Abiel Holmes's book: bought Decem'r 23'd anno domini 1780 : manuscript, 1780-1783 and undated

Commonplace book containing excerpts on religion, philosophy, geometry and other subjects; with two fold-out tables, one concerning the "partition of sciences" and the other "grand divisions of Europe."

A book of miscellanies, 1770

A legal commonplace book by kept by Henry Wells of Worcester, Mass. Focuses on such topics as libel of a man to his wife, common recovery in writs and deeds, pleadings, trover, damages and costs, imprisonment, leases, mortgages, covenants, and ejectment. Also contains a number of miscellaneous entries touching on abridgements of law texts, minutes of court proceedings, kings of England, and biblical quotes. Five-page index located at the end of the work.

Law miscellany. 1782-1788

A lawyer's commonplace book of New Hampshire cases. Contains summaries of cases covering such topics as trespass, witnesses, injuries, bailbonds, and counterfeit money. Possibly kept by Jonathan Sewell.

Notebook of Obadiah Ayer, 1708-1716

The leather-bound notebook contains academic texts copied by Obadiah Ayer while he was a student at Harvard, and after his graduation in 1710. There is a general index to the included texts at the end of the volume.

Student notebook of Samuel Dunbar, 1721-1722

This leather-bound volume contains substantial transcriptions copied by Samuel Dunbar from textbooks while he was a student at Harvard in 1721 and 1722. There is a general index to texts at the end of the volume. Dunbar's notebook provides a window into the state of higher education in the eighteenth century and offers a firsthand account of academic life at Harvard College. Notably, he often indicated the number of days spent copying texts into his book.

An abridgment of what I extracted while an undergraduate at Harvard College, 1766-1769

The bound volume contains excerpts copied by Benjamin Wadsworth from books he read as a student at Harvard in the late 1760s. The volume includes almost no personal commentary on the readings. The excerpts are arranged by year of study for the academic years 1766-1769, beginning when Wadsworth was a sophomore. Each entry begins with a title indicating the book title and author for the passage, and there is an alphabetical index at the end of the volume. Wadsworth selected “extracts” from both religious and secular texts including several histories of England, American histories (with a focus on Puritans), the Bible, and in his senior year, “the Koran of Mohammed.” He also read several books on the art of speech and the art of preaching. There are few science texts included, though the final five-page entry is titled, “What I thought fit to note down from Mr. Winthrop’s experimental Lectures” and contains notes both on the content of Professor John Winthrop’s lectures as well as the types of experiments being performed in class. Wadsworth’s commonplace book offers a window on the state of higher education in the eighteenth century and offers a firsthand account of academic life at Harvard College.

Un receuil: containing painting, penmanship, algebra and pieces selected from various authors in prose and verse, with a few pieces in French with their translation / by Phebe Folger of Nantucket : manuscript, 1797-1806

Written mostly in a copperplate hand in black ink, and illustrated with watercolor drawings.

Student notebook of Marston Cabot, ca. 1720-1735

This leather-bound volume contains excerpts copied by Marston Cabot from books he read while he was a student at Harvard in 1723. The volume includes extracts from Charles Morton's 1687 Compendium Physicae (titled "of Phisicks" by Cabot), Dr. Adriani Heereboord (Adrianus Heereboord), Philosophia Naturalis and Johanne-Henrico Alstedio’s (John Henry Alsted) geometry text Compendium Geometria. The excerpts from Compendium Geometria include both figures and text, primarily in Latin with some Greek. The volume also includes “Theses quaedam extractae potissimum ex Enchiridio Metaphysico Domini Johannis Clerici" a précis of Jean Le Clerc's Ontologia et Pneumatologia made by Jonathan Remington, a Harvard Tutor from 1703 to 1711, to serve in place of printed textbooks. The names Jonathan Jackson and Edward Jackson are written on the inside cover, suggesting the book may have been handed down to Edward Jackson (Class of 1726) and his son Jonathan Jackson (Class of 1761). The text of the volume is in Marston Cabot's hand.

Revolutionary lyrics manuscript, [17--]

Satires written against the organizers of the American Revolution.

Notebook of Moses Appleton, 1794-1837 (inclusive)

Contains notes taken by Moses Appleton (1773-1849) on anatomy lectures delivered at Harvard by John Warren (1753-1815). Other lecture topics included midwifery and surgery. Also includes a transcript of an examination given by Warren to his students on anatomy and surgery, as well as exams given by Harvard Professor Benjamin Waterhouse (1754-1846) and Harvard Professor Aaron Dexter (1750-1829) on the theory and practice of physic, and chemistry, respectively. There are additionally patient case notes and transcriptions of notes and correspondence from physicians Appleton consulted, and a list of operations Appleton performed between 1796 and 1828, primarily repairing dislocated joints and fractured bones. Also includes obituaries of citizens of Waterville, Maine, from 1807 to 1837.

Miss Rebecca Story's book : manuscript, 1796-[ca. 1803]

Commonplace book of poetry some by Porter; with a list of names of female students at Mr. Woodbridge Academy, 1796. Also includes a poem by Porter concerning the death of her brother, Isaac Story (A. B. 1793).

Memoranda Medica of John Perkins, 1750-1773 (inclusive)

Contains notes written by Dr. John Perkins (1698-1781) from 1750 to 1773 on physiology, materia medica, and illness, including symptoms, causes, and treatment of conditions like mumps, dysentery, dropsy, and rheumatism. Also includes observations on children and on various bodily functions. There is an index at the end of the volume.

Observations Medical & Chirurgical by John Perkins, 1724-1774 (inclusive)

Volume kept by Dr. John Perkins (1698-1781) from 1724 to 1774 recording observations on various diseases and medical conditions illustrated with cases from Perkins's practice in Boston, Massachusetts. The cases ranged from epileptic fits, various fevers, and rheumatism to melancholy. His treament methods were standard for the era, mainly prescribing vomits, purges, and spirits, and bleeding patients. Also includes a section listing contradictory opinions among prominent medical writers such as Dutch physician Herman Boerhaave and English physician Thomas Sydenham. An index is located at the end of the volume. Perkins likely began compiling the book in 1765. It contains cases dating from 1724 to 1774.

Collection of Mary Gardner Marshall, 1795-1957 (inclusive)

Collection consists mainly of correspondence among family members and includes courtship correspondence of J. Doddridge to Julia, 1868-1875, and of Elsa and her future husband, Courtenay Hemenway, 1908-1912. Also included are photographs, genealogical material, a diary, commonplace and wedding books.

The lounger's common-place book; or Miscellaneous collections, in history, criticism, biography, poetry, & romance.

Mode of access: Internet.