Letter from Daniel Upton to James Savage, 1799 September 29

Daniel Upton wrote this letter from Machias, Maine on September 29, 1799; it is addressed to James Savage, who was then a freshman at Harvard College. In the letter, Upton advises Savage to study ardently, avoiding the temptation to procrastinate. He thanks Savage for having sent him a copy of "Mr. Lowell's oration" and sends greetings to a Mr. Holbrook and Mr. Jones. He also passes along the fond wishes of those in Machias who know Savage, including John Cooper and his wife, Phineas Bruce and his wife, and Hannah Bruce (Upton's future wife). Upton explains that he is writing the letter in a hurry because he is sending it on board with Captain Merryman, who is about to set sail, presumably for Boston.

Notice of trial in the case of Jonathan Fish [et al.] v. William Betts, 12 April 1774

Document addressed to Thomas Hicks (attorney for the defendant) informing him that Scott (attorney for the plaintiff) intends to bring the case to trial "at the next Supreme Court of Judicature to be held for the Province of New York." Signed by Scott.

Student mathematical notebook of William Tudor, 1795

Notebook containing the handwritten mathematical exercises of William Tudor, kept in 1795 while he was an undergraduate at Harvard College. The volume contains rules, definitions, problems, drawings, and tables on geometry, trigonometry, surveying, calculating distances, sailing, and dialing. Some of the exercises are illustrated with hand-drawn diagrams. The Menusration of Heights and Distances section contains color drawings of buildings and trees, and some have been altered with notes in different hands and with humorous additions. For instance, a drawing of a tower was drawn into a figure titled “Egyptian Mummy.” Some of the images are identified: “A rude sketch of the Middlesex canal,” Genl Warren’s monument on Bunker Hill,” “Noddles Island,” “the fields of Elysium,” and the “Roxbury Canal.” The annotations and additional drawings are unattributed.

Letters from William Tudor to his family,

Five letters written from St. Pierre, Martinique, include updates on Tudor’s attempts to secure exclusive commercial rights to import ice to the island, as well as his ideas for storing ice and methods of storing cargo onboard a ship.

Letters from William Tudor to his family,

Four letters written from St. Thomas, St. Croix, and Santo Domingo, in which he indicates his petitions for privilege to import ice have been successful except at St. Croix with the Danish government. He also decribes the architecture and cultural diversity of St. Thomas, which had been rebuilt after a fire in 1805.

Letters from William Tudor to his sister, Emma Tudor Gardiner,

Two letters written from London. In one letter, written in French, Tudor inquires after Emma’s study of the piano and French. In a later letter, he describes to her the cottages he has seen in England, and advises her on the house she is planning to build in Gardiner, Maine, including two architectural sketches. Tudor also offers detailed descriptions of the shops in London, his impressions of Londoners’ rudeness and "blustering air," his impressions of the different classes in England and France, and fashions of the ladies.

Letters from Emma Tudor Gardiner to her brother, William Tudor,

Four letters written from Oaklands, the Gardiner family mansion. Emma details the family’s journey to Gardiner from Boston, and offers updates on her children’s activities and health. She also writes following the death of their father, William Tudor, expressing profound grief and reflecting on his character and good nature.

Letters from Emma Tudor Gardiner to her brother, William Tudor,

Four letters in which Emma further expresses grief over the loss of their father and gives a positive critique of a memoir of William Tudor that her brother had written. Other topics include literature, friends, and visitors to Oaklands, and various purchases her brother made on her behalf in Boston.

Letters from Emma Tudor Gardiner to her brother, William Tudor,

Four letters in which Emma writes instructions for Tudor to buy her a shawl and her children a tea-set. In one letter, she recommends changes to Tudor’s diet and exercise routine to improve his health.

Letters from William Tudor to his brother, Frederic Tudor,

Three letters written while Tudor was in the West Indies attempting to gain exclusive rights to import ice.

Letters from John Thornton Kirkland to William Tudor,

One letter regarding a stone chapel being built at Harvard, and one letter providing biographical information on James Otis.

Letters from William Tudor to John Thornton Kirkland,

Four letters written from Birmingham, England, in which Tudor suggests changes to Harvard’s grounds and facilities, hiring practices for tutors, and university publications. He also alludes to the War of 1812.

Letters from William Tudor to John Thornton Kirkland,

Four letters written from Boston regarding plans to establish a new literary periodical, the North American Review. Tudor asks Kirkland to contribute to the periodical and describes plans to establish a lecture series at the Boston Athenaum.

Letters from William Tudor to John Thornton Kirkland,

Six letters written from Boston mainly discussing Tudor’s efforts to obtain content for the North American Review and printing deadlines.