Letters to George Simpson, 1796, 1806

Two letters to the cashier of the Bank of the United States requesting that funds be transferred to Andrew Bayard in Philadelphia, so that Paterson could receive his salary as associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Letter from James Winthrop to William Bentley, 1806 March 25

Two folio-sized leaves containing a three-page handwritten letter from Winthrop to Bentley discussing the cartographical work by James Bruce (1730-1794) related to the Red Sea, and coins.

Letter from James Winthrop to William Bentley, 1806 March 31

Two folio-sized leaves containing a one-page handwritten letter from Winthrop to Bentley discussing world geography and asking for news about the African expedition of Scottish explorer Mungo Park (1771-1806).

Records of the Geographical Society, ca. 1796

This small blue-covered paper notebook contains four leaves with the handwritten records of the Geographical Society, an undergraduate organization at Harvard in the late 1790s. The records consist of ten handwritten "Laws of the Geographical Society" and a short list of fines dispensed on October 7th. A list of six student surnames is written on a scrap of paper and attached with pins to the notebook's inside front cover. The surnames likely correspond to six members of the Harvard Class of 1798: John Abbot (1777-1854), Isaac Adams (d. 1807), Francis Brigham (d. November 14, 1796), Humphrey Devereux (1779-1867), Joseph Emerson (1777-1833), and Artemas Sawyer (d. 1826). The notebook is undated but was presumably kept in 1795 or 1796 around the time of Brigham's death on November 14, 1796. While Brigham's surname appears in the list of fines, it is crossed out on the inside front cover.

[Letter from William Allen to the Corporation of Harvard College], 1806 April 29

Letter requesting a proctor for the west end of Massachusetts Hall.

Papers of William Merchant Richardson, 1797-1806

The collection contains a four-page handwritten poem titled "Invention" composed by graduate William Richardson for the 1797 Harvard College Commencement, and an 1806 letter of introduction written by Richardson. The rhyming poem begins, “Long had creations anthem peal been rung…” and contains classical references, and mentions scientists and philosophers including Voltaire, Franklin and Newton. The poem is accompanied by a one-page handwritten letter of introduction for lawyer Benjamin Ames (Harvard AB 1803) written by William M. Richardson to Reverend William Jenks (Harvard AB 1797). The letter is dated November 10, 1806.

Letters to Hannah Collins, 1806 July

Two letters to Hannah Collins dated July 26 and 29, 1806, regarding money owed by Croswell for washing services.

Petition for financial assistance, 1806 September

One-page draft of a request by Croswell to an unidentified entity for financial assistance.

Letter from William Croswell to the City Council of Boston, 1827 September 4

Drafts of a letter concerning Croswell's June 1827 petition to the City Council.

Copyright certificate for the Celestial Planisphere, [1806] July 11

Handwritten copy of a certificate acknowledging the deposit of the title of Croswell's celestial planisphere with the clerk of the District of Massachusetts.

Diary entries, 1806

Two-leaf document containing three journal entries written by Croswell upon his arrival in Liverpool in late December 1806.