Watson family. Papers, 1786-1874.
Title:
Papers, 1786-1874.
The papers relate mostly to personal and family matters, rather than to John F. Watson's work. They have been divided into five groups: diaries, family history, correspondence, photographs, and miscellaneous. John F. Watson apparently liked to travel and kept diaries of his journeys. He worked briefly in New Orleans in 1805-1805 and kept diaries of his travel there (going down river starting from Pittsburgh) and back again (by sea, stopping in Havanna and Charleston, South Carolina). He also traveled to the New Jersey shore, around Pennsylvania, to Wilmington, Delaware, New York City and state, and even to New England, where his mother was born. He traveled on several canals in eastern Pennsylvania. As well, there are travel diaries from his daughter Selina Watson (later Mrs. Charles Willing) and his sister-in -law Esther Crowell (Mrs. James) Bogert, and diaries, chiefly religious in nature, of his mother Lucy Fanning Watson, a Methodist mystic and poet. Some of the diaries are illustrated with sketches. In most of them, notes were made not just about the scenery, but also about people seen on the trip, the quality of hotels and transportation, and about history. Transcriptions of the diaries of John Fanning Watson are available. As a historian, John F. Watson was also interested in his family origins. The collection includes some genealogical material about the Watsons and Fannings, as well as other related families. These include Crowell (his wife's maiden name; the family was related to Oliver Cromwell), Barron (from his wife's family), and Willing (a son-in-law). Some family history may also be found in letters and diaries. Some scattered correspondence is found in the collection. Most of the letters are by or to John F. Watson, many containing family news or history. Letters between John Howell Watson (son of John F.) and J.B. Lippincott & Co. concern the republication of Annals of Philadelphia, by John F. Watson. Some correspondence between John F. Watson and Frederick F. Bachus, Frederick William Bachus, James Barron, Thomas Crowell, James Eakin, and Edmund Fleming is available at this repository only on microfilm. There are four photographs, three of John F., and one of an unknown boy. Lastly, there are miscellaneous items: several fragments of documents; John F. Watson's seal as a notary public; a card with a poem on it; a book of family receipts (cures for various ailments, how to kill cockroaches and drive away rats, how to preserve apples, tomatoes, potatoes, and peaches); a deed between John F. Watson and his wife Phebe allowing her to collect rent from property left by her father; a certificate from the National Musuem in Independence Hall, acknowledging the gift of a William Penn chair from John Howell Watson; copies of John F. Watson's Annals of Philadelphia and Annals of Pennsylvania, and a copy of Benjamin Dorr's Memoir of John Fanning Watson. As well, there is a book of hymns sung by Lucy Fanning Watson and written down by John F. Watson, plus a book of poems written by Lucy Fanning Watson. The poems are religious in nature; religion was always important to her.
ArchivalResource:
4 boxes.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/261231486 View
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