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Descriptive Summary

Call No.: A-134
Repository: Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute
Creator: MAY-GODDARD FAMILY
Title: Papers, 1766-1912
Quantity: 2 file boxes, 2 oversize volumes
Abstract: Photographs, correspondence, diaries, financial papers, etc., of the May and Goddard families, of New England, including social reformer Abigail Williams May.

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BIOGRAPHY

This collection centers on two prominent New England families: the Mays and the Goddards. The daughter of Samuel (1776-1870) and Mary (Goddard) May (1787-1882), Abigail Williams May (1829-1888) was for thirty years a leader among Boston's social reformers, a cofounder of the New England Women's Club, and one of the first women to serve as a member of the Boston School Committee, to which she was elected in 1873. For further biographical information on AWM, see Notable American Women, 1607-1950 (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1971). Her brother, Frederick Warren Goddard May (1821-1904), married Eleanor Swan Goddard (1829-1853), the daughter of Samuel (1787-1871) and Mehetable May (Dawes) Goddard (1796-1882). FWGM and ESG had one daughter, Eleanor Goddard May (1853-1923). For further genealogical information, see #1 and #3.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

This collection includes correspondence, diaries, financial papers, photographs, and other documents of the two families and their relations. The bulk of the collection are AWM's papers, including letters from prominent abolitionists, suffragists, and authors, and the papers of SG and MMDG, with letters they wrote home during their residence in England from 1818 to 1827. Other persons represented are FWGM; EGM; Abigail May (1775-1800), a second cousin once removed of SM; Samuel J. May (1797-1871), a first cousin of AWM; Samuel May of Leicester, Massachusetts; Louisa May Alcott; Ednah Dow Cheney; Lydia Maria Child; Lucy Stone; Julia Ward Howe; and Elizabeth Stuart Phelps.

Additional catalog entries (a card for each of the following appears in the card catalog):

CONTAINER LIST

• Box 1: Folders 1-24
• Box 2: Folders 25-55

INVENTORY

• 1. Genealogical material.

• 2. Family photographs - "Abby" May, Samuel J. May, etc.

• 3. Printed biographical material re: Samuel J. May (1797-1871), Samuel May of Leicester, & Lucretia Goddard (Mrs. Nathaniel). Goddard, Julia, The History of "Green Hill", Dec. 1911. Brown, Howard N., The Brookline First Parish in My Time, Boston, 1912. Story of the Hancock Cup

• 4 - 10. EARLY FAMILY MATERIAL
  • 4. Samuel May (1723-1794). Tax receipt, 1766.
  • 5. Lydia Gendell Dawes (1762-1809). Notebook, 1780. Lydia Gendell married William Dawes, 18 November 1795; parents of Mehetable May Dawes Goddard.
  • 6. John Goddard (1756-1829). Letters & documents, 1781-1830. Portsmouth New Hampshire. Family letters, including three by his father, John Goddard (1730-1816); JG's appointment as Justice of the Peace; notice of election as Senator from New Hampshire; copy of will, etc.
  • 7. White family. Diary of Nancy White, 1781-1786. Perhaps Ann White (1768-1832), 4th wife of John Goddard (1756-1829). Letter by "Aunt White" to John, Henry, and Samuel Goddard (sons of John Goddard, 1756-1829), Brookline, 1 January 1801. Will of Elizabeth White, 1837.
  • vol. 1. Abigail May (1775-1800). Journal of letters to cousin, Lucretia Dana Goddard (1773-1866), 24 May - 30 August 1800, Ballston Springs, New York.
    CLOSED. USE MICROFILM M-36.
  • 7a. Incomplete manuscript of play by Abigail May.
  • 7b. Samuel May (1776-1870) and Mary (Goddard) May (1787-1882). Two account books. MGM's list of articles purchased, 1809, prior to her marriage to SM on July 19th. SM's list of expenses, 1809-1821. 1 letter to MGM from Wm. Lloyd Garrison Oct 22, 1865
  • 8. Samuel May (1776-1870). Appointment as Justice of the Peace, 1827. Letter to sons, Rev. Samuel May & Frederick Warren Goddard May, 30 August 1843. Letter from nieces, 4 December 1865.
  • 9. Samuel May (1776-1870)?. Letter from L[ucretia] G[oddard], 10 June 1821.
  • 10. Frederick Warren Goddard (1800-1820). 1 v. of copies of letters re: his death by drowning in Switzerland, 1820.

• 11 - 24. MEHETABLE MAY DAWES GODDARD (1796-1882). Daughter of William Dawes (1745-1799) and Lydia Gendell Dawes (1762-1809).
  • 11. MMD. School prize cards, compositions, etc., 1802-1808. Woburn Academy and Mrs. Cranch's Academy, Jamaica Plain.
  • 12. MMD. Correspondence, 1805-1818 September. Prior to marriage to Samuel Goddard. Letters to half-sister Lucretia Dawes, to Ann Heath, to cousin of Samuel Goddard-Lucretia Dawes Goddard. Letters from guardian, Benjamin Goddard, and from aunt, Abigail Prescott. Corr. between MMD & Samuel Goddard.
  • 0 - vol. 2 MMD. Journal of letters to Lucretia Dana Goddard, 1815-1818 April. Brookline, Mass. Final page dated 1831.
    CLOSED. USE MICROFILM M-67.
  • 13. MMDG. Correspondence, 1818 Sept.-1819. Letter from Lucretia Goddard to cousin describing wedding of MMD to Samuel Goddard, 30 September 1818. After marriage, the Goddards went to England for nine years. Letters from England to relatives and friends. Letters from Benjamin Goddard to MMDG and Samuel Goddard.
  • 14. MMDG. Correspondence, 1820. With guardian, Benjamin Goddard; with Lucretia Goddard; with Samuel Goddard. Letters to mother-in-law, Ann Goddard.
  • 15. MMDG. Correspondence, 1821-1822. Letters to and from Benjamin Goddard. Letters to Ann Goddard.
  • 16. MMDG. Correspondence, 1823-1827 March. letters to Ann Goddard and to sister, Lucretia Dawes. Corr. with Benjamin Goddard. Letter from Abigail Prescott to MMDG.
  • 17. MMDG. Correspondence, 1827 November-1832. Return from England. Letters to Ann Goddard and to Lucretia Dawes. Correspondence with children.
  • 18. MMDG. Correspondence, 1833-1835. Letters to husband, Samuel Goddard, and to sister, Lucretia Dawes. Correspondence with children.
  • 19. MMDG. Correspondence, 1842-1853. Letters to Lucretia Goddard (Mrs. Benjamin) and to sister, Lucretia Dawes. Corr. with children.
  • 20. MMDG. Account book, Manchester England, 1821-1823.
  • 21. Samuel Goddard. Business papers, England.
  • 22. Samuel Goddard. Mortgage & church pew deed.
  • 23. Samuel Goddard & MMDG. Genealogy chart of their children and poems re: death.
  • 24. MMDG. Miscellaneous including accounts, certificate of church membership, etc.

• 25. SAMUEL JOSEPH MAY (1797-1871)?. Letters from J. Ingersoll Bowditch, Thomas Hill, Samuel Gridley Howe. Addressed to "Mr. May".
  See also A - 134.3

• 26-28. SAMUEL MAY OF LEICESTER (1810-1899).
  • 26. SM. Letter to sister, "Abby" May, 9 September 1834.
  • 27. SM. 2 letters from Julia Ward Howe, 15 & 19 May 1890. Addressed to "Mr. May" - Samuel of Leicester?.
  • 28. SM. Letter from Booker T. Washington, 24 September 1894, including letter from SM to niece, Eleanor Goddard May.
    See also folders 8, 30, 45 & A - 134.3.

• 29 - 42. ABIGAIL WILLIAMS MAY ("Abby") (1829-1888).
  • 29. AWM. Extracts from journals, 4 October 1848 - 26 May 1888. TS. 12pp.
    (original journals destroyed)
  • 30. AWM. Letter to brother, Samuel May (1810-1899), 9 May 1838.
  • 31. AWM. Letters to niece, Eleanor Goddard May ("Nellie"), 1859-1867 & n.d.
  • 32. AWM. Letter addressed to "my friends", 31 March 1866.
  • 33. AWM. Letters to AWM. A - B. Agassiz, Elizabet; Cary, Agassiz, Louis; Alcott, Louisa May (2); Blackwell, Antoinette Brown; Brackett, Anna Callender; Brooks, Philips
  • 34. AWM. Letters to AWM. C. Chadwick, John; Child, Lydia Maria; Clarke, James Freeman; Cobbe, Frances Power; Corson, Juliet; Curtis, George William (2)
  • 35. AWM. Letters to AWM. E - G. Emerson, Lidian; Emerson, Ralph Waldo; Faithfull, Emily (2); Gannett, William Channing; (card) Garrison, William Lloyd; George, Henry
  • 36. AWM. Letters to AWM. H. Hale, Edward Everett; Hale, Sarah J.; Harbart, Elizabeth Boynton; Helper, Hinton R.; Holmes, Oliver Wendell (2); Howe, Julia Ward (3 & poem)
  • 37. AWM. Letters to AWM. J - M. Jackson, Helen Hunt; Kemble, Fanny (2); Lewis, Dioclesian; Livermore, Mary A. (3); Long, John D. (2); Mitchell, Maria (3); Moulton, Louise Chandler
  • 38. AWM. Letters to AWM. O - R. Olmsted, Frederick; Parker, Theodore; Phelps, Elizabeth Stuart (5); Phillips, Wendell (3); Quincy, Josiah; Robinson, George D. (to Lucy Stone); Royce, Josiah; Russell, Thomas
  • 39. AWM. Letters to AWM. S - W. Stanton, Elizabeth Cady (to Lucy Stone); Stone, Lucy (2); Thoreau, Henry D. (?); Walker, Francis A.; Weld, Theodore; Whitney, Adeline D. J. (4); Willard, Frances E.; Woolsey, Sarah
  • 40. AWM. Miscellaneous letters to AWM.
  • 41. AWM. Memorabilia - Anti-slavery league membership card, gift acknowledgement from Boston Public Library.
  • 42. AWM. Letter to Ednah Dow Cheney from Booker T. Washington, 22 May 1893, re: AWM's letters.
    See also folder 26, A - 134.2 & A - 134.4.

• 43 - 44. JULIA GODDARD (1837-1920). Daughter of Samuel and Mehetable May Dawes Goddard.
  • 43. JG. Letters to niece, Eleanor Goddard May ("Nellie"), 1861-1868.
  • 44. JG. Letters from John Bright, Bernard Coolidge, and "W.C."

• 45 - 46. ELEANOR SWAN GODDARD MAY (Mrs. Frederick Warren Goddard May) (1829-53) Daughter of Mehetable May Dawes Goddard and Samuel Goddard.
  • 45. ESG. Letter from Samuel May of Leicester, 11 November 1852 re: her marriage to Frederick Warren Goddard May.
  • 46. ESGM. Memorabilia - dance card, phrenological chart.
    See also folder 19.

• 47 - 50. FREDERICK WARREN GODDARD MAY (1821-1904).
  • 47. FWGM. Letter to father, Samuel May (1776-1870), 11 March 1830?.
  • 48. FWGM. Letter to brother-in-law, William Goddard, 16 January 1856.
  • 49. FWGM. Letters to daughter, Eleanor Goddard May ("Nellie"), 1859-1867.
  • 50. FWGM. Letter from Theodore Parker, 26 October 1851.
    See also Folder 8 & A - 134.1.

• 51-54. ELEANOR GODDARD MAY ("Nellie") (1853-1923). Daughter of Eleanor Swan Goddard and Frederick Warren Goddard May.
  • 51. EGM. Letters from friends & relatives, 1855-1864, including many childhood letters.
  • 52. EGM. Letters from friends and relatives, 1865-1868.
  • 53. EGM. Undated letters from friends and relatives, including many childhood letters.
  • 54. EGM. Letters from Julia Ward Howe, Ednah Dow Cheney, Anna Fuller, and Andrew D. White.
    See also folders 19, 28, 31, 43, & 49.

• 55. Miscellaneous autographs.

• A - 134.1 Letter to Frederick Warren Goddard May from Marie Zakrzewska et al, 4 December 1901. Photocopy. Gift of Mrs. Pierson Neave.

• A - 134.2 Letter from "Abby" May to grand-niece, Mary May Sandars, n.d. Gift of Mrs. Sandars.

• A - 134.3 3 letters from Samuel May of Leicester to O.W. Albee, 1857, 1862, & n.d.
  1 letter from Samuel J. May (1797-1891) to Fields, Osgood & Co., 1869. Purchased of Paul Richards.
  1 letter from James C. White to Samuel J. May, 27 June 1883.

• A - 134.4 Letter from "Abby" May to Anne Whitney, 1869. Photocopy. Original in the Anne Whitney Papers, Wellesley College.
  Letter from Anne Whitney to "Abby" May, n.d. Original in the possession of Elizabeth Payne.