Whittlesey family papers

2001-14-0

Collection

Identifier: 2001-14-0

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The papers of the Whittlesey family, primarily relating to the activities of David Whittlesey (1750-1825), his son David Chester Whittlesey (1803-1880), both of New Preston, (part of Washington), Conn., and David Chester Whittlesey's son John Eliphalet Whittlesey (1830-1910), who served in the Civil War and then settled in Houston, Tex. Also included are papers related to the Hazen, Mitchell, and Titus families of Washington, late 1700s-early 1800s. The collection includes correspondence, deeds, financial records, indentures, land surveys, wills, and other papers. Documents created before 1840 have been processed and a comprehensive listing will be found in the detailed description. The papers are arranged in two series. The letters in Series 1, Correspondence, deal with business matters. An 1828 letter from Frederick Whittlesey to his father mentions the sale of land in Ohio among other matters. There are also three items which relate to the selection of Merit S. Platt as minister of the Congregational Church of New Preston. Also pertaining to Platt are two documents in Series 2, Other papers: a statement written for the convened consecration in 1836 and a statement and facts outlining Platt's settlement in 1837, at which time, his affiliation with the New Preston church ended. Many of the documents in Series 2 relate to various business dealings. Account books document the many notes of area residents. There are two indentures, one for a young man to learn how to make nails, and one for a young woman to learn the skills of keeping house. A series of deeds records land transactions in Washington and nearby towns among the Hazen, Mitchell, Titus, Whittlesey, and other families. Documents created after 1840 have been sorted into two series, correspondence and other papers. The correspondence has been placed in 5 year time spans, but is unsorted within those groups; the remaining papers are unsorted. Most of these papers document the activities of David Chester Whittlesey and one of his sons, John E. Whittlesey. Among items of interest is a grouping of correspondence related to John's work as a collector of internal revenue in the early 1860s.

Dates

created: 1775-1912
Other: Date acquired: 07/07/2002

Creator

Whittlesey, David Chester, 1803-1883 (Person)
Whittlesey, David, 1750-1825 (Person)
Whittlesey, John Eliphalet, 1830-1910 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection are in the public domain. There are no restrictions on use. Copyright status for other collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Biographical or Historical Information

David Whittlesey (1750-1825) was born in Newington, Conn., and served for a short time in the American Revolution. He was a farmer and also sheriff's deputy for nearly 15 years; a justice of the peace in 1792; appointed a deacon in the Congregational Church of New Preston; and served as a representative in the General Assembly from 1793 to 1807, 1810, and from 1813 to 1814. He married first Abigail Judson (1779-1782). Their two children did not survive beyond early childhood. He married second Martha Pomeroy (1768-1827). Their children were Frederick, Frances Pomeroy, David Chester, and William Sheldon. David Chester Whittlesey (1803-1883) was born in New Preston, part of Washington, Conn. He was a justice of the peace, county commissioner, and, in 1832 and 1833 a member of the General Assembly. He was active in the Congregational Church of New Preston. He married Mary Cogswell (1802-1880). Their children were David Eliphalet, Martha Pomeroy, John Eliphalet, Frederick, and Fanny Pomeroy. John Eliphalet Whittlesey (1930-1910) was born in New Preston, Conn., where he resided and carried on the farming business until 1862, when he became a deputy collector of internal revenue. He was appointed captain and commissary of subsistence, United States Volunteers, in June, 1864, and ordered to the Department of the Gulf. He took part in the Red River campaign and the capture of Mobile, acting as commissary at Mobile. He was transferred to Houston, Tex., at the close of the war, where he remained, becoming a prominent merchant. In 1872, he was elected an alderman of Houston, and was postmaster from 1873 to 1874. He divided his business among Houston, New York City, and Washington, Conn. He did not marry.

Note written by

Extent

3.00 boxes

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement Note

The papers are arranged in two series: 1. Correspondence 2. Other papers

Source of Acquisition

Julia B. Hall

Method of Acquisition

Gift

Existence and Location of Originals

multi-part note content

Related Materials

multi-part note content

Other Descriptive Information

This collection was processed with support from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).