Table of Contents
Rev. Samuel Wolcott Family Papers, 1803-c.1900
A Guide to the collection at the Connecticut Historical Society
Collection Overview |
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| Repository: | Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut |
| Creator : | Wolcott Family |
| Title : | Rev. Samuel Wolcott Family Papers |
| Dates : | 1803-c.1900 |
| Extent : | 0.25 linear feet (1/2 box) |
| Location: | Ms 85338 |
| Language: | English |
Biographical Sketch
The Reverend Samuel Wolcott (2 July 1813 – 24 Feb 1886) was born in South Windsor, CT. He was the son of Elihu Wolcott and Rachel McClintock McClure. His great-great grandfather was brother to colonial governor Roger Wolcott. Samuel married Catherine E. Wood on 5 Sep 1839 and then Harriet A. Pope on 1 Nov 1843. He and Harriet had eleven children, ten of whom survived into adulthood. Included in this collection are papers from the following children: Henry Roger (15 Mar 1846 – 31 May 1922), Harriet Agnes (15 Mar 1850 – 1917), Edward Oliver (26 Mar 1848 – 1 Mar 1905), William Edgar (26 Apr 1852 – 12 May 1911), Anna Louisa (25 May 1858 – 17 Aug 1928), Samuel Adams (3 Sep 1844 – 1912), and Herbert Walter (25 Nov 1861- ).
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Scope and Content
The papers of Rev. Samuel Wolcott include correspondence by and to him as well as the family members listed above. Samuel Wolcott attended Yale College and Andover Theological Seminary as well as served on a mission to Syria. The earliest letter contained in the box dates from 1803 and was written by his mother Rachel to her father. Many of the letters received by Samuel are from fellow ministers during the period Samuel and his family lived in Ohio and Illinois. They include talk of spiritual matters, pleas for columns for publishing in Christian papers, and hymns. Samuel wrote over 200 hymns and published the hymnal “Sacred Hymns”. Letter writers include J. Hammond Trumbull, who wanted to know more about Wolcott’s ancestry for a book he was writing; P.T. Barnum, whose letter is practically illegible and the Rev. L.W. Bacon, who wrote about some of the controversy he faced. Nearly all the letters written by Samuel are addressed to his wife and children Edward, William and Clara. He was fond of offering fatherly advice. Folder 3 contains letter written by Henry to his parents and siblings as he traveled the country. Henry would go on to become a state senator in Colorado. Folder 4 contains letters to and from William. William became a minister in Massachusetts. Many of his letters are from friends. During a trip to England in 1884, he wrote letters back to his father detailing his experiences. Folder 5 are letters written by Samuel Adams Wolcott to his parents and Will. Folder 6 contains Anna’s correspondence with her brothers. She would go on to found the Miss Wolcott School for Girls in Denver, CO and become a regent of the University of Colorado. She married Joel Vaile in 1913. Folder 7 contains letters to and from Samuel’s wife Harriet. Folder 8 contains miscellaneous and unidentified letters including the earliest letter in the folder. It dates from 1803 and was written by Samuel’s mother Rachel to her father. A letter from Edward is also included, who would eventually become a United States Senator from Colorado. Folder 9 contains miscellaneous papers including sheet music handwritten by Samuel for “Tents of Israel” and Wolcott lineage papers. Folder 10 holds pictures. There are two black and white photos of a man and a boy that are unidentified. There are also eight black and white portraits of men in the Wadsworth family. These may have come from William’s wife Cora Wadsworth whom he married in 1894.
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Restrictions
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions on access to the collection.
Use Restrictions
Use of the material requires compliance with the Connecticut Historical Society's Research Center regulations.
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Subject Headings
Personal Names
Subjects
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Item, Collection Title, Collection number (Box #, Folder #). Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut.
Processing Details
Collection was processed by Marie Jarry in 2010.
EAD Finding Aid created June 2011.
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Contents:
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Return to the Table of Contents Papers |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Letters to Samuel Wolcott, 1829-1886 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Letters from Samuel Wolcott, 1850-1885 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Letters from Henry Wolcott, 1859-1899 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | William Wolcott’s correspondence, 1864-1899 | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Letters from Samuel Adams Wolcott, 1865-1872 | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Anna Wolcott’s correspondence, 1872- ? | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Harriet Wolcott’s correspondence, 1886-1895 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Miscellaneous and unidentified letters, 1803-? | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Miscellaneous papers | |||||||||
| 1 | 10 | Pictures | |||||||||