Coffin family. Coffin family papers: Guide.

Descriptive Summary

Repository: Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
Location: b
Call No.: MS Am 2046
Creator: Coffin family.
Title: Coffin family papers,
Date(s): 1793-1890.
Quantity: 1 box (.5 linear ft.)
Language of materials: Collection materials are in English.
Abstract: Papers of the Coffin family of Newbury and Newburyport, Mass.

Processing Information:

Acquisition Information:

Access Restrictions:

Preferred Citation for Publication:

Historical Note

The Coffin family was based in Newbury and Newburyport, Mass. Charles Coffin (1741-1821) was a Harvard College graduate and physician in Newburyport, Mass. His son, Charles Coffin (1775-1853), also graduated from Harvard College. He became a Presbyterian minister and served as president of Greeneville College in Greeneville, Tenn. and as president of East Tennessee College, in Knoxville, Tenn.

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically.

Scope and Content

Family papers of the Coffin family especially those of: Charles Coffin (1741-1821), Charles Coffin (1775-1853), and James Ayer Coffin (1806- 1871). Includes correspondence, financial records, holograph manuscripts, genealogies, notebooks, photographs, and printed materials. There is a holograph manuscript by Charles Coffin (1775-1853), A poem on the comparative beauties of nature and art, presented at the Harvard College Commencement, 1793; orations presented at Knoxville College, Tennessee, by James Ayer Coffin (1806-1871), and Louis McKinney, Address delivered on the occasion of the presentation of a portrait of Charles Coffin to the University of Tennessee, 189-. Includes materials relating to: the Christian family, Cornelius Worcester Coffin, Daniel Little Coffin (1814-1854), Dorothy Farnham Coffin (1774-1855), Hugh Martin Coffin (1840-1861), Sir Isaac Coffin (1759-1839), Joseph Coffin (1702-1773), Margaret Martin Coffin (1813-1865), Simeon Coffin (1731-1786), Susanna Woodbridge Ayer Coffin, Julia Ayer Coffin Harle, Hugh Martin, Margaret McKinney Coffin McKinney (1818-1845), Mary Farnham McKinney (1824-1871), and the Russell family. The penciled annotations on these papers are possibly in the hand of Julia Ayer Coffin Harle.

Container List

• Bowie, James. See no.(20).

• Bowie, Jno. A. See no.(20).

• Bowie, Susan Woodbridge. See no.(20).

• (1-7) Coffin, Charles, 1741-1821. 7 letters to Charles Coffin:
  • (1) A.L.s.; Newburyport, 6 Apr 1793. 1s.(4p.)
  • (2) A.L.s.; same, 2 Nov 1794. 1s.(3p.)
  • (3) A.L.s.; same, 4 Apr 1800. 1s.(3p.)
  • (4) A.L.s.; same, 12 Apr 1800. 1s.(2p.)
  • (5) A.L.s.; Newbury, 28 Aug 1807. 1s.(4p.)
  • (6) A.L.s.; same, Sep 1814. 1s.(4p.) torn.
  • (7) A.L.s.; same, 23 Jul 1817. 1s.(4p.)

• Coffin, Charles, 1741-1821, recipient. See nos.(26), (27).

• (8-9) Coffin, Charles, 1775-1853. 2 letters to Cornelius Worcester Coffin:
  • (8) A.L.s.; Greene County, 14 Sep 1845. 1s.(4p.)
  • (9) A.L.s.; same, 14 Jan 1852. 1s.(4p.)

• (10-11) Coffin, Charles, 1775-1853. 2 letters to Hugh Martin Coffin:
  • (10) A.L.s.; Greene County, 19 Nov 1850. 1s.(4p.)
  • (11) A.L.s.; same, 3 Mar 1851. 1s.(4p.)

• (12-13) Coffin, Charles, 1775-1853. 2 letters to James Ayer Coffin:
  • (12) A.L.s.; Greene County, 29 Sep 1845. 1s.(4p.)
  • (13) A.L.s.; same, 8 Jun 1850. 1s.(4p.)

• (14) Coffin, Charles, 1775-1853. A.L.s. to [unidentified correspondent]; Greene County, 20 Sep 1851. 1s.(3p.)
  Addressed to "dear Christian friend".

• (15) Coffin, Charles, 1775-1853. MS.L. to [ ] Norris; Portsmouth, 11 May 1810. 1s.(2p.)
  From Charles Coffin and J. W. Putnam for the R.S. Music Society.

• (16) Coffin, Charles, 1775-1853. A.L.s. to [unidentified correspondent]; Greene County, 18 Jan 1853. 1s.(4p.)
  Addressed to "dear Christian friend"; penciled note "allusion to Mrs. H. B. Stowe".

• (17) Coffin, Charles, 1775-1853. [Photograph of Charles Coffin, 1775-1853].

• (18) Coffin, Charles, 1775-1853. A poem on the comparative beauties of nature and art; at Harvard Commencement, 1793. A.MS.s.; Cambridge, 1793. 1s.(4p.)
  Signed "C.- C."

• (19) Coffin, Charles, 1775-1853. A temperance song. Written to suit the Hutchinsons' air, "The Old Granite State". A.MS.; [n.p., n.d.]. 1s.(4p.)

• Coffin, Charles, 1775-1853. See nos.(20),(38).

• Coffin, Charles, 1775-1853, recipient. See nos.(1-7),(21-23) and (40).

• (20) Coffin, Charles Hector, 1804-1855, et. al. [Statement concerning the will of the late Rev. Charles Coffin]. MS.D.s.; [n.p.] Nov 1853. 1s.(2p.)
  Signed by Charles Hector Coffin, James Ayer Coffin, Robert J. McKinney, Mary Farnham McKinney, Daniel Little Coffin, John McKinney Coffin, Cornelius Worcester Coffin, James S. Bowie, Susan Woodbridge Bowie, Jno. A. Bowie.

• Coffin, Cornelius Worcester, 1822-1875. See no.(20).

• Coffin, Cornelius Worcester, 1822-1875, recipient. See nos.(8-9) and (27).

• Coffin, Daniel Little, 1814-1854. See nos.(20) and (32).

• (21-23) Coffin, Dorothy Farnham, 1774-1855. 3 letters to Charles Coffin:
  • (21) A.L.s.; Newbury, 4 Apr 1801. 1s.(4p.)
  • (22) A.L.s.; Newbury, [14] May 1810. 1s.(4p.) To Charles Coffin, 1775-1853 and Susanna Woodbridge Ayer Coffin, 1813-1865.
  • (23) A.L.s.; Newburyport, 16 May 1853. 1s.(4p.)

• (24) Coffin, Hugh Martin, 1840-1861. A.L.s. to Margaret Martin Coffin; Centreville, Virginia, 16 Nov 1861. 2s.(6p.)

• Coffin, Hugh Martin, 1840-1861, recipient. See nos.(10),(11).

• (25) Coffin, Sir Isaac, bart., 1759-1839. [Photograph of portrait of Sir Isaac Coffin].

• (26) Coffin, James Ayer, 1806-1871. A.L.s. to Charles Coffin; Greene County, 27 Feb 1819. 1s.(1p.)

• (27) Coffin, James Ayer, 1806-1871. A.L.s. to Cornelius Worcester Coffin; Madisonville, 2 Feb 1835. 1s.(4p.)
  Includes A.L.s. to Charles Coffin, 1775-1853.

• (28-29) Coffin, James Ayer, 1806-1871. 2 letters to John [ ]:
  • (28) A.L.s.; Madisonville, 24 Nov 1866. 1s.(3p.)
  • (29) A.L.s.; same, 29 Jun [1868?]. 1s.(3p.)

• (30) Coffin, James Ayer, 1806-1871. A.L.s. to Maggie Margaret McKinney Coffin Inman; [Madisonville] 3 Jan 1871. 2s.(6p.)

• (31) Coffin, James Ayer, 1806-1871. A.L.s. to Margaret McKinney Coffin McKinney; Madisonville, 12 Jun 1832. 1s.(3p.)

• (32) Coffin, James Ayer, 1806-1871. [Article of partnership between James Ayer Coffin and Daniel Little Coffin]. A.MS.s.; Madisonville, Tennessee, May 1837. 1s.(3p.)
  Signed by James Ayer Coffin and Daniel Little Coffin, 1814-1854.

• (33) Coffin, James Ayer, 1806-1871. [Copy of will of James Ayer Coffin]. MS. [in the hand of A. S. Nicks]s.; Monroe County, Tennessee, 11 Sep 1871. 1s.(4p.)
  Stamped with seal.

• (34) Coffin, James Ayer, 1806-1871. [Notebook of orations]. A.MS.s.; Knoxville, 2 Oct 1827. 8f.(16p.)
  Includes: "An oration on moral courage"; "Valedictory address"; "Gentleman, Trustees, and my dear fellow students. "
  All for Knoxville College, Tennessee.

• Coffin, James Ayer, 1806-1871. See no.(20).

• Coffin, James Ayer, 1806-1871, recipient. See nos.(12) and (13).

• Coffin, John McKinney, 1811- . See no.(20).

• (35) Coffin, Joseph, 1702-1773. [Receipt]. MS.D.s.; [n.p.] 16 Mar 1763. 1s.(1p.)

• Coffin, Margaret Martin, 1813-1865, recipient. See no.(24).

• (36) Coffin, Simeon, 1731-1786. A.L.s. to [ ] Spreague; Sanford [Maine] 20 Sep 1774. 1s.(2p.)

• Coffin, Susanna Woodbridge Ayer, recipient. See no.(22).

• (37) Hale, S. P. A.L.s. to Julia Ayer Coffin Harle; Sweetwater, Tennessee, 25 Jul 1903. 3s.(4p.)

• Harle, Julia Ayer Coffin Harle. See note at beginning of index.

• Harle, Julia Ayer Coffin Harle, recipient. See no.(37).

• Inman, Margaret McKinney Coffin, 1848- , recipient. See no.(30).

• (38) McKinney, Louis. [Address delivered on the occasion of the presentation of a portrait of Charles Coffin, D.D. to the University of Tennessee, by his grandchildren]. A.MS.; [n.p., 189- ]. 4s.(8p.) torn.
  Written on stationery labeled, "Marshall, Texas, 189- ."

• McKinney, Margaret McKinney Coffin, 1818-1845. See no.(31).

• McKinney, Mary Farnham, 1824-1871. See no.(20).

• McKinney, Robert J. See no.(20).

• f (39) Martin, Hugh. [Will]. MS.D.; Jefferson County, Tennessee, 27 Jun 1838. 2s.(7p.)
  Copy in unidentified hand.

• Norris, [ ], recipient See no.(15).

• Putnam, J. W. See no.(15).

• Spreage, [ ], recipient. See no.(36).

• Stowe, H. B., recipient. See no.(16).

• (40) Ward, Jonathan. A.L.s. to Charles Coffin; New Milford, 29 Aug 1805. 1s.(4p.)

• [ ], John, recipient. See nos.(28) and (29).

• (41) [Genealogical information concerning the Christian and the Russell families]. TS.(carbon copy); [n.p., n.d.]. 4s.(4p.)
  Probably belonging to a child of James Ayer Coffin and Margaret Martin Coffin.

• (42) Coffin family. [Printed material relating to the Coffin family].