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Sydney Stevens Williston collection, 1760-1944.

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: Mss-42

Scope and Contents

Bulk of the collection consists of family papers, mostly correspondence, with some documents and business papers pertaining to the Stoddard and Williston families of Hampshire County, MA, the Breese and Stevens families of Oneida County, NY, and the Hawkins, Tucker, and Huntington families of Chicago, from 1760-1944. The correspondence includes the diplomatic papers of Colonel John Wilson, U.S. Consul to Brussels, 1860s-1880s. The remaining papers reflect genealogical research by Sidney A. Stevens Williston, most prepared between 1930-1937, on the Breese, Stevens and their allied families (especially Forman and Burrows) and the Tucker, Hawkins and allied families. This is followed by correspondence and research notes on the Stoddard, Williston, Huntington and allied families, as well as Huntington Family Association correspondence. Concluding the collection are graphics including a few silhouettes of Breese and Stevens family members, and a Williston etching. The 811 photographs include tintypes, daguerreotypes, and glass plate negatives.

Dates

  • 1760-1944

Conditions Governing Access

R. Stanton Avery Special Collections material is non-circulating, requires staff retrieval, and is available to NEHGS members (Research level and above) during normal library hours.

Biographical / Historical

Sidney A. Stevens Williston, the daughter of Eleanor Tucker and Sidney A. Stevens, spent her growing years in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. After her marriage to Harry Stoddard Williston, c. 1900, Mrs. Williston and her husband lived in Northampton and later at Marblehead, MA. Throughout her life, Mrs. Williston showed a strong interest in her family's history, researching her genealogy and preserving family papers, photographs, and heirlooms.

Extent

22 linear feet

Language of Materials

English

General

Unpublished guide to the collection is available in the library; folder level control.

Processing Information

Processing funded by National Endowment for the Humanities Grant: RC-33644-79-167.

Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Repository

Contact:
R. Stanton Avery Special Collections
New England Historic Genealogical Society
99-101 Newbury Street
Boston MA 02116-3007 United States
617-536-5740
617-536-7307 (Fax)