Manuscripts

King George II Order, 1737

Order by King George II (1683-1760) of England appointing a committee to assemble at Hampton to adjust the boundaries between the Provinces of New Hampshire & Massachusetts Bay. Addressed to Council members from NY, NJ, RI, & Nova Scotia. Authorizes any five or more of the said councillors to be commissioners to resolve the dispute.

S0786

“Petition” by Celia Thaxter, 1893

Poem “Petition” by Celia Thaxter “Copied for Mrs. Goodwin March 31st 1893.” Celia Thaxter (1835-1894), an artist, poet and painter, is one of the most well known nineteenth century residents of the Isles of Shoals. MS058 B7 F19

Bill of Landing for the Ship Sarah, 1716

1716 Bill of Landing for the Ship Sarah owned by Benjamin Hale and Henry Hale, captained by John Hollicomb, coming from Barbados to Piscataqua, with rum, molasses, and cotton, on account of William Pepperrell (1648-1733), merchant of Piscataqua. William Pepperrell had one of the largest business networks in the Piscataqua region at the time with agents in Barbados, London and Lisbon. MS093 B01 F20.5

John S. Blunt Sketchbook, 1830

Sketchbook kept by artist (painter), John S. Blunt, dated Boston, 1830. The sketchbook contains twenty-six pencil sketches (some detailed, some very simple) and one watercolor. Sketches are of buildings, boats and scenery. One page contains notes. John Sherburne Blunt was an American painter born in Portsmouth in 1798, the son of Capt. Mark S. Blunt and Mary Sarah Drowne. He lived in Portsmouth and also traveled with artist William P. Codman up the Merrimack River, hiring himself for portraits, landscapes and fancy paintings. In 1821 he married Esther Peake Colby in Boston and in 1825 he advertises a “Drawing and Painting School” in the Portsmouth Journal. In 1830 he moved to Boston and set up a studio. S0856

Bill of Mortality, Dr. Lyman Spalding, 1803

Printed “Bill of Mortality, for Portsmouth, New Hampshire for A.D. 1803. By Lyman Spalding”. Document lists the cause of death by month and age of individual for Portsmouth during the year 1803. Dr. Lyman Spalding was most known for his role in establishing the United States Pharmacopeia. Spalding was born in Cornish, NH in 1775 and graduated from Harvard in 1797. He was instrumental in the establishment of a Medical School at Dartmouth College and in 1799 he began to practice medicine in Portsmouth. In 1802 he married Elizabeth Coues in Portsmouth. A well respected and highly trained physician, he brought small pox vaccination to Portsmouth and kept careful statistics of cause of death in the community in his annual published “Bill of Mortality.” S0486

The Athenaeum collects, preserves, and makes available photographs and manuscripts related to the history of the Seacoast Region of New Hampshire. The archives contain over 100 large manuscript collections, nearly 1500 single items and small collection manuscripts, and nearly 28,000 photographic images.

The collections include papers of many notable Portsmouth men including John Langdon, Governor of New Hampshire and member of the Continental Congress; Tobias Ham Miller, nineteenth century publisher and Congregationalist turned Universalist minister; William Whipple, signer of the Declaration of Independence; and John Sise, nineteenth century merchant and insurance agent. Collections of family papers include diaries, correspondence, and personal papers that highlight the lives of both men and women in Portsmouth. Among others, the Athenaeum has papers for the Pepperrell, Coues, Hill, Ladd, Parrott, Spalding, Wendell, and Treadwell families. For scholars of women’s history, the papers of the Portsmouth Female Asylum, the Bridget Graffort Club and the Daughters of the American Revolution offer a glimpse into the lives of women through organizational involvement. Collections related to Portsmouth businesses and private organizations can also be found at the Athenaeum including records for Green’s Drug Store, the Portsmouth Yacht Club, the New Castle Bridge Association, and the Mechanic Fire Society.

The Athenaeum is the deposit location for the records and papers of many of Portsmouth’s churches including the North Church, South Church, St. John’s Church, Temple Israel, and Central Baptist Church. Numerous historic houses and organizations have also placed their records and collections on deposit at the Athenaeum including the Portsmouth Historical Society, the Warner House Association, the Wentworth-Gardner Association and the Moffatt Ladd House. Of particular interest to many researchers is the Athenaeum’s collection of materials related to the Isles of Shoals including materials related to Celia Thaxter. The Athenaeum owns the photograph collection of Lyman Rutledge and is the deposit location for the papers and photographs of the Star Island Corporation.

FROM THE VAULT

The latest news from the Portsmouth Athenaeum archives

FROM THE VAULT: New Kimball Bragdon Collection

Aug 15, 2018

On July 30, 1839, Clara Bragdon composed a letter to her future-in-laws, Wilbraham and Debourah Kimball. She was concerned about Israel Kimball, their son and her soon-to-be husband. Israel was struggling financially and in poor health while completing his coursework at Bowdoin College. Clara wrote:

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