Letter from Samuel Willard, Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Sophronia Willard, Lancaster, Massachusetts, October 18, 1805

Willard describes his current job working at Harvard, where he is paid “to keep order in one of the buildings.” He mentions that he can attend medical lectures free of charge, and refers to a preacher, Mr. Parker, a former classmate of Willard’s. He explains that he is currently with his brother Solomon, who is ill, and that he is living in the College House, where he resided his first year of school.

Letter from Samuel Willard, Exeter, New Hampshire, to William Willard and Katherine Willard, Petersham, Massachusetts, November 25, 1805

Willard describes his usual daily routines relating to teaching at Philips Academy and his plans to leave Exeter.

Letter from Samuel Willard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Catherine Willard, Petersham, Massachusetts, May 14, 1806

Willard asks his family to write to him more often, and discusses his plans to begin preaching at Hingham.

Letter from Samuel Willard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Abigail Willard, Petersham, Massachusetts, September 29, 1806

Willard discusses family issues then explains that he was preaching in Lexington for three weeks and turned down an offer to stay longer. He says that instead, he will “make Cambridge my headquarters.” Willard asks his sister to pick up his clothes for him.

Letters from Daniel Bates to William Jenks, May 1795-September 1798

Daniel Bates wrote these five letters to his friend and classmate, William Jenks, between May 1795 and September 1798. In a letter written May 12, 1795, Bates informs Jenks, who was then employed as an usher at Mr. Webb's school, of his studies of Euclid, the meeting of several undergraduate societies, and various sightings of birds, gardens and trees. In a letter written in November 1795 from Princeton, where he was apparently on vacation with the family of classmate Leonard Jarvis, he describes playing the game "break the Pope's neck" and tells Jenks what he was reading (Nicholson, Paley?, and Thompson) and what his friend's father was reading (Mirabeau and Neckar).

Letters from John Hubbard Church to William Jenks, 1795-1798

John Hubbard Church wrote these twelve letters to his friend and classmate William Jenks between 1795 and 1798. Church wrote the letters from Boston, Rutland, Cambridge, and Chatham in Massachusetts and from Somers, Connecticut; they were sent to Jenks in Cambridge and Boston, where for a time he worked as an usher in Mr. Vinall's school and Mr. Webb's school. Church's letters touch on various subjects, ranging from his increased interest in theology and his theological studies under Charles Backus to his seasickness during a sailing voyage to Cape Cod. Church also informs Jenks of what he is reading, including works by John Locke, P. Brydone, James Beattie, John Gillies, Plutarch, and Alexander Pope. He describes his work teaching that children of the Sears family in Chatham, Massachusetts, where he appears to have spent a significant amount of time between 1795 and 1797. Church's letters are at times very personal, and he often expresses great affection for Jenks and their friendship.

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.

Papers of David Sewall, 1753-1756

Three letters written to David Sewall (Harvard AB 1755). The first letter, written on September 21, 1753 by Samuel Sewall in York, to his brother at Harvard sends general news, asks after a hat sent to David, and requests he have a wig made for him. The second letter, written by Harvard student David Wyer on August 28, 1756, enthusiastically thanks Sewall for his past advice. The third letter, also sent from his brother Samuel in York on December 9, 1766, offers David advice on love. The two later letters were sent to Sewall while he was a schoolmaster in Wells, Maine.

Copy of the return of the writ of partition relating to the lands of Peter Weare & others of Casco Bay : manuscript, [1730]

Document concerns how certain lands around Casco Bay, York Co., Maine, were partitioned in accordance with an order of a writ.

Account book of Andrew Croswell, 1794-1802

Andrew Croswell kept this account book while an undergraduate at Harvard College. It contains entries from 1794, the year he entered, until his graduation in 1798. There is also one entry on the back cover apparently made in 1802. The entries, divided by school term, are very detailed. Croswell indicates the cost of the following, among many other expenses and purchases: transportation, most often to Hingham and Plymouth; payment for "passing the bridge"; candles; hiring a horse; wood and having it cut; laundry; quills and pencils; paper and ink; razors, haircuts, hair ribbons; a trunk; clothing and cloth for trousers; furniture; tickets to the theater; door locks; a bowl and spoon; "batts and balls" and "other necessaries"; tobacco; toothbrushes; shoe and boot repair; fruit; wine, brandy and rum; cheese; coffee and tea; butter; lemons; sugar; and wafers. There are also entries for college-related costs, including the payment of quarter bills, buttery bills, Hasty Pudding Club dues, and a fee to the President of Harvard College related to Croswell's graduation. There are also entries pertaining to the cost of celebrating various special occasions, including Election Day, Christmas Eve, "Independent Day," and George Washington's birthday.

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.

Commonplace book of Moses Appleton, 1791-1815 (inclusive)

Volume containing medicinal recipes, medical notes, poetry, and obituaries written by Dr. Moses Appleton (1773-1849). Many of the recipes were copied from medical texts or other publications. His "cure for the dropsy," taken from the New York Herald, contained stale cider, parsley, horseradish, oxymel squills (sea onion in honey), and juniper berries. For diarrhea, he prescribed a blackberry syrup. Several entries indicate Appleton practiced Thomsonian medicine, an alternative system based on use of botanicals. The medical notes include an account of his treatment of a man with smallpox in 1815, and entries on patients he inoculated with cowpox matter. Another entry dated in 1796 provides instructions from the Massachusetts Humane Society for "treatment to be used with persons apparently dead from drowning," which included blowing tobacco smoke in the victim's lungs and applying warm blankets for several hours. Appleton adds a note questioning whether or not the lungs also should be "often artificially inflated." There is additionally a history of prominent physicians dating from ancient Greece.

New England Coast, Nautical Chart, 1776 (Image 2 of 2) (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of a historic nautical chart entitled: The coast of New England (sheet originally published in 1776). The map is [sheet 2] from the Atlantic Neptune atlas Vol. 3 : Charts of the coast and harbors of New England, from surveys taken by Samuel Holland and published by J.F.W. Des Barres, 1781. Scale [ca. 1:534,000]. This layer is image 2 of 2 total images of the two sheet source map, representing the northern portion of the map. Covers the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. The image is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the 'World Mercator' (WGS 84) projected coordinate system. All map collar information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows coastal features such as harbors, inlets, rocks, channels, points, coves, shoals, islands, and more. Includes also selected land features such as cities and towns. Relief is shown by hachures; depths by soundings and shading. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection. The entire Atlantic Neptune atlas Vol. 3 : Charts of the coast and harbors of New England has been scanned and georeferenced as part of this selection.

New England and Middle Atlantic States, 1671 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Novi Belgii, quod nunc Novi Jorck vocatur, Novae q[ue] Angliae & partis Virginiae : accuratissima et novissima delineatio. It was published by J. Meurs for Arnoldus Montanus' De Nieuwe en onbekende weereld, 1671. p. 122-123. Scale [ca. 1:3,500,000]. Covers the northeast Atlantic States from Maine to Virginia, and a portion of Canada. In Latin. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Mercator (world) projection. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as human settlements, Native American tribal lands, drainage, shoreline features, and more. Relief is shown pictorially. Includes illustrations and illustrative cartouche. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps of New England from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

New England and Middle Atlantic States, 1660 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Belgii novi, angliae novae, et partis Virginiae : novissima delineatio. It was published by Ioannes Ianssonius (Jan Jansson) between 1660 and 1663. Scale [ca. 1:2,450,000]. Covers the northeast Atlantic States from Maine to Virginia, and a portion of Canada. In Latin. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Mercator (world) projection. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as human settlements, forts, Native American tribal lands, drainage, shoreline features, and more. Relief is shown pictorially. Includes illustrations. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps of New England from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.