Notes for a memorial (fragment), [ca. 1829]

Fragment of notes referencing the Harvard President's third plan for the library catalogue.

Draft of a memorial to an unidentified board (fragment), [1829] March 5-9

Fragment of a draft of a petition.

Petition to the City Council of Boston, 1829 October 5

One draft of a letter.

Draft of a petition to an unidentified board, [1829] November 6

One draft of a letter.

Observations of Sun Spots, 1739-1743

Eleven-page notebook containing John Winthrop's handwritten observations and calculations. Titled by Winthrop "Observations of 'Spots' on ye Sun with ye Naked Eye," this is the first known record of his scientific observations and records what he saw while examining the sun "with an 8 foot telescope from 6 a.m. til sun set" on the Boston Commons and concluding with "a considerable aurora borealis" that night (April 20, 1739). It has been speculated that his reference to the aurora borealis in these observations may indicate that he recognized the interrelation of the aurora borealis and sun spots, a concept which was not definitively established until the mid-nineteenth century.

College commons records, 1765-1829 (inclusive)

This volume, containing chronologically arranged papers mounted and bound around 1840, provides comprehensive documentation of the College commons around the turn of the 19th century. In particular, the volume documents the role the Steward played in overseeing the Commons. The records chiefly consist of the quarter reports of the Committee assigned to review the Steward’s accounts. Other documents include lists of utensils, bills for dinners for the Corporation, Overseers, and Commencement, regulations, lists of abatements for students’ quarterly bills, and information on kitchen staff.

Ledger for the Classes of 1732-1743, 1728-1749

The volume, bound in a modern green leather binding, contains accounts for the Classes of 1732-1743. The Steward's accounts with Harvard College are interspersed throughout the volume.

Council's Proceedings on the petition of the President and Fellows of Harvard College, 1743 March 7

Handwritten copy, signed by Josiah Willard, of a March 7, 1743 Council vote ordering further work by a Committee considering a petition by the Harvard Corporation related to ferry fares, and a half-page response by Francis Foxcroft suggesting that the Committee recommend certain fare rates and ferryman percentages.

Draft of a petition to the General Court from the Corporation, 1743 October 26-27

Two-page handwritten draft of a petition to the General Court signed by President Edward Holyoke, and a half-page letter that accompanied the draft from President Holyoke to Tutor Flynt, a member of the Committee to draft the petition.