Harvard Commons records, 1686-1829.

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Harvard Commons records, 1686-1829.

https://id.lib.harvard.edu/ead/hua09011/catalog

The collection documents the maintenance and development of commons at Harvard College in the 18th and early 19th centuries and the Steward's role in overseeing those commons. Records chiefly consist of reports of the committee appointed by the Corporation to examine the Steward's accounts; these quarterly reports were used to calculate the per person cost of commons. The reports frequently list the supplies the Steward had on hand, giving at least a partial indication of the food students regularly consumed. Other documents in the collection reflect the tensions between the administration's efforts to maintain economical efficiency and the students' complaints about the quality of the food they were served. The 1807 student rebellion, when students walked out of commons, is particularly well documented through student petitions and Corporation Committee reports. In addition to documenting these aspects of Harvard history, the Commons Records provide insight into the lives of other members of the community, including women and African Americans. The records document the wages paid to kitchen staff and laundresses, often describing the work performed and listing the workers by name. Material culture is heavily represented in the collection, particularly through lists of utensils purchased or owned by the College.

0.46 cubic feet (3 flat boxes)

Harvard University Archives.

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 8001063

Harvard University Archives.

Related Entities

There are 5 Entities related to this resource.

Harvard Steward

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6mb12df (corporateBody)

Brief history The Harvard Steward was elected by the Corporation to manage the residential operations of the College. The Steward purchased the College's food provisions and fuel, and supervised the Butler and kitchen staff. The Steward also acted as the financial liaison between the students and the Corporation, collecting tuition, and room and board fees. The early history of the position remains incomplete, but the College appointed its first Steward in the mid 1640s. The dem...

Harvard Butler

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w60m32cx (corporateBody)

The College Butler was responsible for managing the Buttery, a commissary where students could purchase food and minor necessities, and designated common rooms. The position, which existed from the mid-seventeenth century through the end of the eighteenth century, was held by a student, who received a salary and designated dormitory space in return. In later years, the Butler also received a percentage of the profits from Buttery sales. The first mention of ...

Harvard University

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w64n9x97 (person)

Harvard College was founded by a vote of the Great and General Court of Massachusetts on October 28, 1636 that allocated “400£ towards a schoale or colledge.” Subsequent legislative acts established the Board of Overseers, but it was the Charter of 1650 that created the Harvard Corporation as the College's primary governing board and defined its composition and authority. The College Charter became a contentious target for College officials, the Massachusetts Governor and General C...

Gannett, Caleb, 1745-1818.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6zx16cm (person)

Secretary of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. From the description of Letter, 1781, Apr. 20 : Bridgewater, Mass., to Cotton Tufts, Esq. (Duke University). WorldCat record id: 35527743 Caleb Gannett (1745-1818, Harvard AB 1763) was Steward of Harvard College. Gannett was admitted to Harvard at the age of fourteen and received a Saltonstall Scholarship. Gannet preached in a variety of locations until he was appointed a Tutor of Natural Philosophy and Mathematics at H...

Hastings, Jonathan, 1709-1783.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6qc9pzc (person)