COLLECTION GUIDES

1851-1904

Guide to the Collection

browse digital content

Representative digitized documents from this collection:

Restrictions on Access

Use of the originals is restricted. This collection is available as color digital facsimiles (see links below). Black and white microfilm is also available for use in the library, P-767.


Collection Summary

Abstract

This collection consists of 5 document boxes of volumes and loose items created by Charles Edward French.

Biographical Sketch

Charles Edward French (1837-1904), son of John Allen French and Lucy Perkins (Spear) French, was a Boston broker, hardware merchant, and drug merchant.

Collection Description

This collection consists of the diaries of Charles Edward French, 1851-1904 (with gaps). Entries include French's descriptions of family activities, school attendance at the Adams School in East Boston, work at the hardware store of George H. Gray and Company early in his career, his ownership of a hardware store and brokerage firm, work selling drugs including opium, sexual attractions to others, views on local politics and the Civil War, autograph collecting, his father John French's interest in preserving public gardens, his own interest in preserving the Boston Common and other public gardens and cemeteries, and the weather.

Also included in the collection are cash accounts (1858-1861 and 1864-1866), reminiscences of his childhood, poetry, and estate papers (1905-1907).

Acquisition Information

Gift of Charles Stratton French, Sep. 1923.

Restrictions on Access

Use of the originals is restricted. This collection is available as color digital facsimiles (see links below). Black and white microfilm is also available for use in the library, P-767.

Other Formats

The collection is also available as color digital facsimiles and on microfilm, P-787, 6 reels.

Detailed Description of the Collection

Box 1Reel 1Vol. 1digitized

Diary, 1 Feb.-21 Sep. 1851

Box 1Reel 1Vol. 2digitized

Diary, 22 Sep. 1851-31 July 1852

Box 1Reel 1Vol. 3digitized

Diary, 1 Aug. 1852-9 Sep. 1855

Box 1Reel 1Vol. 4digitized

Diary, 10 Sep. 1855-27 Apr. 1857

Box 2Reel 2Vol. 5digitized

Diary, 7 May 1857-24 Apr. 1859

Box 2Reel 2Vol. 6digitized

Diary, 22 May 1859-30 Sep. 1864

Box 2Reel 2Vol. 7digitized

Diary, 1 Oct. 1864-11 Jan. 1866

Box 2Reel 2Vol. 8digitized

Diary, 12 Jan. 1866-31 Oct. 1867

Box 2Reel 3Vol. 9digitized

Diary, 1 Nov. 1867-28 Mar. 1870

Box 3Reel 3Vol. 10digitized

Diary, 29 Mar. 1870-31 Mar. 1872

Box 3Reel 3Vol. 11digitized

Diary, 1 Apr. 1872-20 Nov. 1874

Box 3Reel 4Vol. 12digitized

Diary, 21 Nov. 1874-1 July 1877

Box 3Reel 4Vol. 13digitized

Diary, 10 July 1877-23 Mar. 1883

Box 4Reel 4Vol. 14digitized

Diary, 24 Mar. 1883-8 June 1887

Box 4Reel 5Vol. 15digitized

Diary, 9 June 1887-4 June 1892

Box 4Reel 5Vol. 16digitized

Diary, 5 June 1892-12 Nov. 1897

Box 4Reel 5Vol. 17digitized

Diary, 13 Nov. 1897-2 July 1901

Box 5Reel 5Vol. 18digitized

Diary, 3 July 1901-26 Nov. 1904

Box 5Reel 6Folder 1digitized

"Prior diary of early reminiscences/ Early Memories/ Autobiography of Charles E. French from 1837 to 1851 at which latter date my diary was commenced"

Box 5Reel 6Folder 2digitized

"Verses and sentiments composed by C. E. French/ Begun 1887-"

Box 5Reel 6Folder 3digitized

"C. E. F. Poems and sentiments," 1897

Box 5Reel 6Folder 4digitized

"Original Verses/ written by Charles E. French - ('Cephus')" and cash accounts, 5 Jan. 1864-5 Jan. 1866

Box 5Reel 6Folder 5digitized

"Excerpts/ Nuggets from the poets - Vol. 2/ Begun Mch - 1894/ selected by C. E. French"

There is no apparent vol. 1 of excerpts in this collection.

Box 5Reel 6Folder 6digitized

Cash account book, 1 Jan. 1858-1 Jan. 1861

Box 5Reel 6Folder 7digitized

Loose papers relating to the estate of C. E. French, 1905-1907

Preferred Citation

Charles Edward French diaries, Massachusetts Historical Society.

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.

Organizations:

Adams School (East Boston, Mass.).
George H. Gray and Company (Boston, Mass.).

Subjects:

Account books--1856-1861.
Autographs--Massachusetts--Collectors and collecting.
Boston Common (Boston, Mass.).
Boston (Mass.)--Politics and government--19th century.
Boston (Mass.)--Social life and customs--19th century.
Brokers--Diaries.
Brokers--Massachusetts--Boston.
Cemeteries--Massachusetts--Boston.
Descendents' estates--Massachusetts--Boston.
Diaries--1851-1903.
Drugstores--Massachusetts--Boston.
Hardware stores--Massachusetts--Boston.
Merchants--Diaries.
Merchants--Massachusetts--Boston.
Opium trade.
Parks--Massachusetts--Boston.
Poetry.
Public Garden (Boston, Mass.).
Sexual attraction.
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Public opinion.
Weather.

Items Removed from the Collection

French's autograph collection was removed from this collection to the Charles Edward French autograph collection, 1337-1897.