Collection of Harvard College admission form letter and bills sent to Charles Walker and his son Charles Walker, Jr., 1785-1816

This collection consists primarily of quarter bills and butler's bills from Charles Walker and Charles Walker, Jr.'s years as students at Harvard College, from 1785 to 1789 and from 1815-1816. It includes the following materials from Charles Walker: a form of admission (a printed form letter with manuscript annotations and signatures) from August 1785, quarter bills and butler's bills from 1785 to 1789, and occasional receipts of payment. The documents from Charles Walker, Jr. are less numerous, consisting solely of quarter bills from 1815 and 1816. The bills for father and son include annotations explaining the basis of additional or unusual charges, including fines for absence from lectures and prayers. The form used for the son's quarter bills, issued in 1815 and 1816, separate the amounts owed into the following categories: Steward and Commons, Sizings, Study and Cellar Rent, Instruction, Librarian, Natural History, Episcopal Church, Books, Catalogue and Commencement Dinner, Repairs, Sweepers, Assessments for delinquency in payment of Quarter Bills, Wood, and Fines. All of the bills are printed forms which were then filled out by hand, by either the steward or the butler, and issued to the students. Caleb Gannett was the College steward during both father and son's era. Joshua Paine, William Harris, and Thomas Adams served, successively, as butler during the father's era. Some of the butler's bills are signed by Roger Vose, a student who appears to have been employed by the butler in 1786 and 1787.

[Admittatur of Samuel Abbot Kneeland (Harvard AB 1797)], 1793 August 15

Published copy of the 1790 College Laws, with the admittatur of undergraduate Samuel Abbot Kneeland signed by President Joseph Willard on August 15, 1793.

[Admittatur of Henry Gardner (Harvard AB 1798)], 1794 August 13

Published copy of the 1790 College Laws, in a modern hardcover binding, with the admittatur of undergraduate Henry Gardner signed by President Joseph Willard on August 13, 1794.

[Admittatur of Samuel Weed (Harvard AB 1800)], 1796 August 17

Published copy of the 1790 College Laws, bound in modern board binding, with the admittatur of undergraduate Samuel Weed signed by President Joseph Willard on August 17, 1796.

[Admittatur of Timothy Fuller (Harvard AB 1801)], 1797 August 18

Published copy of the 1790 College Laws with the admittatur of undergraduate Timothy Fuller signed by President Joseph Willard on August 18, 1797.

[Admittatur of Benjamin Merrill (Harvard AB 1804)], 1800 August 12

Published copy of the 1790 College Laws with the admittatur of undergraduate Benjamin Merrill signed by President Joseph Willard on August 12, 1800. Four pages of amendments of and additions to the Harvard Laws "enacted since the Summer of 1798, and are now in force Dec. 1, 1800" are tipped in at the beginning of the volume.

[Form of Admission of Ichabod Tucker (Harvard AB 1791)], 1787 August 16-17

Printed certificate of admission for undergraduate Ichabod Tucker certified by Steward Caleb Gannett on August 16, 1787 and signed by President Joseph Willard on August 17, 1787.

[Form of Admission of Francis Oliver (Harvard AB 1795)], 1791 August 19-20

Printed certificate of admission for undergraduate Francis J. Oliver certified by Steward Caleb Gannett on August 19, 1791 and signed by President Joseph Willard on August 20, 1791.

[Admittatur of Thomas Wigglesworth], 1829 August 24

Printed copy of an undated abstract of laws and regulations with the admittatur of undergraduate Thomas Wigglesworth signed by President Josiah Quincy on August 24, 1829.

[Admittatur of W. O. White], 1836 August 30

Printed copy of the 1833 abstract of laws and regulations with the admittatur of undergraduate W. O. White signed by President Josiah Quincy on August 30, 1836.

[Admittatur of Samuel F. McCleary], 1837 August 28

Printed copy of the 1833 abstract of laws and regulations with the admittatur of undergraduate Samuel F. McCleary signed by President Josiah Quincy on August 28, 1837.

[Admittatur of Isaac F. Shepard], 1838 August 28

Printed copy of an undated abstract of laws and regulations with the admittatur of undergraduate Isaac F. Shepard signed by President Josiah Quincy on August 28, 1837.

[Admittatur of Thomas Bartlett Hall], 1840 August 25

Printed copy of an undated abstract of laws and regulations with the admittatur of undergraduate Thomas B. Hall signed by President Josiah Quincy on August 25, 1840. The admittatur identifies Hall as a freshman.

[Certificate of admission of Thomas B. Hall], 1840 August 27

Printed copy of an undated abstract of laws and regulations with the admittatur of undergraduate Thomas Bartlett Hall to the Sophomore class on probation signed by President Josiah Quincy on August 27, 1840. The admittatur identifies Hall as a sophomore.

Journal of Charles Coffin and David Gurney, 1781-1785

This diary appears to have been kept by two different students, both members of the Harvard College class of 1785. The first two pages contain entries made by a student named David, believed to be David Gurney because the entries relate to the freshman curriculum and Gurney was the only student named David who was a freshman in 1781. Gurney originally titled the volume "A Journal or Diary of my concerns in College of important matters." He made entries from August 28 through October 21, 1781, recording his lessons on Virgil, Tully, Homer, the Greek Testament, Hebrew grammar, English author John Ash's "Grammar," and a text called "The Art of Speaking." At the top of one of the pages recounting these studies, Gurney wrote in large, bold letters: "About how I misspent my precious time." Charles Coffin's entries begin on October 25, 1781 and fill the bulk of the journal. Coffin kept this diary while a student at Harvard College from 1781 to 1785. Although most of Coffin's entries are written in Latin, an account of his July 1781 examination for admission to the College is in English.