W O R C E S T E R H I S T O R I C A LM U S E U M

30 Elm StreetWorcester, Massachusetts

A R C H I V E S

2 0 1 0 . F I A . 0 2

Hamilton Family Papers1801 - 1908

(Bulk dates 1830- 1908)

Processed by Moira O'ConnellApril 2010

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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

S e r i e s P a g e B o x

C o l l e c t i o n I n f o r m a t i o n 3

H i s t o r i c a l / B i o g r a p h i c a l N o t e s 4

S c o p e a n d C o n t e n t 4

S e r i e s D e s c r i p t i o n 5

1 A s a & C h a r l e s A u g u s t u s H a m i l t o n 6 - 7 1 & 2

2 J a m e s P r e s c o t t H a m i l t o n 7 - 8 3

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C o l l e c t i o n I n f o r m a t i o n

A b s t r a c t :

The Hamilton Family Papers focus on the lives of Charles A. Hamilton and JamesP. Hamilton, respected member of Worcester's community in the mid 19"̂ and early 20'̂centuries. Materials include store ledgers (Asa and Charles' dry goods store), a diary,bound volumes of poetry and music compositions, legal papers, and materials related toCharles A. Hamilton's role as tax collector, bank employee (both at Quinsigamond Bankand Worcester County Institute for Savings), lawyer, justice of the peace, city clerk, anddeputy sheriff for the city of Worcester.

The collection also includes legal papers related to Charles A. Hamilton's estate(executed by James P. Hamilton), as well as James' bound volume of "high schoolquotations", and correspondence. James P. Hamilton was a member of Worcester societybelonging to many social organizations such as the Commonwealth Club Corporation,Tatnuck Country Club, and was an originating member of the Worcester Art Museum.

Kev Words: Hamilton; Worcester; Quinsigamond Bank; Worcester County Institute forSavings; Deputy Sheriff of Worcester, Commonwealth Club Corporation; TatnuckCountry Club; Worcester Art Museum; Quinsigamond Boat Club

Finding Aid : Finding Aid in print form is available in the Repository.

Preferred Citation : Worcester Historical Museum, Worcester, Massachusetts.

Provenance : Donated by John Herron. Originally in two acquisitions, accession number1951 .51 and 1975 .60 .

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His to r i ca l /B iog raph ica l No tes

The Hamilton family were active members of the Worcester community during the 19̂ ''and early centuries. Prominent citizens, they were involved in city government aswell as many of Worcester's well known institutions such as banks and law offices.Materials include store ledgers, a diary, bound volumes of poetry and musiccompositions, legal papers, and materials related to Charles A. Hamilton's role as taxcollector, bank employee, lawyer, justice of the peace, city clerk, and deputy sheriff forthe city of Worcester. The collection also includes legal papers and correspondence keptby James P. Hamilton.

Charles A. Hamilton was bom on May 11, 1805, the son of Asa and Elizabeth (Blair)Hamilton. He was one of two children, having a brother Sewall who died in 1824.Charlesworked with his father, Asa in the family's dry goods store in the mid to late 1820s. In1830, he was made deputy sheriff for Worcester, a position which he served in for threeyears. During the 1830s, Charles took on many roles in Worcester, as constable, taxcollector, auctioneer, lawyer, notary public, justice of the peace, and city clerk. He usedthese connections to take additional positions as the treasurer of the republican citycommittee, the H' Unitarian church, clerk at the Quinsigamond Bank, and the treasurer atthe Worcester County Institution for Savings. He married twice, first to Eliza AbbottPorter who died in 1846, and then to Hannah Maria Prescott. He had five children, SarahAbbott Hamilton, Francis Towne Hamilton, Calvin Willard Hamilton, Edward BangsHamilton, and James Prescott Hamilton.

James Prescott Hamilton was bom on April 13, 1846. Following in his father's footsteps,he too became a well respected lawyer, and bank representative in Worcester. Takingadvantage of his family's prominent place in the city, he was a noted member ofWorcester Society, belonging to many social clubs and cultural organizations. He was anoriginal member of the Worcester Art Museum and gained entry into the CommonwealthCountry Club, the Tatnuck Country Club, and the Quinsigamond Boat Club. Thecollection includes papers pertaining to his role as the executor of his father's estate hisvolume of "high school quotations", and a series of correspondence between himself andhis family members as hey completed a tour of Europe in 1908.

Scope and Content

The collection contains the documentation from two generations of Hamilton (CharlesAugustus and James Prescott Hamilton) starting in 1801 and ending in 1908 (bulk dates1830 - 1908). Materials include store ledgers, a diary, bound volumes of poetry andmusic compositions, legal papers, and materials related to Charles A. Hamilton's role astax collector, bank employee, lawyer, justice of the peace, city clerk, and deputy sherifffor the city of Worcester. The collection also includes legal papers and correspondencekept by James P. Hamilton.

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Series Descr ipt ions

Series 1: Asa & Charles Augustus Hamilton (1801 - 1879)Sub Ser ies A \ Asa Hami l ton

D e e d s

ReceiptsDry goods store records (three bound volumes)

Sub Series B: Charles Augustus HamiltonRecords of family births, deaths, marriagesDiaryPersona l accoun t bookVolume of poetryVolume of musical compositionsScrapbook of popular musicLegal papersPapers associated with Charles' public roles in the city of Worcester

Series 2: James Prescott Hamilton (1846 - 1908)

Sub Series A: Estate of Charles Augustus HamiltonEsta te recordsE s t a t e A c c o u n t B o o kEstate check books and stubs

Sub Ser ies B: James Prescot t Hami l ton 's Personal F i le

High school book of quotationsCorrespondence, including two letters from James' daughter Edith to herb ro the r Cha r l es

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Hamilton Family Papers2 0 1 0 . F I A . 0 2

Series 1, Asa & Charles Augustus Hamilton

B o x # F o l d e r # A c c e s s i o n # D e s c r i p t i o n

1 2 0 1 0 . F I A . 0 2 . 1 . 1 . 1 D e e d o f l a n d p u r c h a s e d f r o mNathaniel Coolidge (March 9, 1801)

1 2 0 1 0 . F I A . 0 2 . 1 . 1 . 2 O r d e r o f P a y m e n t , J a m e s C a m p b e l l(May 19, 1805)

3 2 0 1 0 . F I A . 0 2 . 1 . 1 . 3 Ta x r e c e i p t , J a m e s H a r r i n g t o n ( J u l y5, 1831)

4 2 0 1 0 . F I A . 0 2 . 1 . 1 . 4 D r y g o o d s t o r e l e d g e r , v o l u m e 1(1827- 1829)

5 2 0 1 0 . F I A . 0 2 . 1 . 1 . 5 D r y g o o d s t o r e l e d g e r , v o l u m e 2(1830- 1831)

6 2 0 1 0 . F I A . 0 2 . 1 . 1 . 6 D r y g o o d s t o r e l e d g e r , v o l u m e 3(1833 - 1851)

2010.FIA.02.1 .2 .1 Records o f b i r ths , deaths andmarriages in Hamilton Family,bound volume (1830 - 1879)

2 - 2 0 1 0 . F I A . 0 2 . 1 . 2 . 2 D i a r y ( 1 8 3 5 - 1 8 7 9 )

2 - 2 0 1 0 . F I A . 0 2 . 1 . 2 . 3 P e r s o n a l a c c o u n t b o o k ( 1 8 5 7 - 1 8 6 9 )

2 - 2 0 1 0 . F I A . 0 2 . 1 . 2 . 4 B o o k o f p o e t r y b y C h a r l e s A .Hamilton (ca misd-1800s)

2 - 2 0 1 0 . F I A . 0 2 . 1 . 2 . 5 B o o k o f m u s i c a l c o m p o s i t i o n s b yCharles A. Hamilton (ca mid-1800s)

2 - 2 0 1 0 . F I A . 0 2 . 1 . 2 . 6 P o p u l a r s h e e t m u s i c s c r a p b o o k(cal890)

2 1 2 0 1 0 . F I A . 0 2 . 1 . 2 . 7 - 2 2 L e g a l p a p e r s ( 1 8 2 6 - 1 8 7 9 )

2 2 2 0 1 0 . F I A . 0 2 . 1 . 2 3 - 3 0 L o c a l a p p o i n t m e n t s t o o f fi c e ( 1 8 3 0 -1851)

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2010.FIA.02.1.2.31-49 Tax collection records, general (1831- 1832)

2 0 1 0 . F 1 A . 0 2 . 1 . 2 . 5 0 - 7 1 Ta x c o l l e c t i o n r e c o r d s , C a l v i n i s tParish (1831 - 1833)

2010.FIA.02.1.2.72-93 Tax collection records. Mil i tary(1832- 1833)

2010.FIA.02.1.2.94-125 Tax collection records. First Parish(1831 - 1834)

2010.F1A.02.1.2 .126-124 Tax co l lec t ion records. Schooldistricts 1 and 2 (1832 - 1833)

2010.FIA.02.1 .2 .145-191 Tax co l lec t ion records. SecondParish (1830- 1833)

2010.FIA.02.1 .2 .192-273 Tax co l lec t ion records. Town Orders(1831 - 1836)

2010.F1A.02.1.2.274-292 Quinsigamond Bank Records (1839- 1842)

Hamilton Family Papers2 0 1 0 . F I A . 0 2

Series 2, James Prescott Hamilton

A c c e s s i o n # D e s c r i p t i o n

2010.FIA.02.2.1.1-17 Estate executor papers (1846 - 1882)

2010.FIA.02.1.2.18-151 Settlement of Estate Finances (1879- 1882)

2 0 1 0 . F 1 A . 0 2 . 1 . 2 . 1 5 2 E s t a t e a c c o u n t b o o k , 2 v o l u m e s(1879- 1882)

2 0 1 0 . F 1 A . 0 2 . 1 . 2 . 1 5 3 E s t a t e c h e c k b o o k a n d s t u b s

(undated)

2010 .F IA .02 .2 .2 .1 H igh schoo l book o f quo ta t ions(1859)

2010.FIA.02.2.2.2-11 Correspondence (1880 - 1908)

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2010.FIA.02.2.2.12-29 Miscellaneous records (ca mid-1800sto early 1900s)

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