Creator:	Binney, Henry Prentice, 1863-1940
Title:	Henry P. Binney family papers
Dates:	1803-1983
Physical Description:	19 document boxes, 14 cased volumes, and 1 oversize box
Call Number:	Ms. N-2355
Repository:	Massachusetts Historical Society 1154 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02215 library@masshist.org

Abstract:

This collection consists of papers of Henry P. Binney (1863-1940), Alberta (Sturtevant) Binney, and other members of the Binney family of Milton, Mass., including correspondence, diaries, estate papers, financial papers, genealogies, notes, and printed matter.

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Biographical Sketch

Colonel Amos Binney (1778-1833) was born in Hull, Mass. and moved to Boston in 1794. He served as a navy agent in Boston from 1812 to 1826. In 1799, he married Hannah Dolliver (1779-1847) of Marblehead. Their son Dr. Amos Binney (1803-1847) married Mary Ann Binney (1805-1884) in 1827. They had five children, including Henry Prentice Binney (1838-1878).

After Dr. Amos Binney died in Rome in 1847, Mary Ann Binney married Dr. George Hayward (1791-1863) in 1856. Mary Ann Binney's youngest son, Henry Prentice Binney, married Dr. Hayward's niece Josephine (1836-1917), daughter of Joseph Henshaw Hayward and Mary Davenport Hayward and sister of Isaac Davenport Hayward. Henry and Josephine had several children, including Henry Prentice Binney (1863-1940).

Henry P. Binney married Alberta Eliot Sturtevant (1880-1963) of Boston in 1904 and had two children, Henry and Mary May ("Polly"). Henry (Polly's father) inherited the north and south lots of the Milton Estate, along with the Mansion house, from his cousin Mary Hayward Cunningham in 1929. Alberta Binney purchased land (the corner lot and east lot) in 1936 from Griswold S. Hayward, who had inherited them from his aunt Mary Hayward Cunningham. Alberta Binney then divided that land into two parcels, selling the corner lot to a southern abutter while retaining the east lot that abuts the main property.

For additional information on members of the Binney family, see the Binney Family Tree below.

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Sources

Graham, Shelby, Annie Rotner, and Claire Dempsey. "Biographies of Wakefield Property Owners." Mary M. B. Wakefield Charitable Trust: History and Background, June 2007. October 2006.

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Collection Description

This collection consists of papers of the Binney family of Milton, Mass., including correspondence, diaries, estate papers, financial papers, genealogies, notes, printed matter, and other papers of Col. Amos Binney (1778-1833), Henry P. Binney (1838-1878), Henry P. Binney (1863-1940), Alberta (Sturtevant) Binney, Henry P. Binney (1911-1995), and many other members of the Binney, Sturtevant, and related families. Family correspondence relates primarily to personal and financial matters but includes letters of John Binney (1780-1838) describing his military service in Maine during the War of 1812; Florence di Camporeale (née Binney), an Italian princess living in Europe before and during World War II; and Henry "Hal" P. Binney, who served with the Military Railway Service in Paris during the war.

Papers of Col. Amos Binney include material related to the official investigation into his conduct as Navy Agent in 1822. The collection also contains seven diaries of Henry P. Binney (1838-1878); 14 letterbooks of Henry P. Binney (1863-1940) detailing his personal and professional activities; papers of Alberta Binney documenting her work with the Students House Corporation (Boston, Mass.), her interest in Russian history, and household matters; and legal and financial papers of the Binney family, including deeds, inventories, wills, appraisals, receipts, and correspondence related to the family's properties, particularly in Milton. Genealogical material consists of family trees, notes, printed matter, typescript copies of correspondence, and other papers about the Binney and related families.

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Related Materials

The Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS) holds the following collections related to the Henry P. Binney family papers:

Binney family papers. Ms. N-2323. Finding aid available at: http://www.masshist.org/findingaids/doc.cfm?fa=fa0338.

Cunningham family papers. Ms. N-2354. Finding aid available at: http://www.masshist.org/findingaids/doc.cfm?fa=fa0352.

Davenport family papers. Ms. N-2353. Finding aid available at: http://www.masshist.org/findingaids/doc.cfm?fa=fa0351.

Joseph H. Hayward family papers. Ms. N-2368. Finding aid available at: http://www.masshist.org/findingaids/doc.cfm?fa=fa0354.

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Acquisition Information

On deposit from the Mary M. B. Wakefield Charitable Trust, September 2011.

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Custodial History

The Henry P. Binney family papers, Cunningham family papers, Davenport family papers, Joseph H. Hayward family papers, and Mary M. B. Wakefield papers originally formed one large collection at the Wakefield Estate in Milton, Mass. Before the papers were deposited at the MHS, they were separated into these five separate but closely related collections.

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Organization of the Collection

The collection is organized into the following series:


	I. Family correspondence, 1809-1962
	II. Col. Amos Binney (1778-1833) papers, 1803-1829
		A. Personal correspondence, 1803-1829
		B. Navy records, 1812-1826
		C. Printed matter, 1810-1822
	III. Henry P. Binney (1838-1878) papers, 1853-1871
		A. Personal correspondence, 1853-1871
		B. Diaries, 1853-1865
	IV. Henry P. Binney (1863-1940) papers, 1875-1940
		A. Personal correspondence, 1910-1940
		B. Esmond Mills Executive Committee minutes, 1918-1923
		C. Business contacts, undated
		D. School papers, 1875-1881
		E. Russian translations, 1928
	V. Alberta (Sturtevant) Binney papers, 1864-1964
		A. Personal correspondence, 1903-1963
		B. Students House Corporation records, 1914-1956
		C. Volumes, 1917-1953
		D. Miscellaneous notes and clippings, 1903-1953
		E. Household papers, 1864-1964
		F. Printed matter, ca. 1910-1962
	VI. Henry P. Binney (1911-1995) papers, 1911-1945
		A. Personal correspondence, 1913-1945
		B. Volumes, 1911-1922
		C. Printed matter, 1939-1945
	VII. Legal and financial papers, 1803-1983
	VIII. Family history and genealogy, 1833-1959

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Detailed Description of the Collection


Box	Folder	Contents
		I. Family correspondence, 1809-1962 This series consists of correspondence between Binney family members, as well as members of related families. Included are letters to Amos Binney (1778-1833) from his brother John Binney (1780-1838) during John's service as captain of the 4th Regiment, U.S. Infantry, at Fort Edgecomb, Wiscasset, Me. (1809-1813). Subjects include personal finances and political and military matters, such as shortages of clothing and supplies at the garrison, the outbreak of the War of 1812, and elections. The series also contains correspondence between Amos Binney (1803-1847) and his sister Mary Gray Prentice Binney about the Marquis de Lafayette's visit to Boston and family matters (1824-1831). Between 1850 and 1876, the correspondence consists largely of letters to Henry P. Binney (1838-1878), primarily on family matters. Correspondents include his mother Mary Ann (Binney) Hayward; his brothers Amos (1830-1880), John (1831-1851), and William Greene Binney; his sisters-in-law Nancy Elizabeth (Clark) Binney and Marie Louise (Chamberlain) Binney; his sister Anna (Binney) Brinton and her husband John F. Brinton; his wife Josephine (Hayward) Binney; his son George Hayward Binney; his aunt Mary Gray Prentice Binney; and Maria Louisa (Binney) Wells. Other subjects include business, finances, travel, and health matters. The series also contains Civil War letters from Amos Binney while he was working as chief paymaster for the U.S. Army in Washington, D.C. (1863-1865). Beginning in 1881, the bulk of the correspondence is that of Henry P. Binney (1863-1940) and his wife Alberta (Sturtevant) Binney, primarily related to family matters. Among the correspondents are Henry's mother Josephine Hayward (Binney) Bullard; Alberta's parents Albert (1856-1880) and Ada Louise Sturtevant (later Mrs. Francis Todd); her brothers Roy E. Sturtevant (b. 1878) and Francis B. Todd; and her sister-in-law Mary Buell (Brown) Sturtevant. Other family correspondents include Henry's cousin Florence Beccadelli di Bologna, Principessa di Camporeale (née Florence Ethel Binney); her daughter Anna Beccadelli di Bologna, Principessa di Castelcicala, and son Alexander Kingsland; Henry and Alberta's children, Mary May "Polly" Binney (later Wakefield) and Henry P. Binney, Jr. (1911-1995); Beatrice (Herford) Hayward (1868-1952); and other members of the Hayward family. Letters from Florence di Camporeale and her children (1914-1946), primarily to Alberta, describe the political situation in Italy and Europe leading up to World War II, including the rise of Mussolini and Hitler; legal difficulties arising from the family's status as "foreign nationals"; family history; social activities; and sightseeing. The series also contains letters (1917-1947) from Polly Binney to her grandmother Ada (Sturtevant) Todd, as well as letters from Henry P. Binney, Jr. to his mother and sister during basic training at Fort Snelling, Minn. (1942-1943) and while serving with the Military Railway Service in France during World War II (1944-1945). For information on members of the Binney family, see the Binney Family Tree below. Note: Series VIII (Family history and genealogy) includes typescripts of select family correspondence. For additional letters from Henry P. Binney (1863-1940) to family members, see his letterbooks (Series IV.A.).
Box 1			1809-1916
Box 2			1917-1943
Box 3	Folder 1-6		1944-1962
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Box	Folder	Contents
		II. Col. Amos Binney (1778-1833) papers, 1803-1829
Box 3	Folder 7-12		A. Personal correspondence, 1803-1829 This subseries contains correspondence of Amos Binney with non-family members. Included are papers related to the Methodist Episcopal Church in Boston (1803-1814); letters from Gen. Daniel Parker and Stephen Cushing about Binney's work as Navy Agent for Boston, the War of 1812, opposition to the war, and personal matters; a letter from Benjamin Homans (23 June 1813) about "evil spirits" in Boston, the Essex Junto, and the loss of the U.S.S. Chesapeake; a letter from Commodore Thomas Tingey (29 Jan. 1820) about his slave Harry who had escaped to Boston; and correspondence with Capt. David Porter and Caleb Eddy about the official investigation into Amos Binney's conduct as Navy Agent (1822). Primary correspondents are Daniel Parker and David Porter. Included are single letters from Lawrence Kearny, Benjamin Waterhouse, Daniel Webster, and Anne Royall. Note: For Col. Amos Binney's correspondence with family members, see Series I.
Box 4	Folder 1-5		B. Navy records, 1812-1826 [photocopies] This subseries contains photocopies of manuscripts from the U.S. National Archives related to Binney's service as Navy Agent in Boston. The papers consist primarily of letters and orders, but also include inventories, receipts, accounts, and other papers.
Box 4	Folder 6-18		C. Printed matter, 1810-1822 [photocopies] This subseries consists of photocopies of two printed items: The Militia Reporter; Containing the Trials of Capt. Jos. Loring, Jun. on the Charges of Gen. Winslow; Capt. Jos. Loring, Jun. on the Charges of Maj. Davis; Capt. Amos Binney, on the Charges of Maj. Osgood; Capt. Thomas Howe, on the Charges of Maj. Messenger (Boston: T. Kennard, 1810) and Documents Relative to the Investigation, by Order of the Secretary of the Navy, of the Official Conduct of Amos Binney, United States Navy Agent at Boston, upon the Charges Made by Lieutenant Joel Abbot (Boston: Phelps and Farnham, 1822). Some pages are missing.
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Box	Folder	Contents
		III. Henry P. Binney (1838-1878) papers, 1853-1871
Box 5	Folder 1		A. Personal correspondence, 1853-1871 This subseries contains correspondence of Henry P. Binney with non-family members. Included are letters from Thomas Gaffield (1825-1900) and Henry L. Dodge while Binney was traveling in Europe (1853-1854); letters of reference from William Andrews and Julian Fish praising the character of Catherine Harvey, a domestic worker, and discussing her family situation; correspondence with John Jeffries, Jr. about the sale of a house on Marlborough St., Boston; and correspondence related to Binney's interest in photography. Some letters are in French. Note: For Henry P. Binney's correspondence with family members, see Series I.
			B. Diaries, 1853-1865
Box 5	Folder 2			Vacation journal and passports, 1853-1855 Journal entries from Jan.-June 1855 describe Binney's vacation in Paris, London, and Edinburgh, including social activities, sightseeing, lessons, and news of his mother, his father, his brother William Greene Binney, his sister Anna Binney, and other family members, as well as the ocean voyage back to Boston. Entries beginning in June 1855 describe his daily activities in Boston. Many of the entries were written in French. Included are two passports for Binney (1853-1854).
				Diaries, 1856-1865 These diaries, kept primarily in Boston and Roxbury, contain brief entries describing Binney's daily activities; social calls; attendance at plays, concerts, and lectures; news of various members of the Binney, Hayward, Shaw, Savage, and other families; health matters; and the weather. Many pages are blank, and some volumes also include accounts. Diaries written between 1861-1865 contain entries by both Henry P. Binney and his wife Josephine (Hayward) Binney about their home life and their sons George Hayward Binney and Henry P. Binney, Jr. (1863-1940), but very few entries about the Civil War.
Box 5	Folder 3				1856
Box 5	Folder 4				1857
Box 5	Folder 5				1861
Box 5	Folder 6				1862
Box 5	Folder 7				1864
Box 5	Folder 8				1865
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Box	Folder	Volume	Contents
			IV. Henry P. Binney (1863-1940) papers, 1875-1940
				A. Personal correspondence, 1910-1940
Box 6	Folder 1-2				Loose correspondence, 1923-1939 These papers consist of loose correspondence of Henry P. Binney with non-family members. Included is correspondence (some in German) regarding a purchase of statuettes from Dresden, Germany; a letter from Binney to Nathalie Sabsovitch (17 Apr. 1939) about the political situation in Italy; and miscellaneous correspondence about stocks, insurance, and other business and financial matters. Correspondents include Harold Whitman of Esmond Mills, Esmond, R.I.; Alvah Fassett of Brown & Fassett; Henry S. Howe of Boit, Dalton & Church; and Cyrus Brewer & Co.
					Letterbooks, 1910-1940 These 14 volumes contain copies of Binney's outgoing letters, both to business associates about investments, trusts, estates, purchases, and other financial matters, and to friends and family members on personal matters. Included is correspondence related to Esmond Mills and the Bangor & Aroostook Railroad, as well as letters about the education and activities of his children Hal and Polly. Letters beginning in Oct. 1929 describe the effects of the stock market crash and unemployment during the Great Depression. Among the most frequent correspondents are George F. Benson; Dr. Fanny Berlin; Alberta Binney; Hal Binney; Polly Binney; Brown Brothers & Co.; Josephine H. Bullard; George L. Cade; Mathilda Carlson; Wingate F. Cram; Eugene S. Daniell; Charles H. Gilman; Louis A. O. Goddu; John Henry Hammond; Beatrice B. Hayward; Sidney W. Hayward; Charles M. Holt; Michael J. Hurley; Mrs. Frank P. Jennings; R. H. MacCready; Anna L. Perry; S. Segar; Roy E. Sturtevant; E. L. Swett; Ada Louise Todd; Francis B. Todd; Percy R. Todd; Townsend, Anthony & Tyson; Harold C. Whitman; Harriet S. Winslow; William C. Winslow; William M. Wood; and John Woodbury. Each volume contains an index. Note: For additional correspondence of Henry P. Binney with family members, see Series I.
		Vol. 1				24 Mar. 1910-5 Apr. 1913
		Vol. 2				1 Sep. 1915-11 July 1917
		Vol. 3				2 Jan.-31 Dec. 1925
		Vol. 4				3 Jan. 1927-15 Mar. 1928
		Vol. 5				15 Mar.-29 Dec. 1928
		Vol. 6				2 Jan.-7 Oct. 1929
		Vol. 7				9 Oct. 1929-22 Nov. 1930
		Vol. 8				24 Nov. 1930-31 Dec. 1931
		Vol. 9				2 Jan. 1932-6 June 1933
		Vol. 10				6 June 1933-31 Dec. 1934
		Vol. 11				2 Jan.-31 Dec. 1935
		Vol. 12				2 Jan. 1936-27 Mar. 1937
		Vol. 13				27 Mar. 1937-30 Dec. 1938
		Vol. 14				3 Jan. 1939-24 Jan. 1940
Box 6	Folder 3-4			B. Esmond Mills Executive Committee minutes, 1918-1923 Henry P. Binney served on the Executive Committee of Esmond Mills in Esmond, R.I. Minutes include financial statements, correspondence, and printed matter.
Box 6	Folder 5			C. Business contacts, undated This volume contains names, addresses, cable addresses, and memoranda about Binney's business contacts.
Box 6	Folder 6			D. School papers, 1875-1881 Included are reports and examinations of Binney from the Roxbury Latin School.
Box 6	Folder 7-9			E. Russian translations, 1928 This subseries contains handwritten English translations of correspondence and poetry of the Romanov family of Russia (1917-1918), made by Nathalie Sabsovitch. Included are translations of letters from Empress Alexandra Feodorovna to Gen. Alexander Vladimir Syroboiarsky and his wife, typescripts of Russian documents, a printed Russian booklet on the Romanov family (1928), letters from Sabsovitch to Henry and Alberta Binney, and a letter from Syroboiarsky to Henry P. Binney thanking him for his help publishing Syroboiarsky's book and discussing public opinion of the Romanovs. The printed booklet is probably the one written by Syroboiarsky. Note: For additional notes and clippings related to the Romanov family, see the Alberta (Sturtevant) Binney papers (Series V.D.).
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Box	Folder	Contents
		V. Alberta (Sturtevant) Binney papers, 1864-1964
Box 7			A. Personal correspondence, 1903-1963 This subseries contains correspondence of Alberta (Sturtevant) Binney with non-family members. The correspondence consists primarily of incoming letters about personal subjects, visits, gifts, etc., as well as letters related to financial matters and answers to Binney's inquiries on Russian history. Correspondents include Susan Edith (Waterbury) Weld, the widow of Stephen Minot Weld, Jr. (1842-1920), and members of the Weld family; Ethel (Stockton) Whiteside and members of the Whiteside family; Gertrude B. Coffin; and many others. A letter from Charles Henry Hawes (20 Apr. 1934) discusses his research on convicts in Sakhalin, Russia. Also included is a thank-you note from Princess Ileana of Romania (16 Apr. 1952) and correspondence with Martha G. Perrine, Frank A. Mathews, Jr., William J. Morrissey, and others (1939-1944) about Binney's cousin Florence, the Princess of Camporeale, and her family; their safety during the war; their interest in family property at Edgewater Park, N.J.; and legal difficulties in recovering that property from the alien property custodian. Note: For Alberta (Sturtevant) Binney's correspondence with family members, including correspondence with the Princess of Camporeale and her family, see Series I.
Box 8	Folder 1-6		B. Students House Corporation records, 1914-1956 Beginning in 1917, Alberta Binney served on the Board of Managers of the Students House Corporation (96 Fenway), "a club residence for [female] students attending the colleges and professional schools in Boston." She also served at times as secretary and as chairman of the Entertainment Committee. This subseries includes correspondence, notices, minutes, notes, drafts, and printed matter, as well as copies of Binney's history of the Students House, "The Origins of the Students House" (1950), and papers related to its compilation.
			C. Volumes, 1917-1953 This subseries consists of miscellaneous volumes, including two address books with some memoranda, a notebook of jokes and anecdotes, a book of handwritten French phrases (1917), seven small bank books (1938-1942), a memoranda book related to agriculture and other subjects (1951), and a reading log with notes about books Alberta Binney read and a few newspaper clippings (ca. 1952-1953).
Box 8	Folder 7			Address and date books, undated
Box 9	Folder 1			Jokes and anecdotes, undated
Box 9	Folder 2			French exercise book, 1917
Box 9	Folder 3			Bank books, 1938-1942
Box 9	Folder 4			Memoranda book, 1951
Box 9	Folder 5			Reading log, ca. 1952-1953
			D. Miscellaneous notes and clippings, 1903-1953 This series consists of notes, clippings, and other papers on various subjects in which Alberta Binney was interested, including Russia, the Romanov family, the Princess of Camporeale (née Florence Binney), and the Princess Ileana of Romania.
Box 10	Folder 1-7			Notes and clippings related to Russia and the Romanov family, 1903-1950 Included are extensive manuscript notes in Binney's hand, an outline of a lecture, journal articles and newspaper clippings, three typescript copies of "The Greenhorn in America" by Maria Moravsky, blank postcards of Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and a small notebook of observations kept by Alberta on a trip to Russia (ca. 1903-1904). Note: For additional material related to the Romanov family, see the Henry P. Binney (1863-1940) papers (Series IV.E.).
Box 10	Folder 8			Notes on socialized medicine in Russia, undated
Box 10	Folder 9			Notes and clippings related to Binney's cousin Florence, Princess of Camporeale, undated, 1923-1939
Box 10	Folder 10			Notes and clippings related to Princess Ileana of Romania, undated, 1952-1953
Box 10	Folder 11-12			Miscellaneous notes and clippings, 1917-1947
			E. Household papers, 1864-1964 This series contains papers of Alberta Binney related primarily to household matters, including cleaning tips, notes on hiring domestic workers, recipes, a typescript cookbook, knitting patterns, etc. Also included are papers related to her medical care and death; two manuscript recipe books, most likely both belonging to her mother Ada (Eliot) Sturtevant; and undated pencil sketches of a child's garden and household furniture.
Box 10	Folder 13			Ada (Eliot) Sturtevant recipe books, 1864, undated
Box 11	Folder 1-2			Household tips and clippings, undated, 1919-1950
Box 11	Folder 3-4			Knitting patterns, undated, 1936-1945
				Recipes and self-improvement clippings, undated, 1941-1964
Box 11	Folder 5-13				Pastries, drinks, fish, etc.
Box 12	Folder 1-11				Desserts, sandwiches, soups, etc.
Box 12	Folder 12			Useful Information for Every Household, by Sarah Zemurray (Boston: Thomas Todd Company, 1944), with clippings and notes, 1944-1956
Box 13	Folder 1			Pencil sketches, undated Included is a sketch entitled "Plan of childs garden," drawn for Alberta Binney by H. L. Movius, and sketches by decorators Alley & Emery of Boston depicting several pieces of furniture and design details.
Box 13	Folder 2-3			Card playing notes, undated
Box 13	Folder 4-6			Notes on the care of Mrs. Binney and record of doctor's visits, 1956-1963 Included are notebooks kept by Alberta Binney's doctors documenting her health, notes by Mary May (Binney) Wakefield, instructions, and two copies of the power of attorney from Binney to Wakefield.
Box 13	Folder 7			Papers related to the death of Alberta Binney, 1952-1963 Included are obituaries, notes, receipts, correspondence, Alberta Binney's last wishes, and other papers.
			F. Printed matter, ca. 1910-1962 Included in this subseries are blank postcards and art prints, many from Europe. Some postcards were annotated by Alberta Binney or her mother Ada Louise (Sturtevant) Todd, and most are undated. The subseries also contains miscellaneous printed matter, including clippings, newsletters, catalogs, calendars, Chilton Club (Boston, Mass.) membership lists, and the Chilton Club constitution and by-laws.
				Postcards and art prints, undated, ca. 1910-1935
Box 13	Folder 8-10				Postcards, etc.
Box 14	Folder 1-5				Postcards, art prints, etc.
Box 14	Folder 6-8			Miscellaneous printed matter, 1939-1962
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Box	Folder	Contents
		VI. Henry P. Binney (1911-1995) papers, 1911-1945
Box 15	Folder 1		A. Personal correspondence, 1913-1945 This subseries contains correspondence of Henry P. Binney with non-family members. Included are a few letters to Binney from friends during his World War II service abroad. Note: For Henry P. Binney's correspondence with family members, see Series I.
			B. Volumes, 1911-1922
Box 15	Folder 2			Baby book, 1911-1915 This printed baby book about Henry P. Binney was filled in by his parents Henry (1863-1940) and Alberta Binney.
Box 15	Folder 3			Diary, 1922 This diary, kept by Binney as a boy, describes his social activities, school attendance, games, illnesses, and the weather. Included are entries about his mother, father, sister Polly Binney, and other family members and friends.
Box 15	Folder 4-6		C. Printed matter, 1939-1945 This subseries consists primarily of printed matter related to Henry P. Binney's World War II service, including a 1943 Military Railway Service wall calendar; issues of Talon Scoops and The Yankee Boomer wartime newsletters; newspaper clippings; programs; and two small booklets published by the U.S. Army: A Pocket Guide to North Africa (1943) and American "Rails" in Eight Countries: The Story of the 1st Military Railway Service (undated).
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Box	Folder	Contents
		VII. Legal and financial papers, 1803-1983
			Estate papers, 1816-1983 Estate papers consist of deeds, inventories, wills, leases, appraisals, powers of attorney, correspondence, accounts, receipts, and other papers related to the estates of Col. Amos Binney (1778-1833), Hannah (Dolliver) Binney, Dr. Amos Binney (1803-1847), Hannah Binney (1806-1864), Mary Gray Prentice Binney, Alberta (Sturtevant) Binney, Henry P. Binney, Jr. (1911-1995), and other family members. Included are deeds to land on Hancock St., Boston, as well as other land in Boston, Cambridge, Roxbury, and Charlestown, Mass.; papers related to land in northern Florida bought by Dr. Amos Binney from Isaiah D. Hart (1840-1844); receipts of Henry P. Binney (1838-1878) with real estate agents Holbrook & Fox (1870-1874); and correspondence about family lots at Mount Auburn Cemetery (1941-1949). Papers related to the partition of Mary G. P. Binney's estate (1888) consist of maps, diagrams, Binney genealogies, and a notebook of detailed memoranda on specific parcels of land, including assessments, divisions, improvements, sales, mortgages, etc.
Box 16				1828-1983
Box OS				Oversize estate papers, 1816-1865
Box 17	Folder 1-7		Papers related to the Brush Hill Rd. property (Milton, Mass.), 1923-1972 Included are insurance inspection reports; bills and correspondence related to real estate tax assessments; financial statements, receipts, and notes of work done; receipts for utilities and expenses; correspondence related to the lease of the property; and letters and writings about the history of and alterations to the house by Mary H. Cunningham, Alberta Binney, Mary May (Binney) Wakefield, and others.
Box 17	Folder 8-10		Miscellaneous receipts, 1862-1960
Box 17	Folder 11		War ration books and ration stamps, 1942-1943
Box 17	Folder 12-13		Papers of related families, 1803-1866 Included are deeds, receipts, accounts, correspondence, and other legal and financial papers of the Dorr, Wright, Davenport, Hayward, and Wigglesworth families.
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Box	Folder	Contents
		VIII. Family history and genealogy, 1833-1959
Box 18	Folder 1-9		Binney family, undated, 1833-1956 Included are family trees and biographies; typescripts of correspondence; notes by Alberta Binney and others; excerpts of printed material, including The Aristocracy of Boston: Who They Are and What They Were; clippings; pencil sketches and printed matter related to family property; a bound volume of ancestral tablets filled out in manuscript; and coats of arms. Papers concerning Dr. Amos Binney include a copy of Augustus A. Gould's pamphlet Memoir of Dr. Amos Binney (Boston: [s.n.], 1850), printed matter related to Binney's work with the Boston Society of Natural History, and photocopies of letters from Binney to John G. Anthony (1840). Also included are clippings (1932-1933) about Mary May "Polly" Binney, her introduction as a debutante, and her social activities, as well as a yearbook of the Beaver Country Day School Class of 1931, featuring Polly.
Box 18	Folder 10-18		Eliot family, 1959 Included are two copies of a typescript entitled "Ancestors of Ada Louise Eliot who married Albert Sturtevant, compiled for Dr. and Mrs. Roy Eliot Sturtevant by Jean Rumsey." Ada and Albert Sturtevant were the parents of Roy Eliot Sturtevant and Alberta (Sturtevant) Binney.
Box 19			Miscellaneous related families, undated, 1839 Included are family trees and biographies, notes by Alberta Binney and others, typescript excerpts, copies of correspondence, and other papers concerning members of the Davenport, Hayward, Sturtevant, and related families. Also included is an excerpt from The Art of Ruth Draper (1960) about the theatrical career of Beatrice (Herford) Hayward (1868-1952) and a handwritten piece by Alberta Binney describing Mary Winslow.

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Binney Family Tree

Listed below are members of the Binney family, their spouses, and their children, beginning with the children of Amos (1745-1783) and Mary (Prentice) Binney (1751-1813). Some family members may not be included. The names of the individuals most heavily represented in this collection are highlighted in bold. Most of the information in this family tree is taken from:

Binney, Charles J. F. Genealogy of the Binney Family in the United States. Albany, N.Y.: Joel Munsell's Sons, 1886.



1. Mary Binney (1771-1832) m. in 1788 Stephen Cushing, Jr. (d. 1792)
	2. Mary Cushing (1789-1835) m. in 1811 Dea. Gorham Lincoln (d. 1869)
		3. Mary Ann Lincoln (1811-1822)
		3. Lydia Nicholas Lincoln (1813-1835)
		3. Gorham Prentice Lincoln (1816-1833)
		3. Elizabeth Cushing Lincoln (b. 1819) m. 1st William Edward Doone m. 2nd John C. Abbot
		3. Sarah Binney Lincoln (1821-1884) m. in 1843 Henry Ware Lincoln
		3. Mary Binney Lincoln (b. 1824) m. Omar Binney (b. 1825)
		3. Catherine Kilby Thaxter Lincoln (b. 1825)
	2. Stephen Cushing (1792-1818)
1. John Binney (1773-1777)
1. Nancy Binney (b. 1775) m. John Copeland
1. Col. Amos Binney (1778-1833) m. in 1799 Hannah Dolliver (1779-1847)
	2. Mary Binney (1799-1800)
	2. Amos Binney (1802-1802)
	2. Dr. Amos Binney (1803-1847) m. in 1827 his first cousin Mary Ann Binney (1805-1884) [She m. 2nd in 1856 Dr. George Hayward (1791-1863).]
		3. Amos Binney (1830-1880) m. 1st in 1851 Harriet Savage (1827-1854) m. 2nd in 1856 Dr. Nancy Elizabeth (Talbot) Clark (1825-1901) [She was the widow of Champion W. Clark (d. 1848).]
			4. Lucy Binney (1852-1854)
			4. Amos Binney (b. 1857) m. in 1885 Julia Stone
			4. Mary G. Binney (b. 1858)
			4. Annie Hayward Binney (1863-1863)
			4. Mary Anne Hayward Binney (b. 1864)
			4. Martha Gray Binney (b. 1866)
			4. Harold Osgood Binney (b. 1867)
		3. John Binney (1831-1851)
		3. William Greene Binney (1833-1909) m. in 1855 Marie Louise Chamberlain (d. 1908)
			4. Marie Binney (1856-1929) m. Franklin Woodward Earl
			4. Florence Ethel Binney (1861-1944) [a.k.a. Florence Beccadelli di Bologna, Principessa di Camporeale] m. 1st in 1876 Albert Alexander Kingsland (d. 1923) m. 2nd in 1888 Pietro Paolo Beccadelli di Bologna, Principe di Camporeale (1852-1918)
				5. Alexander Kingsland (b. 1881)
				5. Anna Beccadelli di Bologna, Principessa di Castelcicala
		3. Anna Binney (1834-1870) m. in 1856 John Ferree Brinton (1827-1878)
			4. Mary Emeline Brinton (1860-1867)
			4. Ferree Brinton (b. 1861)
			4. Nathan Binney Brinton (b. 1863)
			4. Joseph Sharswood Brinton (b. 1865)
			4. Mary Brinton (b. 1868)
			4. Anna Binney Brinton (b. 1870)
		3. Henry Prentice Binney (1838-1878) m. in 1860 his stepfather's niece Josephine "Josie" Hayward (1836-1917) [She m. 2nd in 1881 George E. Bullard.]
			4. George Hayward Binney (b. 1861) m. in 1884 Edith Barrett Marsh
				5. George Hayward Binney (b. 1886)
			4. Henry Prentice Binney (1863-1940) m. in 1904 Alberta Eliot Sturtevant (1880-1963) [Her mother, Ada Louise (Eliot) Sturtevant (b. 1858), m. 2nd Francis Todd.]
				5. Henry "Hal" P. Binney, Jr. (1911-1995) m. Harriet Seamans (1923-2008)
				5. Mary May "Polly" Binney (1914-2004) m. in 1952 George Kennard Wakefield
			4. Arthur Binney (b. 1865)
			4. James Alfred Binney (b. 1872)
	2. Hannah Binney (1806-1864)
	2. Henry Prentice Binney (1808-1822)
	2. Mary Gray Prentice Binney (1810-1884)
	2. John Armstrong Binney (b. 1811)
	2. Emeline Binney (1814-1872)
	2. William Bainbridge Binney (1816-1817)
	2. William Binney (1817-1817)
	2. Nathaniel Binney (1820-1820)
1. John Binney (1780-1838) m. 1st in 1804 Sarah Ann Callender (1780-1814) m. 2nd in 1818 Judith Cooper Russell (1787-1854)
	2. Mary Ann Binney (1805-1884) m. in 1827 her first cousin Amos Binney (1803-1847) [See above.]
	2. Charles James Fox Binney (b. 1806) m. in 1829 Clarissa Loring (b. 1810)
		3. Isabella Binney (b. 1830) m. in 1854 Henry Franklin Stodder
		3. Charles Loring Binney (1832-1863)
		3. Emily Binney (1835-1839)
		3. George Loring Binney (b. 1840) m. in 1870 Henriette Welling Disbrow
		3. Prentice Binney (1842-1849)
		3. Mary Prentice Binney (1850-1880)
	2. Sarah Prentice Binney (1808-1858)
	2. Maria Louisa Binney (1809-1857) m. in 1834 Charles Bartlett Wells (1808-1856)
		3. John Binney Wells (1836-1847)
		3. Charles Bartlett Wells (b. 1841) m. Louisa Blake
		3. Frank Wells (b. 1842) m. Hydekoper
		3. Hannah Doane Wells (b. 1844) m. Samuel S. Allen
		3. George Doane Wells (1847-1864)
	2. Nancy Copeland Binney (1811-1818)
	2. John Callender Binney (1813-1840)
	2. Amos Russell Binney (b. 1819) m. in 1845 Sarah L. Winkley (d. 1860)
	2. Nathaniel Pope Russell Binney (1821-1822)
	2. William Cushing Binney (1823-1882) m. in 1848 Dorothea "Dolly" Currier
		3. Emily Currier Binney (b. 1849) m. Charles A. Smith (d. 1884)
		3. William R. Binney (1850-1854)
		3. Gertrude Binney (1854-1876)
		3. Anna Sophia Binney (b. 1856) m. Charles Woodbury Melcher
		3. Frances Maria Binney (b. 1859)
	2. Omar Binney (b. 1825) m. in 1855 Mary A. Binney Lincoln
		3. Catherine Lincoln Binney (b. 1859)
	2. Gertrude Binney (1827-1881) m. in 1846 Thomas Butler Pope (1814-1862)
		3. Gertrude Binney Pope (1847-1878) m. Tilden
		3. Louisa B. Pope (b. 1855) m. in 1880 Rev. John Frederick Dutton
		3. Mary B. Binney (1859-1876)
	2. Frederick Binney (1829-1829)
1. Sarah Binney (1782-1850)

Table of Contents

Preferred Citation

Henry P. Binney family papers, on deposit from the Mary M. B. Wakefield Charitable Trust, Massachusetts Historical Society.

Table of Contents

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:
		Binney, Alberta Eliot Sturtevant, 1880-1963.
		Binney, Amos, 1778-1833.
		Binney, Amos, 1830-1880.
		Binney, Henry Prentice, 1838-1878.
		Binney, Henry Prentice, 1911-1995.
		Binney, John, 1780-1838.
		Binney family.
		Binney family--Genealogy.
		Camporeale, Florence Beccadelli di Bologna, Principessa di, 1861-1944.
		Hitler, Adolf, 1889-1945.
		Mussolini, Benito, 1883-1945.
		Romanov family.
		Sturtevant family.


	Organizations:
		Students House Corporation (Boston, Mass.).
		United States. Army. Infantry Regiment, 4th.
		United States. Army. Military Railway Service.
		United States. Army. Pay Dept.
		United States. Navy--Officials and employees.


	Subjects:
		Depressions--1929--United States
		Europe--History--1918-1945.
		Europe--Politics and government--1918-1945.
		Family history--1800-1849.
		Family history--1850-1899.
		Family history--1900-1949.
		Family history--1950-1999.
		Fort Edgecomb (Me.).
		Italy--Politics and government--1922-1945.
		Maine--History--War of 1812.
		Real property--Massachusetts--Milton.
		Russia--History.
		United States--Economic conditions--1918-1945.
		Washington (D.C.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
		World War, 1939-1945--Causes.

Table of Contents

Materials Removed from the Collection

Photographs from this collection have been removed to the MHS Photo Archives (Photo. Coll. U-171).

Table of Contents

http://www.masshist.org/findingaids/doc.cfm?fa=fa0353
Send reference questions to library@masshist.org.

Collection processed by Susan Martin, June 2012.
Encoded by Susan Martin, June 2012

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