa Davis Minot, and her niece, Julia Minot (daughter of Francis Minot and Sarah Parkman Blake), who later married Felix Rackemann.) For letters from Louisa Davis Minot to Catharine Maria Sedgwick, see Series I.
Box 1	Folder 8-24			Correspondence, 1825-1845
Box 2	Folder 1-17			Correspondence, 1846-1886
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			III. Rackemann family papers, 1874-1919 A large part of the collection consists of letters from Elizabeth D. S. Rackemann to her son Felix while he studied at Cornell University in the early 1880s, as well as letters to Felix from other family members during the same period. In 1882 Felix wrote to Francis Minot revealing his intentions toward Minot's daughter, Julia. In his reply to the letter (February 1882), Francis expressed his wish that a courtship should not proceed until Felix had plans to marry his daughter. The correspondence continued until Francis sent a letter to Felix over two years later demanding to know if he intended to court Julia. Felix replied immediately that he was not ready to commit to Julia. The collection contains a letter written a few months later, in January 1885, when Julia's grandfather congratulated Felix on his engagement to Julia, they married the following year. There are very few letters between Julia Minot and Felix Rackemann in the collection. In addition there are two journals written by various members of the Rackemann family from 1904 to 1919. The writings suggest that Julia Minot Rackemann may have written a large proportion of the volumes.
Box 3				A. Correspondence, 1875-1914
				B. Bound Volumes, 1904-1914
		Volume I			"The Persians" Journal,1904-1910 (written by Rackemann family)
		Volume II			" The Persians" Journal, 1911-1919 (written by Rackemann family)
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			IV. Wigglesworth family receipts and correspondence, 1880-1952 There is a small collection of letters written to Edward Wiggleworth, Jr. from his mother and to Sarah Parkman Rackemann Wigglesworth from various correspondents, 1914 to 1936, however the majority of papers in this series are receipts for service or purchased household items from 1880 to 1952.
Box 4	Folder 1			Correspondence, 1914-1936
Box 4	Folder 2-13			Receipts, 1880-1952
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Box 4	Folder 14-17		V. Ephemera, 1831-1885 This series includes theatre playbills of various productions some involving the Minots from 1845 to 1854, detailed printed obituaries of Louisa Davis Minot, 1858, a discourse given at the funeral of Sarah Blake in 1847, Sarah Parkman Blake's 1847 school report. Empty envelopes mainly addressed to Felix Rackemann have also been kept with this series.

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Preferred Citation

Minot-Rackemann family papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.

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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:
		Minot, Francis, 1821-1899.
		Minot, Julia, 1823-1875.
		Minot, Louisa Davis, 1788-1858.
		Minot, Mary, b. 1811.
		Minot, Sarah Parkman Blake, 1833-1869.
		Minot, William, 1783-1873.
		Minot family.
		Rackemann, Elizabeth Dwight Sedgwick, 1826-1891
		Rackemann, Felix, 1861-1934.
		Rackemann, Julia Minot, 1863-1945.
		Rackemann family.
		Sedgwick, Catharine Maria, 1789-1867.
		Wigglesworth, Edward, b. 1885.
		Wigglesworth, Sarah Parkman Rackemann, b. 1892.
		Wigglesworth family.


	Organizations:
		Cornell University.


	Subjects:
		Family history--1800-1849.
		Family history--1850-1899.
		Family history--1900-1949.
		Love-letters.
		Paris (France)--Description and travel.

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Photographs Removed from the Collection

Photographs from this collection have been removed to the Minot-Rackemann family photographs, ca. 1866-1930. Photo. Coll. 136.

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http://www.masshist.org/findingaids/doc.cfm?fa=fa0027
Send reference questions to library@masshist.org.

Collection processed by Naomi McAinsh, June 2003.
Revised 14 Jan. 2005
Encoded by Kathleen J. Barker, Sept. 2003