Naushon Papers

1641-1947

Guide to the Collection

Table of Contents

Collection Summary

Collection Description

Acquisition Information

Organization

Detailed Description of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Access Terms

Collection Summary

Title:	Naushon papers
Dates:	1641-1947
Physical Description:	2 document boxes and 1 oversize box
Call Number:	Ms. N-2308
Repository:	Massachusetts Historical Society 1154 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02215 library@masshist.org

Abstract:

This collection consists of loose papers and volumes relating to Naushon Island and some other islands in the Elizabeth Islands, part of the town of Gosnold, Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

The Naushon papers consist of loose papers and volumes relating to Naushon Island and some other islands in the Elizabeth Islands, part of the town of Gosnold, Massachusetts. The collection contains deeds and other documents tracing the ownership of Naushon and other islands from 1641 through 1867 (including some items relating to Native Americans); papers of General Salem Town of Charlton, Mass., agent for the owners of Naushon, in charge of timber operations on the island (1811-1826); papers of James S. Russell, agent for J. M. Forbes in charge of commercial farming and timber operations on the island (1894-1899); and four bound volumes of records including timber accounts (1824-1826), farm records (1833-1885), sheep records (1899-1947), and a surveyor's notebook of the Elizabeth Islands (1837-1838).

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Acquisition Information

Gift of Naushon Trust, Inc., Dec. 2009.

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Organization of the Collection

The collection is organized into the following series:


	I. Deeds, etc., 1641-1867
	II. Salem Town papers, 1811-1826
	III. James S. Russell papers, 1894-1899
	IV. Volumes, 1824-1947

Table of Contents

Detailed Description of the Collection


Box	Folder	Volume	Contents
			I. Deeds, etc., 1641-1867 Deeds, agreements, mortgages, and other papers (some copies) tracing the ownership of Naushon Island through the original Native American occupants to John Murray Forbes. Owners and/or part-owners of the island include Peter Oliver, Thomas and Matthew Mayhew, Wait Winthrop, John Winthrop, James Bowdoin I, James Bowdoin II, James Bowdoin III, William Bowdoin, James Temple Bowdoin, William W. Swain, and John Murray Forbes. This series includes John Winthrop's "Instructions to Indian tenants," 1719-1720, and a 1723 item also related to Native Americans.
Box 1	Folder 1-9			Deeds, etc., 1641-1867
Box OS	Folder 1-14			Oversize deeds, etc.
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			II. Salem Town papers, 1811-1826 Correspondence of Gen. Salem Town, the Charlton, Mass. agent for Thomas L. Winthrop and Richard Sullivan, in charge of timber operations on Naushon Island. The papers include letters written by Walter Woodard, a tenant on Naushon, to Salem Town, as well as letters from Town to his wife Sally when he was in residence on the island.
Box 1	Folder 10-12			Salem Town papers, 1811-1826
Box OS	Folder 15			Oversize items
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Box 1	Folder 13-24		III. James S. Russell papers, 1894-1899 Papers of James S. Russell, agent for John Murray Forbes in charge of commercial farming and timber operations on Naushon Island. Papers include correspondence, bills, receipts, accounts, leases, agreements, memoranda, inventories, and notes concerning tenants, sheep and other livestock, farming, timber, coal, employees, and other miscellaneous farm matters on Naushon.
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			IV. Volumes, 1824-1947 Four volumes of material relating to Naushon Island, including an account book, a farm record book, a sheep record book, and a surveyor's notebook.
Box 2		Vol. 1		Timber accounts, 1824-1826 Wastebook entries for sales of timber, 28 Apr. 1824-15 Dec. 1826. Account entries for sales to various individuals, 1825-1826. Unknown writer.
Box 2		Vol. 2		Farm records, 1833-1885 Records of farming on Naushon. Includes clearing and reclamation of farm land; experiments and records of soil treatments, fertilizers, and manures; woodlands; crops, seeds, fruit trees, and yields; construction of buildings, roads, wharves, and drainage ditches; record of workers and costs; livestock and wool sales; fish; memoranda and agreements with tenants; work on houses and wharves; and weather. Records kept by William W. Swain and John Murray Forbes.
Box 2		Vol. 3		Henry H. Crapo, "Field Notes of the Elizabeth Islands," 1837-1910 Surveyor's notes with memoranda of expenses, 1837-1838. Includes survey figures and drawings for Uncatena, Naushon, Goat Neck, West Buck, East Buck, Narramassett, and Pasque Islands. There are some loose items (1884, 1910) of William W. Crapo, the son of Henry H. Crapo.
Box 2		Vol. 4		Sheep records, 1898-1947 Records of numbers, tagging, purchases, sales, deaths, expenses, wool shearing, and wool yields. Unknown writer.

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Preferred Citation

Naushon 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:
		Bowdoin, James, 1676-1747.
		Bowdoin, James, 1726-1790.
		Bowdoin, James, 1752-1811.
		Bowdoin, James Temple, 1776-1842.
		Bowdoin, William, 1713-1773.
		Crapo, Henry Howland, 1804-1869.
		Crapo, William Wallace, 1830-1926.
		Forbes, John Murray, 1813-1898.
		Forbes family.
		Mayhew, Matthew, 1648-1710.
		Mayhew, Thomas, 1593?-1682.
		Oliver, Peter.
		Russell, James S.
		Swain, William W.
		Town, Salem, 1779-1864.
		Town, Sally.
		Winthrop, John, b. 1681.
		Winthrop, Wait Still, 1643-1717.
		Woodard, Walter.


	Subjects:
		Agriculture--Massachusetts--Naushon Island.
		Elizabeth Islands (Mass.).
		Gosnold (Mass.).
		Horticulture--Massachusetts.
		Indians of North America--Massachusetts--Naushon Island.
		Natural history--Massachusetts.
		Naushon Island (Mass.).
		Real property--Massachusetts.
		Sheep--Massachusetts.
		Surveying--Massachusetts.
		Surveyors--Massachusetts.
		Timber--Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

http://www.masshist.org/findingaids/doc.cfm?fa=fa0332
Send reference questions to library@masshist.org.

Collection processed by Katherine H. Griffin, January 2010.
Encoded by Susan Martin, January 2010