1827-1969; bulk: 1827-1953
Guide to the Collection
The Edith Emerson and William Hathaway Forbes papers and additions (except
one volume) are stored offsite and must be requested at least one business day
in advance. Contact the Library at
library@masshist.org or (617) 536-1608 to request
materials. Please discuss your request with the reading room staff before
requesting cartons by barcode.
There are restrictions on the use of this collection. Users must sign an
agreement stating that they understand these restrictions before they will be
given access to the collection.
|
|
| Creator: | Forbes, Edith Emerson,
1841-1929 |
| Title: | Edith
Emerson Forbes and William Hathaway Forbes papers and additions |
| Dates: | 1827-1969 |
| Bulk Dates: | 1827-1953 |
| Physical Description: | 32 record
cartons and 10 document boxes (stored offsite) and 1 volume (stored
onsite) |
| Call Number: | OFFSITE STORAGE |
| Call Number: | Ms. N-2306 (Waldo E. Forbes letterbook only) |
| Repository: | Massachusetts Historical Society
1154 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02215
library@masshist.org |
|
Abstract:
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This collection consists of the family papers of
Edith (Emerson) and William Hathaway Forbes, who married in 1865. The
collection contains Emerson family correspondence, Forbes family papers
(including correspondence, financial papers, special collections, diaries and
other volumes, and miscellaneous papers), William Hathaway Forbes
correspondence and letterbooks, Ellen (Forbes) and Waldo Emerson Forbes
correspondence, and miscellaneous papers. The bulk of the collection consists
of correspondence of the various families, and in particular of Edith (Emerson)
Forbes with family members and friends.
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|
Emerson Family
William Emerson (1769-1811) married Ruth Haskins (1768-1853) in 1796. Among
their children were: William Emerson (1801-1868), a lawyer and judge in New
York City, living on Staten Island, who married Susan Woodward Haven
(1807-1868) in 1833; and Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), who married 1st Ellen
Louisa Tucker (d. 1831) in 1829, and 2nd Lidian Jackson (1802-1892) in
1835.
The children of William Emerson and Susan Woodward (Haven) Emerson were:
William Emerson (1835-1864), who married Sarah Hopper Gibbons in 1863; John
Haven Emerson (b. 1840), who married Susan Tompkins in 1868; and Charles
Emerson (b. 1841), who married Theresia Keveschi ("Tercsi") in 1871.
The children of John Haven Emerson and Susan Tompkins Emerson were Ruth
Emerson (b. 1870), William Emerson (b. 1873), Haven Emerson (b. 1874), and the
triplets Helena Titus Emerson, Elizabeth Hoar Emerson, and Julia Titus Emerson
(b. 1877).
The children of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Lidian (Jackson) Emerson were:
Waldo Emerson (1836-1842), Ellen Tucker Emerson (1839-1909), Edith Emerson
(1841-1929), and Edward Waldo Emerson (1844-1930). Ellen Tucker Emerson did not
marry and lived in Concord throughout her life. She was devoted to family,
community, and religion, and helped her father in various ways as a companion
and assistant. Edward Waldo Emerson attended Harvard College from 1861 to 1866.
After graduating from Harvard Medical School in 1874, he became a doctor and
practiced medicine in Concord until 1882. He married Annie Shepard Keyes
(1847-1928) in 1874. After Ralph Waldo Emerson's death in 1882, Edward turned
to painting, writing, and editing his father's works. Edward Waldo Emerson and
Annie Shepard (Keyes) Emerson had seven children, four of whom survived: Ellen
Tucker Emerson (1880-1921), who married Charles Davenport in 1920; Florence
Emerson (b. 1882); William Forbes Emerson (b. 1884); and Raymond Emerson
(1886-1977), who lived in Concord, married Amelia Forbes in 1913, and became a
civil engineer and later an investment manager.
On 3 Oct. 1865, Edith Emerson married William Hathaway Forbes, the son of
John Murray Forbes and Sarah Swain (Hathaway) Forbes. See under Forbes family
biographical information.
Forbes Family
John Murray Forbes (1813-1898) married Sarah Swain Hathaway (1813-1900) in
1834. Their children were: Ellen Randolph Forbes (1838-1860), Alice Hathaway
Forbes (1838-1917), William Hathaway Forbes (1840-1897), Mary Hathaway Forbes
(1844-1916), John Malcolm Forbes (1847-1904), and Sarah Forbes (1853-1917).
Alice H. Forbes married Edward Montague Cary (1828-1888) in 1875 and had no
children. Mary H. Forbes married Henry Sturgis Russell (1838-1905) in 1863 and
had six children. Sarah Forbes married William Hastings Hughes (1833-1909) in
1887 and had two children. J. Malcolm Forbes married Sarah Coffin Jones
(1852-1891) in 1873 and had seven children, including Ellen Forbes (1886-1954),
who married her first cousin Waldo Emerson Forbes. After the death of Sarah C.
(Jones) Forbes, J. Malcolm Forbes married Rose Dabney (1864-1947) in 1892 and
had three children with her.
William Hathaway Forbes entered Harvard in 1857, but was expelled in 1860,
and then was employed at the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad,
1860-1861. He served in the First Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer
Cavalry as second lieutenant and first lieutenant, Dec. 1861-Jan. 1863, and in
the Second Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry as captain, major,
and lieutenant colonel, 14 Jan. 1863-15 May 1865. He was a Union prisoner at
Charleston and Columbia, S.C., 6 July-Dec. 1864, and was discharged from the
Second Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry on 15 May 1865. He
entered his father's firm of J.M. Forbes & Co. in July 1865 and married
Edith Emerson on October 3 of that year. In 1871, he received the degree of
A.B. from Harvard and built his summer house on Naushon Island (Buzzard's Bay,
Mass.). In March 1879, William Hathaway Forbes was named president of the
American Bell Telephone Company. For more information, see Arthur S. Pier,
Forbes: Telephone Pioneer (New York: Dodd, Mead,
1953).
On 3 Oct. 1865, William Hathaway Forbes married Edith Emerson (1841-1929),
the daughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Their children were: Ralph Emerson Forbes
(1866-1937), Edith Forbes (1867-1926, "Violet"), William Cameron Forbes
(1870-1959, "Cam"), John Murray Forbes (1871-1888, "Don"), Edward Waldo Forbes
(1873-1969), Waldo Emerson Forbes (1879-1917), Ellen Randolph Forbes
(1880-1881, "Rosebud"), and Alexander Forbes (1882-1965).
Ralph Emerson Forbes married Elise Cabot (1869-1959) in 1901. Their
children were: William Hathaway Forbes (b. 1902), Ruth Forbes (b. 1903),
Margaret Forbes (b. 1905, "Marnie"), David Cabot Forbes (b. 1908), and Pauline
Forbes (b. 1911).
Edith Forbes married Kenneth Grant Tremayne Webster (1871-1942) in 1903.
Their children were: Edith Emerson Webster (1909-1986) and Frederic Augustus
Webster (b. 1912).
William Cameron Forbes worked as a partner in his grandfather's firm, J.M.
Forbes & Co., after 1899 and was appointed by President Roosevelt in 1904
to the Philippine Commission, where he held several administrative posts and
then served as governor-general of the islands, 1909-1913. He also served as
the ambassador to Japan in 1931-1932 and led an economic mission to East Asia
in 1935.
Waldo Emerson Forbes married his first cousin Ellen Forbes (1886-1954) in
1910. Their children were: Stephen Hathaway Forbes (b. 1910), Waldo Emerson
Forbes (1912-1955), and Amelia Forbes (b. 1915).
Emerson, Benjamin Kendall. The Ipswich Emersons
A.D. 1636-1900. Boston: David Clapp & Son, 1900.
Genealogical Index of the John Murray Forbes
Family 1740-1988, a typescript photocopied genealogy in the collections
of the MHS.
Pier, Arthur S. Forbes: Telephone
Pioneer. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1953.
Concord Free Public Library, guides to various collections.
This collection is composed of the family papers of Edith (Emerson) Forbes,
the daughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson, and her husband William Hathaway Forbes,
the son of John Murray Forbes, of Milton, Mass. The collection contains Emerson
family correspondence, 1827-1939, and includes letters of the wife and
descendants of William Emerson (1769-1811). The main body of the collection
consists of Forbes family correspondence and miscellaneous papers, papers
concerning Naushon Island, household financial papers, Forbes family diaries
and other volumes, private business correspondence of William Hathaway Forbes,
and family papers and correspondence of Ellen (Forbes) Forbes and Waldo Emerson
Forbes. Much of the correspondence is that of Edith (Emerson) Forbes with
numerous family members--her children and her sister Ellen Tucker Emerson, in
particular--and with many friends and acquaintances over the years, to 1927.
There are also a number of diaries kept by Edith from 1861 to 1924, and they
include detailed travel journals for voyages around the world in 1906-1907 and
1910-1911, when she traveled to the Philippines to visit her son William
Cameron Forbes.
The additions (1827-1969) include family correspondence and papers of the
Emerson family of Concord, Mass., including a series of letters written by
Edith Davidson to Ellen Tucker Emerson, as well as family correspondence and
miscellaneous papers of the Forbes family of Milton, Mass., mainly John Murray
Forbes and Sarah Swain (Hathaway) Forbes and their descendants. This series
includes Civil War correspondence of William H. Forbes of the 2nd Massachusetts
Cavalry with friends and family members, and several files of material
concerning his expulsion from Harvard and trial for assault in 1860. Other
series consist of separate business and personal papers of William H. Forbes,
including some papers relating to his work with American Bell Telephone Co.;
correspondence and papers of Ellen (Forbes) Forbes and Waldo E. Forbes;
correspondence files for the J. Malcolm Forbes family and the Mary (Forbes)
Russell family; bound volumes of papers related to Forbes family members,
including a 1909 diary of Edith (Forbes) Webster, a poetry volume of William H.
Forbes, and funeral books and an address book of Edith (Emerson) Forbes; and a
letterbook (1909-1915) of Waldo E. Forbes. There is also one carton of
transcribed correspondence of Edward Waldo Forbes with friends and family
members. The location of the originals is unknown.
The Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS) holds the following collections
related to the Edith Emerson and William Hathaway Forbes papers and
additions:
Elise Cabot Forbes papers, 1875-1960. OFFSITE STORAGE. Finding aid
available at:
http://www.masshist.org/findingaids/doc.cfm?fa=fa0107.
Ralph E. and Elise C. Forbes personal financial records, 1896-1952. OFFSITE
STORAGE. Finding aid available at:
http://www.masshist.org/findingaids/doc.cfm?fa=fa0109.
W. Cameron Forbes journals [typescript], 1904-1946. Ms. N-1231.
John Murray Forbes papers. OFFSITE STORAGE. Ms. N-500 (XT volumes only).
Finding aid available at:
http://www.masshist.org/findingaids/doc.cfm?fa=fa0228.
The Edith Emerson Forbes and William Hathaway Forbes papers and additions
are comprised of two sub-collections: the original "papers" in four series and the "additions" in six series. The arrangement of the
"additions" reflects the original collection, with the addition of Series I and
VI. The "papers" are stored in 31 record cartons, and the "additions" are
stored in 10 document boxes and one carton at the end of the collection. The
cartons are numbered 1-32, and the document boxes are numbered 1-10. The
"additions" include a letterbook volume (not numbered) stored onsite at Ms.
N-2306.
Deposited by the J. M. Forbes Family Archives Committee, Apr. 2003, Aug.
2003; Jan. 2004; merged with the William Hathaway Forbes papers, placed on
deposit, 1995. Additions deposited by the J. M. Forbes Family Archives
Committee, 2004, 2008, 2009.
The Edith Emerson and William Hathaway Forbes papers and additions (except
one volume) are stored offsite and must be requested at least one business day
in advance. Contact the Library at
library@masshist.org or (617) 536-1608 to request
materials. Please discuss your request with the reading room staff before
requesting cartons by barcode.
There are restrictions on the use of this collection. Users must sign an
agreement stating that they understand these restrictions before they will be
given access to the collection.
The Massachusetts Historical Society does not claim
ownership to the Edith Emerson and William Hathaway Forbes papers and
additions, which have been placed on deposit at the Historical Society by the
J. M. Forbes Archives Committee. The collection contains the private
papers of a large extended family that retains copyright of the documents. Some
materials in the collection refer to people still alive, or survived by
children and grandchildren. A researcher planning to base major research on
this collection is advised to consult the J. M. Forbes Family Archives
Committee in advance.
The Massachusetts Historical Society cannot give permission to publish or
cite documents by individuals for whom it does not hold literary rights. Use of
the collection (including photocopying or any form of reproduction)
does not imply permission to publish, all or in
part, documents in the collection. It is the sole
responsibility of the researcher to contact the Historical Society in writing
to request permission to cite documents in this collection. The Historical
Society will then forward the formal written request to the J. M. Forbes
Archives Committee.
Photocopies are for personal use only. Personal
use photocopies may not be donated or deposited in
other libraries or archives, or made available to other researchers without the
written permission of the J. M. Forbes Archives Committee.
The collection is organized into the following series:
| | | |
| Edith Emerson Forbes and
William Hathaway Forbes Papers |
| | I. Emerson family correspondence, 1827-1939 |
| | II. Forbes family papers, 1828-ca. 1964 |
| | | A. Family correspondence, 1833-1932 |
| | | B. Special correspondence and papers, 1842-1937 |
| | | C. Financial papers, 1860-1923 |
| | | D. Miscellaneous papers, 1831-ca. 1964 |
| | | E. Diaries and other volumes, 1828-1932 |
| | III. William Hathaway Forbes papers, 1857-1894 |
| | | A. General correspondence, 1857-1894 |
| | | B. Letterbooks, 1865-1878 |
| | IV. Ellen Forbes and Waldo Emerson Forbes papers, 1886-1953 |
| | | A. Correspondence, 1886-1953 |
| | | B. Miscellaneous papers, 1915-ca. 1945 |
| Edith Emerson Forbes and
William Hathaway Forbes Additions |
| | I. Emerson family papers, 1846-1878 |
| | | A. Correspondence, 1846-1878 |
| | | B. Miscellaneous papers, undated |
| | II. Forbes family papers, 1827-1952 |
| | | A. Correspondence, 1827-1952 |
| | | B. Special papers (Naushon), 1857-[189-] |
| | | C. Miscellaneous papers, 1872-1947 |
| | | D. Volumes, 1856-1917 |
| | III. William Hathaway Forbes papers, 1881-1897 |
| | IV. Ellen (Forbes) Forbes and Waldo Emerson Forbes papers,
1909-1954 |
| | | A. Correspondence, 1909-1954 |
| | | B. Miscellaneous papers, 1917-1930 |
| | V. Other Forbes family papers, 1856-1899 |
| | | A. J. Malcolm Forbes family correspondence, 1856-1899 |
| | | B. Mary (Forbes) Russell family correspondence, 1863-1896 |
| | VI. Typed transcriptions of Edward Waldo Forbes correspondence,
1860-1969 |
NOTE: This collection is divided into two parts. This
first section is the Edith Emerson Forbes and William Hathaway Forbes papers.
The second section, the Edith Emerson Forbes and William Hathaway Forbes
additions, is described
below. There is significant overlap between the
two parts of this collection, and information on various individuals and
subjects may be found in both places.
| | | | | | | |
| Carton | Barcode | Contents |
| | I. Emerson family correspondence,
1827-1939
Arranged chronologically. Correspondence among Emerson family members of Concord, Mass. and New York.
Undated letters are filed alphabetically by author at the beginning of the
series. There are letters, 1827-1847, of Ruth Haskins Emerson in Concord to her
son William in New York City, with a few letters to Ralph Waldo Emerson and
Lidian (Jackson) Emerson. (Please note that there are other letters to Ralph
Waldo Emerson in Series II.) From 1849, the bulk of the series consists of
family correspondence of Edith, Ellen, Edward, and Lidian Emerson. There are
also letters written by various friends to Ellen Tucker Emerson and letters
from other Emerson relatives to Ellen Tucker Emerson, Edward Waldo Emerson, and
Edith Emerson (later Edith Emerson Forbes). Edith Emerson's correspondence with
friends and family through 1864 is included in this series. There are letters
written by Una Hawthorne to Edith in this series and also in Series II.A. Edith
(Emerson) Forbes's correspondence with friends and Forbes family members
beginning with her marriage in 1865 is located in the Forbes family
correspondence series (II.A). All correspondence with
Emerson family members is filed in the Emerson family correspondence
series. This series includes many letters written by Edith (Emerson)
Forbes to her sister Ellen Tucker Emerson, which constitute a record of Edith's
married life and various activities, including extensive travel in Europe and
the Far East. However, there are few letters written by Ellen to Edith in
return. There are a number of letters from Ellen T. Emerson 2nd (daughter of
Edward Waldo Emerson) to Edith, until Ellen's untimely death in 1921. There are
also a number of letters written in the 1900s by the children of John Haven
Emerson.
|
| Carton 1 | SH 17PJ B | | 1827-1866 |
| Carton 2 | SH 17PK C | | 1867-1882 |
| Carton 3 | SH 17PL D | | 1883-1893 |
| Carton 4 | SH 17PM E | | 1894-1903 |
| Carton 5 | SH 17PN F | | 1904-1939 |
|
|
| | | | | | | | |
| Carton | Barcode | Folder | Contents |
| | | II. Forbes family papers,
1828-ca. 1964 |
| | | | A. Family correspondence,
1833-1932
Arranged chronologically. Correspondence among the members of the John Murray Forbes family of
Milton, Mass. Undated letters are arranged alphabetically by author at the
beginning of the series. The series consists primarily of correspondence among
Edith (Emerson) Forbes, William Hathaway Forbes, and their children, as well as
John Murray Forbes, Sarah Swain (Hathaway) Forbes, and their daughters. This
series includes the correspondence of Edith (Emerson) Forbes, beginning in
1865, with Forbes family members, William Hathaway Forbes, her children, and
numerous friends and acquaintances. There are letters written to Edith by her
childhood friend Una Hawthorne in this series, as well as in Series I. There
are many notes and letters on the engagement (Mar. 1865) and marriage (Oct.
1865) of Edith and William Hathaway Forbes.
There are a significant number of letters written by William Hathaway
Forbes to his sister Alice Forbes during the Civil War, when he served with the
First Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry and the Second Regiment
of the Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry. The letters are written from various
points in South Carolina (Jan.-July 1862); Hilton Head (Aug. 1862);
Fredericksburg (Sep. 1862); Sharpsburg (Oct. 1862); Snickers Gap, Virginia
(Nov. 1862); Readville, Mass. (Dec. 1862); camps around Washington, D.C.
(May-June 1863); Centreville (July-Sep. 1863); Vienna (Oct. 1863-May 1864);
Falls Church (June 1864); and as a prisoner-of-war in Charleston (Sep. 1864).
One letter of 30 July 1863 discusses the death of Robert Gould Shaw. A letter
written in Feb. 1864 describes the ambush of part of his regiment near
Dranesville.
Edith (Emerson) Forbes was a prolific letter-writer, and this series is
particularly strong in correspondence between her and her children,
particularly after the death of William Hathaway Forbes in 1897. Correspondence
of Edith (Emerson) Forbes, William Hathaway Forbes, and their children with
Emerson family members is located in the Emerson family correspondence series
(I). Business and general correspondence of William Hathaway Forbes is located
in the William Hathaway Forbes papers series (III). Edith (Emerson) Forbes's
correspondence before 1865 is located in Series I.
|
| Carton 6 | SH 17PQ I | | | | 1833-1862 |
| Carton 7 | SH 17PR J | | | | 1863-1873 |
| Carton 8 | SH 17PS K | | | | 1874-Aug. 1882 |
| Carton 9 | SH 17PT L | | | | Sep. 1882-Mar. 1890 |
| Carton 10 | SH 17PU M | | | | Apr. 1890-1896 |
| Carton 11 | SH 17PV N | | | | 1897-Apr. 1901 |
| Carton 12 | SH 17PW O | | | | May 1901-Apr. 1905 |
| Carton 13 | SH 17PX P | | | | May 1905-Mar. 1909 |
| Carton 14 | SH 17PY Q | | | | Apr. 1909-1911 |
| Carton 15 | SH 17PZ R | | | | 1912-Aug. 1914 |
| Carton 16 | SH 17Q1 . | | | | Sep. 1914-1917 |
| Carton 17 | SH 17Q2 | | | | 1918-1920 |
| Carton 18 | SH 17Q3 $ | | | | 1921-1932 |
| | | | B. Special correspondence and papers,
1842-1937
Arranged by subject This series contains discrete sets of correspondence and papers that were
separated from the remainder of the collection prior to their transfer to the
Massachusetts Historical Society: Naushon papers, the Edith (Emerson) Forbes
autograph collection, letters regarding the Hawthorne graves, letters regarding
the J. Haskins tomb, letters written to Ralph Waldo Emerson by Edith (Emerson)
Forbes and others, and Forbes family typescripts.
|
| Carton 19 | SH 17PP H | Folder 1-21 | | | i. Naushon papers,
1842-1888
This section consists of correspondence and other miscellaneous papers
relating to the purchase of Naushon Island, buildings, maintenance, farming,
etc., 1842-1888; charades and riddles used at Naushon; poetry about Naushon;
and Peabody family writings and correspondence regarding Naushon,
1850-1866.
|
| Carton 19 | SH 17PP H | Folder 22-52 | | | ii. Autograph collection,
1872-1925
This section consists of letters written to Edith Emerson Forbes which were
separated out prior to their transfer to the MHS. The authors in this autograph
collection who wrote more than two notes or letters are William Allingham,
Helen Allingham, Lady Ashburton, Alexander Ireland, F. Maxfield Parrish, Anne
Thackeray Ritchie, John Tyndall, Sir Francis Younghusband, and Lady Helen
Augusta Younghusband. This section includes photocopies of all autograph
letters.
|
| | | | | iii. Special correspondence,
1867-1921
This consists of letters written to Ralph Waldo Emerson, [1867]-1876, by
Edith (Emerson) Forbes, William Hathaway Forbes, Sarah Swain (Hathaway) Forbes,
and John Murray Forbes; letters to Edith (Emerson) Forbes regarding the
Hawthorne graves, 1902-1921; and letters to Edith Emerson Forbes regarding the
J. Haskins tomb, 1903-1905.
|
| Carton 19 | SH 17PP H | Folder 53 | | | | Letters to Ralph Waldo Emerson,
[1867]-1876 |
| Carton 19 | SH 17PP H | Folder 54 | | | | Hawthorne graves,
1902-1921 |
| Carton 19 | SH 17PP H | Folder 55 | | | | J. Haskins tomb,
1903-1905 |
| Carton 19 | SH 17PP H | Folder 56-72 | | | iv. Forbes family typescripts,
1843-1937
These are typed transcriptions of Forbes family letters which are not a part
of this collection. The location of the originals is not known. The transcripts
include letters of John Murray Forbes, 1843 and 1859; William Hathaway Forbes
to Edward Waldo Forbes, 1888-1897; Edith (Emerson) Forbes to Edward Waldo
Forbes, 1878-1924; Ralph Emerson Forbes to Elise (Cabot) Forbes, 1885-1937; and
William Emerson Forbes to Edith (Emerson) Forbes, 1897-1911.
|
| | | | C. Financial papers,
1860-1923
Arranged chronologically These financial papers consist of household bills of Edith (Emerson) Forbes
and William Hathaway Forbes in Milton, Mass.; bills and receipts for foreign
purchases made by Edith (Emerson) Forbes while traveling abroad at various
times; and Edith (Emerson) Forbes's income accounts with J.M. Forbes & Co.
(1899-1913).
|
| Carton 20 | SH 17Q4 / | | | | 1860-June 1882 |
| Carton 21 | SH 17Q5 + | | | | July 1882-1892 |
| Carton 22 | SH 17Q6 % | | | | 1893-1918 |
| Carton 23 | SH 17Q7 0 | | | | 1919-1923 |
| | | | D. Miscellaneous papers,
1831-ca. 1964
Arranged by subject |
| Carton 23 | SH 17Q7 0 | Folder 1 | | | Edith (Emerson) Forbes address book, undated |
| Carton 23 | SH 17Q7 0 | Folder 2 | | | Edith (Emerson) Forbes invitation lists,
1913-1916 |
| Carton 23 | SH 17Q7 0 | Folder 3-6 | | | Edith (Emerson) Forbes inventories of Sheridan Ranch,
1899-1912 |
| Carton 23 | SH 17Q7 0 | Folder 7 | | | Edith (Emerson) Forbes inventories of yacht Merlin,
1910-1915 |
| Carton 23 | SH 17Q7 0 | Folder 8 | | | Miscellaneous inventories of furniture, books, etc.,
1905 |
| Carton 23 | SH 17Q7 0 | Folder 9 | | | William Hathaway Forbes memoranda, undated |
| Carton 23 | SH 17Q7 0 | Folder 10-11 | | | John Murray Forbes, Jr. school papers, writings, and miscellaneous
manuscripts,
1885-1888 |
| Carton 23 | SH 17Q7 0 | Folder 12 | | | Edith (Emerson) Forbes and William Hathaway Forbes travel ephemera,
1900-1906 |
| Carton 23 | SH 17Q7 0 | Folder 13-16 | | | Wills of J. Malcolm Forbes,
1904, Ralph Emerson Forbes,
1927, William Hathaway Forbes,
1897, and Emma Chambers Jones,
1917 |
| Carton 23 | SH 17Q7 0 | Folder 17 | | | Estate of Mrs. Francis Cunningham,
1904 |
| Carton 23 | SH 17Q7 0 | Folder 18-20 | | | Memorials of Ellen R. Forbes,
1860, J. Malcolm Forbes,
1904, Alice Forbes Cary,
1917, Mary Forbes Russell,
1917, and Sarah Forbes Hughes,
1917 |
| Carton 23 | SH 17Q7 0 | Folder 21 | | | Amelia Forbes Emerson, "Search for Point Repose," typescript,
ca. 1964 |
| Carton 23 | SH 17Q7 0 | Folder 22-23 | | | Miscellaneous manuscripts |
| Carton 23 | SH 17Q7 0 | Folder 24-27 | | | Miscellaneous printed matter,
1831-1952 |
| Carton 23 | SH 17Q7 0 | Folder 28-30 | | | Notes regarding the correspondence in the collection, written by
family members, undated |
| | | | E. Diaries and other volumes,
1828-1932
Arranged by author This series consists of diaries and other volumes created by various Forbes
family members. The bulk of the series consists of diaries of Edith (Emerson)
Forbes. There are small line-a-day and page-a-day diaries, as well as extensive
travel journals, written in the form of letters home to her children. There is
also one shared diary volume with her sister Ellen Tucker Emerson, written in
the hand of a third party (1846). Other family members represented in this
series are: Emma Perkins Forbes, William Hathaway Forbes, an unidentified
Forbes family member, Waldo Emerson Forbes, Edward Waldo Forbes, and William
Cameron Forbes.
|
| Carton 24 | SH 17Q8 1 | Folder 1 | | | Edith (Emerson) and Ellen Tucker Emerson diary,
1846 Written by another hand. Intermittent entries. Describes activities at
home.
|
| Carton 24 | SH 17Q8 1 | Folder 2-7 | | | Edith (Emerson) Forbes line-a-day diaries,
1861-1889 |
| Carton 24 | SH 17Q8 1 | Folder 8-18 | | | Edith (Emerson) Forbes page-a-day diaries,
1888-1894,
1896-1908 |
| Carton 25 | SH 17Q9 2 | Folder 1-8 | | | Edith (Emerson) Forbes page-a-day diaries,
1909-1922,
1924 |
| Carton 25 | SH 17Q9 2 | Folder 9-14 | | | Edith (Emerson) Forbes travel journal,
1906-1907 (letters) "Around the world," original journal letters written to her children, 2 Nov.
1906-23 Apr. 1907, describing her journey from San Francisco to Hawaii, Japan,
the Philippines (where she visited her son W. Cameron Forbes), other Asian
ports, through the Suez Canal to Egypt, on to Europe, and back to Boston.
|
| Carton 25 | SH 17Q9 2 | Folder 15-20 | | | Edith (Emerson) Forbes travel journal,
1906-1907 (typescript) Typescript of same. With photographs, postcards, and other ephemera glued
onto pages.
|
| Carton 25 | SH 17Q9 2 | Folder 21-26 | | | Edith (Emerson) Forbes travel journal,
1907 (duplicate) |
| Carton 26 | SH 17QA 3 | Folder 1-7 | | | Edith (Emerson) Forbes travel journal,
1910-1911 (letters) Original journal letters written home on voyage "Around the World 2nd Time."
|
| Carton 26 | SH 17QA 3 | Folder 8-14 | | | Edith (Emerson) Forbes travel journal,
1910-1911 (typescript) |
| Carton 26 | SH 17QA 3 | Folder 15-20 | | | Edith (Emerson) Forbes travel memorabilia |
| Carton 26 | SH 17QA 3 | Folder 21 | | | Edith (Emerson) Forbes scrapbook,
1860-1920 Includes photographs and other ephemera glued in.
|
| Carton 26 | SH 17QA 3 | Folder 22 | | | Emma Perkins Forbes commonplace-book,
1828-1834 Contains both religious and philosophical entries.
|
| Carton 26 | SH 17QA 3 | Folder 23 | | | Emma Perkins Forbes commonplace-book,
1835-1843 |
| Carton 26 | SH 17QA 3 | Folder 24 | | | William Hathaway Forbes poetry volume,
1850 |
| Carton 26 | SH 17QA 3 | Folder 25 | | | William Hathaway Forbes Civil War narrative,
1861,
1863-1864 Manuscript and typed copies of William Hathaway Forbes's narrative of his
Civil War experiences, 1861, 1863-1864, entitled "Account of the Rebellion of
1861 and his part in it, written for his children." Includes a description of
events leading up to the war, his enlistment in the First Regiment of the
Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry in 1861, his experiences in the Second Regiment
of the Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry in the autumn of 1863, and his
subsequent capture by rebel forces in July of 1864.
|
| Carton 26 | SH 17QA 3 | Folder 26 | | | William Hathaway Forbes operetta, "Marion Lee,"
1865 |
| Carton 26 | SH 17QA 3 | Folder 27 | | | Unidentified Forbes family member's diary,
1882,
1883,
1891 Kept while visiting in California, with some entries for 1883 and 1891,
including entries relating the illness and death of Sarah Coffin Jones Forbes
(1852-1891).
|
| Carton 26 | SH 17QA 3 | Folder 28 | | | Waldo Emerson Forbes and Edward Waldo Forbes travel diary,
Feb.-Apr. 1905 Trip to Greece and Italy.
|
| Carton 26 | SH 17QA 3 | Folder 29 | | | Waldo Emerson Forbes log of Mizbah,
various cruises,
2 July-8 Sep. 1907 Includes notes on birds, weather, etc., on Naushon and Naushawena, as well
as log entries for cruises.
|
| Carton 26 | SH 17QA 3 | Folder 30 | | | William Cameron Forbes American Embassy notebook,
1931-1932 Loose-leaf style notebook with memoranda on embassy domestic matters,
arranged alphabetically by topic.
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | |
| Carton | Barcode | Volume | Contents |
| | | III. William Hathaway Forbes papers,
1857-1894 |
| | | | A. General correspondence,
1857-1894
Arranged chronologically. This series contains "private letters" of William Hathaway Forbes,
concerned primarily with investments and other personal financial interests,
but not generated in his official business capacity. The series includes a
series of letters to Charles E. Perkins beginning in 1857, mostly concerning
various investments, and from 1877 and letters to numerous business
acquaintances. The bulk of the correspondence consists of letters concerning
railroad interests, Ralph Waldo Emerson's publications, household business
matters, western land speculation, yachting, and Naushon Island matters. There
are two 1864 letters written by prisoners-of-war to William Hathaway Forbes.
Researchers should note that there is little, if anything, here that bears upon
his professional work for the telephone company.
|
| Carton 27 | SH 17QB 4 | | | | 1857-1884 |
| Carton 28 | SH 17QC 5 | | | | 1885-1894 |
| | | | B. Letterbooks,
1865-1878
Arranged chronologically.Three volumes of letterpress copies of outgoing correspondence of William
Hathaway Forbes.
|
| Carton 28 | SH 17QC 5 | Vol. 1 | | | 1865-1873 |
| Carton 28 | SH 17QC 5 | Vol. 2 | | | 1874-1876 |
| Carton 28 | SH 17QC 5 | Vol. 3 | | | 1876-1878 |
|
|
| | | | | | | |
| Carton | Barcode | Contents |
| | IV. Ellen (Forbes) and Waldo Emerson Forbes papers,
1886-1953 |
| | | A. Correspondence,
1886-1953
Arranged chronologically.Correspondence of Ellen (Forbes) Forbes and Waldo Emerson Forbes with
friends, family, and one another. The undated material is arranged
alphabetically by author at the beginning of the series, followed by files for
unidentified writers to Ellen and to Waldo.
|
| Carton 29 | SH 17QD 6 | | | 1886-1912 |
| Carton 30 | SH 17QE 7 | | | 1913-July 1931 |
| Carton 31 | SH 17QF 8 | | | Aug. 1931-1953 |
| | | B. Miscellaneous papers,
1915-ca. 1945
Arranged topically |
| Carton 31 | SH 17QF 8 | | | Library list,
ca. 1945 |
| Carton 31 | SH 17QF 8 | | | Europe trip, memorabilia,
1923 |
| Carton 31 | SH 17QF 8 | | | "Rules for High Seas," a game |
| Carton 31 | SH 17QF 8 | | | Miscellaneous children's papers, undated |
| Carton 31 | SH 17QF 8 | | | The Magus (printed),
1915 |
| Carton 31 | SH 17QF 8 | | | Blank postcards |
NOTE: This collection is divided into two parts. This
second section is the Edith Emerson Forbes and William Hathaway Forbes
additions. The first section, the Edith Emerson Forbes and William Hathaway
Forbes papers, is described
above. There is significant overlap between the
two parts of this collection, and information on various individuals and
subjects may be found in both places.
| | | | | | | | |
| Box | Barcode | Folder | Contents |
| | | I. Emerson family papers,
1846-1878 |
| Box 1 | SH 183T 0 | Folder 1-22 | | A. Correspondence,
1846-1878
Letters written to Emerson family members, including Edith Emerson (before
her marriage), Lidian Jackson Emerson, Ellen Tucker Emerson, and Edward Waldo
Emerson, many written by Sarah Swain Hathaway Forbes. Also, a series of letters
(1873-1875) to Ellen Tucker Emerson from her friend Edith Davidson, with a few
items about Edith Davidson's death, 1877.
|
| Box 1 | SH 183T 0 | Folder 23 | | B. Miscellaneous papers, undated
Miscellaneous Emerson family papers, including some facsimiles of early
Emerson family items and some unidentified notes.
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | |
| Box | Barcode | Folder | Contents |
| | | II. Forbes family papers,
1827-1952 |
| | | | A. Correspondence,
1827-1952
Family correspondence of the Forbes family of Milton, Mass., primarily of
John Murray Forbes, his wife Sarah Swain (Hathaway) Forbes, and their
descendants, in particular their son William Hathaway Forbes, his wife Edith
(Emerson) Forbes, and their children. This series includes many letters written
by J. M. Forbes and S. S. H. Forbes to their children and grandchildren, as
well as letters exchanged by Forbes siblings. Letters of the 1860s include
family correspondence with William Hathaway Forbes while he served with the
Second Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry during the Civil War.
Several files of correspondence in 1860 concern William H. Forbes's expulsion
from Harvard and trial for assault on a night watchman in the campus chapel.
Later letters consist primarily of correspondence of W. H. Forbes and Edith E.
Forbes with their friends, their children, and their grandchildren.
|
| Box 2 | SH 183U 1 | | | | 1827-1857 |
| Box 3 | SH 183V 2 | | | | 1858-1860 |
| Box 4 | SH 183W 3 | | | | 1861-1867 |
| Box 5 | SH 183X 4 | | | | 1868-1884 |
| Box 6 | SH 183Y 5 | | | | 1885-1899 |
| Box 7 | SH 183Z 6 | Folder 1-15 | | | 1904-1952 |
| Box 7 | SH 183Z 6 | Folder 16 | | B. Special papers (Naushon),
1857-[189-]
A few miscellaneous papers pertaining to Naushon Island. Includes a poem
written by Josiah Quincy.
|
| | | | C. Miscellaneous papers,
1872-1947
This series includes undated writings of Walter S. Hughes, William Cameron
Forbes, and William Hathaway Forbes; programs; printed memorials of various
family members; miscellaneous printed matter; and ephemera.
|
| Box 7 | SH 183Z 6 | Folder 17-29 | | | Writings, programs, and printed memorials |
| Box 8 | SH 1841 G | Folder 1-11 | | | Printed matter and ephemera |
| | | | D. Volumes,
1856-1917
Includes a memorandum book, an address book, and funeral books of Edith
(Emerson) Forbes; a book of verses collected and/or written by William H.
Forbes; and a diary (1909) of Edith (Forbes) Webster.
|
| Box 8 | SH 1841 G | Folder 12-13 | | | Edith E. Forbes memorandum book,
1891-1912 |
| Box 8 | SH 1841 G | Folder 14-15 | | | Edith E. Forbes funeral book,
1860-1911 |
| Box 9 | SH 1842 H | Folder 1-2 | | | Edith E. Forbes funeral portfolio,
1872-1917 |
| Box 9 | SH 1842 H | Folder 3 | | | Edith E. Forbes address book, undated |
| Box 9 | SH 1842 H | Folder 4 | | | William H. Forbes poetry volume,
1856-1867 |
| Box 9 | SH 1842 H | Folder 5 | | | Edith F. Webster diary,
1909 |
|
|
| | | | | | | | |
| Box | Barcode | Folder | Contents |
| Box 9 | SH 1842 H | Folder 6-11 | III. William Hathaway Forbes papers,
1881-1897
Personal business papers, including correspondence and other items related
to personal business matters of William Hathaway Forbes, such as property
management, investments, yachting, and some items related to the American Bell
Telephone Company.
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | |
| Box | Barcode | Folder | Contents |
| | | IV. Ellen (Forbes) Forbes and Waldo Emerson Forbes papers,
1909-1954 |
| | | | A. Correspondence,
1909-1954
Correspondence of Ellen F. and Waldo E. Forbes and of their children with
William Cameron Forbes. This series includes a letterbook (1909-1915) of Waldo
E. Forbes (stored onsite), which contains copies of letters written by Forbes
on personal business matters such as memberships in clubs, the National
Association of Junior Republics, charities, investments, yachts, household
employees and property management, and Nashawena and Pasque Islands.
|
| Box 9 | SH 1842 H | Folder 12-17 | | | Correspondence,
1912-1954 |
| | | | | Letterbook of Waldo E. Forbes,
1909-1915
Note: This letterbook is stored onsite at Ms.
N-2306.
|
| Box 10 | SH 1843 I | Folder 1-3 | | B. Miscellaneous papers,
1917-1930
Some items pertaining to William Cameron Forbes, miscellaneous printed
items, and poetry by Waldo E. Forbes.
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | |
| Box | Barcode | Folder | Contents |
| | | V. Other Forbes family papers,
1856-1899 |
| Box 10 | SH 1843 I | Folder 4-11 | | A. J. Malcolm Forbes family correspondence,
1856-1899
Letters written from family members to J. Malcolm ("Mac") Forbes, as well as
letters to Amelia Jones from the children of J. Malcolm Forbes.
|
| Box 10 | SH 1843 I | Folder 12-20 | | B. Mary (Forbes) Russell family correspondence,
1863-1896
Letters written to Mary Forbes Russell and her husband from Forbes family
members, mostly John Murray Forbes.
|
|
|
| | | | | | | |
| Carton | Barcode | Contents |
| Carton 32 | SH 14MH 3 | VI. Typed transcriptions of Edward Waldo Forbes correspondence,
1860-1969
Typed transcriptions of letters to and from Edward Waldo Forbes over the
course of his life (1873-1969). Correspondents include his parents, siblings,
wife, children, grandchildren, and friends and colleagues. Also a few
transcriptions of earlier family items dating from 1860. Location of originals
unknown.
|
Edith Emerson Forbes and William Hathaway Forbes papers and additions,
Massachusetts Historical Society.
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: |
| | Allingham, Helen Paterson, 1848-1926. |
| | Allingham, William, 1850-1919. |
| | Ashburton, Louisa, Lady, 1827-1903. |
| | Davidson, Edith, d. 1877. |
| | Emerson, Ellen Tucker, 1839-1909. |
| | Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 1803-1882. |
| | Emerson, Ruth Haskins, 1768-1853. |
| | Emerson family. |
| | Forbes, Edward Waldo, 1873-1969. |
| | Forbes, Ellen Forbes, 1886-1954. |
| | Forbes, Emma Perkins, 1801-1847. |
| | Forbes, John Malcolm, 1847-1904. |
| | Forbes, John Murray, 1813-1898. |
| | Forbes, Sarah Swain Hathaway,
1813-1900. |
| | Forbes, W. Cameron (William Cameron),
1870-1959. |
| | Forbes, Waldo Emerson, 1879-1917. |
| | Forbes, William Hathaway, 1840-1897. |
| | Forbes family. |
| | Forbes family--Finance, Personal. |
| | Haskins, John, 1729-1814. |
| | Hawthorne, Una, 1844-1877. |
| | Hawthorne family. |
| | Hughes family. |
| | Ireland, Alexander, 1810-1894. |
| | Parrish, Maxfield, 1870-1966. |
| | Peabody family. |
| | Ritchie, Anne Thackeray, 1837-1919. |
| | Russell, Mary Hathaway Forbes,
1844-1916. |
| | Russell family. |
| | Tyndall, John. |
| | Webster, Edith Forbes, 1867-1926. |
| | Younghusband, Francis, Sir,
1863-1942. |
| | Younghusband, Helen Augusta, Lady. |
| | |
| Organizations: |
| | American Bell Telephone Company. |
| | United States--Army--Massachusetts Cavalry
Regiment, 1st (1861-1865). |
| | United States--Army--Massachusetts Cavalry
Regiment, 2nd (1862-1865). |
| | |
| Subjects: |
| | Autographs--Collections. |
| | Commonplace-books. |
| | Family history--1800-1849. |
| | Family history--1850-1899. |
| | Family history--1900-1949. |
| | Family history--1950-1999. |
| | Naushon Island (Mass.). |
| | Poetry. |
| | Scrapbooks--1860-1920. |
| | United States--History--Civil War,
1861-1865--Personal narratives. |
| | United States--History--Civil War,
1861-1865--Regimental histories--Massachusetts Cavalry, 1st
Volunteers. |
| | United States--History--Civil War,
1861-1865--Regimental histories--Massachusetts Cavalry, 2nd
Volunteers. |
| | Voyages and travels. |
| | Women's commonplace-books. |
| | Women's diaries. |
| | Women travelers. |
Loose photographs have been removed to the MHS Photo Archives, Nov. 2005.
Some printed items have been cataloged separately in MHS printed materials
collections. Mildewed items were photocopied and returned to the family. One
watercolor painting has been stored with the photographs.
|
