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Humphreys-Marvin-Olmstead collection

 Collection
Call Number: MS 857

Scope and Contents

This collection is composed of fragmented groups of papers pertaining to the interrelated Humphreys, Marvin, and Olmsted families; they date from the Revolutionary War era through the first half of the nineteenth century. The papers fall into five distinct and unrelated series, each devoted to a different family or group of families. For the convenience of the researcher, a detailed genealogicalchart has been provided, which identifies all family members represented in the collection.

By far the most important person having a place in this collection is David Humphreys, Revolutionary War officer and United States diplomat, whose papers make up the first and largest series (see the description of Series I). Humphrey's papers, which are concerned for the most part with his diplomatic activities in Spain from 1789 to 1808, are complemented by diplomatic papers of George William Erving, charge d'affaires in Madrid from 1804 to 1809 (Series II). These two sets of papers together thus provide a useful resource for the student of early American diplomacy.

Series III and IV contain correspondence, legal and financial papers, genealogical materials, and memorabilia of the Marvin and Lemuel Gregory Olmsted families. While neither series is very large or coherent, a picture does emerge of everyday life in Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania during the early 1800s.

The fifth series is composed of four separate small collections of papers pertaining to Joel Barlow, the Cary and Dwight families, and John Trumbull, and of a collection of miscellaneous autographs (see page 61). Since John Trumbull materials are also located in Series I and II, an index to all the Trumbull materials has been compiled.

The Humphreys-Marvin-Olmsted Collection (Manuscript Group Number 189) by Wolcott Griswold Lane, a descendant of the Griswold and Colt families.

Dates

  • 1776-1867

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright status for collection materials is unknown, though much of the material in this collection is likely in the public domain. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of the Griswold family and others. Gift of Margaret McCan, 2015.

Arrangement

Arranged by name of family member.

Extent

4.5 Linear Feet (9 boxes, 1 folio)

Language of Materials

English

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/mssa.ms.0857

Additional Description

Overview

A collection of unrelated papers, linked by the family connections of the major figures. The papers of David Humphreys, a diplomat in the service of the United States, document his activities in Spain, 1789-1808. Also included are personal papers including correspondence with David Bushnell and Ezra Lee about submarines and with James Madison on politics, and some family correspondence. The papers of George William Erving, who was chargé d'affaires in Madrid (1804-1809) during Humphreys' tenure, complement the Humphreys diplomatic papers. The Marvin and Lemuel Gregory Olmstead (also Olmsted) families are represented by correspondence concerning life in New York and Connecticut in the 19th century. Of particular interest is a series of some sixty letters from Sarah Lucy Olmstead to her father describing her life in Erie, Pennsylvania from 1860-1865. Also in this part of the collection is a family photograph album and a journal kept by Lemuel Gregory Olmstead of his travels in New York State during 1830.

Biographical / Historical

David Humphreys: soldier, statesman, poet; B.A., Yale, 1771, M.A., 1774; lieutenant colonel and aide-de-camp to Washington during the Revolution; appointed special secret agent in 1790 to gather information for Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson; appointed commissioner of Algerian states; in 1793 appointed minister plenipotentiary to Spain; in 1796, upon his return to the U.S., founded the Humphreysville Manufacturing Company.

For a chart outlining the genealogical relations of the Humphreys, Marvin, and Olmstead families, please consult the Genealogical Chart.

Other Finding Aids

For an index of authors and the boxes in which their materials are located, please consult theAuthor Index.

Author Index

  1. Adams, John, 1735-1826, Box 3, Folder 68
  2. Amory, [Samuel?], Box 3, Folder 79
  3. Baccri, Micaiah, Box 3, Folder 72
  4. Baldwin, Abraham, 1754-1812, Box 4, Folder 119
  5. Barbe-Marbois, Francois, Marquis de, 1754-1837, Box 5, Folder 165
  6. Barlow, Joel, 1754-1812, Box 4, Folder 119
  7. Bulkeley (John) & Son, of Lisbon, Box 4, Folder 120
  8. Burney, Charles, 1726-1814, Box 4, Folder 121
  9. Burr, Aaron, 1756-1836, Box 7, Folder 288
  10. Bushnell, David, 1742-1824, Box 4, Folder 143
  11. Casa Calvo, ---, Marques de, Box 2, Folders 69
  12. Casa Yrujo, Carlos Martinez de Yrujo y Tacon, Marques de, 1763-1824, Box 4, Folder 114
  13. Cathalan, Stephen, Jr., Box 3, Folders 72-74
  14. Cevallos, Pedro, Box 2, Folder 42
  15. Chiappe, Franco [Francisco, Francesco], Box 3, Folder 75
  16. Correa [de Serra, Jose-Francesco], Box 4, Folder 123
  17. Culnan, John, Box 3, Folder 76
  18. Davis, Thomas Terry, d. 1807, Box 4, Folder 114
  19. Deane, Silas, 1737-1789, Box 7, Folder 290
  20. Decres, Dennis de Cres, Duc, 1761-1820, Box 5, Folder 169
  21. Derby, Mrs. M.C. [?], Box 4, Folder 124
  22. Dohrman, Jacob, Box 4, Folder 110
  23. Dwight, Timothy, 1752-1817, Box 4, Folder 124
  24. Erving, George William, 1769-1850, Box 5, Passim
  25. Evstafiev, A[lexsiei, Grigorevich, 1783-1857?], Box 4, Folder 126
  26. Eustis, W[illiam, 1753-1825?], Box 4, Folder 124
  27. Fig[ueirido?], Manuel de, Box 4, Folder 110
  28. [Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790?], Box 4, Folder 126
  29. Gallatin, Albert, 1761-1849, Box 4, Folder 145
  30. Gonzales [Gonzalez], Don Blas, Box 3, Folder 77
  31. [Miller?], Catherine [Littlefield?] Greene, [1755-1814?], Box 4, Folder 127
  32. Hamilton, Alexander, 1757-1804, Box 4, Folder 110
  33. Hawley, Daniel, Box 3, Folder 78
  34. Head and Amory (Messrs.) & Co., Box 3, Folder 79
  35. Hopkins, Lemuel, 1750-1801, Box 4, Folder 128
  36. Humboldt, [Alexander, Freiherr von, 1769-1859?], Box 4, Folder 129
  37. Humphreys, Daniel, 1740-1827, Box 4, Folder 130
  38. Humphreys, David, 1752-1818, Boxes 1-4, Passim
  39. Jaudenes, Josef de, Box 3, Folder 180
  40. Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826, Box 3, Folder 81; Box 4, Folder 110
  41. Johnson, Joshua, Box 4, Folder 110
  42. Johnston, Nathaniel, Box 4, Folder 144
  43. Jones, Evan, Box 3, Folder 82
  44. King, Rufus, 1755-1827, Box 2, Folders 46-47; Box 3, Folders 83-84
  45. [La Roche-Guyon, Louis Alexandre?], La Rochefoucauld [d’Anville, Duc de, 1743-1792?], Box 4, Folder 133
  46. [Lear, Tobias, 1762-1816?], Box 2, Folder 47
  47. Lee, Charles, Box 1, Folder 13
  48. Lee, Ezra, 1748/9-1821, Box 4, Folder 134
  49. Lincoln, Levi, 1749-1820, Box 1, Folder 15
  50. Livingston, Robert R., 1746-1813, Box 5, Folder 165
  51. Madison, James, 1750/1-1836, Box 1, Folder 16; Box 4, Folders 135, 145
  52. Marshall, John, 1755-1835, Box 1, Folder 14
  53. Mazzei, Philip, 1730-1816, Box 4, Folder 135
  54. Monroe, James, 1758-1831, Box 3, Folder 85; Box 5, Folder 165
  55. Montgomery, Robert, U.S. Consul at Alicante, Box 2, Folder 48; Box 3, Folder 86
  56. Morris, Gouverneur, 1752-1816, Box 2, Folder 49; Box 3, Folder 87
  57. Morris, Robert, 1734-1806, Box 3, Folder 88
  58. O’Brien [O’Bryen], Richard, Box 2, Folder 50; Box 3, Folder 89; Box 4, Folder 112-113
  59. Pinto de Souza, Luis; Box 2, Folder 54; Box 4, Folder 110
  60. [Pickering, John, 1777-1846?], Box 4, Folder 117
  61. Pickering, Timothy, 1745-1829, Box 1, Folders 3-12; Box 2, Folder 51; Box 3, Folder 90-100; Box 4, Folders 113-114
  62. Pinckney, Charles Cotesworth, 1746-1825, Box 2, Folder 52; Box 3, Folder 101
  63. Pinckney, Thomas, 1750-1828, Box 2, Folder 53
  64. Randolph, Edmund, 1753-1813, Box 1, Folders 1-2; Box 4, Folders 111, 113
  65. Rees, James, Box 3, Folder 88
  66. Reinhard, Charles-Frederic, Count, 1761-1837, Box 4, Folder 114
  67. Remsen, Henry, Jr., Box 2, Folder 55; Box 4, Folder 110
  68. Rutledge, J[ohn, 1766-1819?], Box 4, Folder 137
  69. St. Vincent, John Jervis, Earl of, 1735-1823, Box 2, Folder 56
  70. Silliman, Benjamin, 1779-1864, Box 4, Folder 146
  71. Simcoe, John Graves, 1752-1812, Box 2, Folders 58-65
  72. Simpson, James, Russian Consul at Gibraltar, Box 2, Folder 57
  73. [Smith, John, 1735-1816?], Box 4, Folder 116
  74. Smith, William Loughton, 1758-1812, Box 2, Folders 58-65; Box 3, Folder 102; Box 4, Folder 138
  75. Thornton, William, 1759-1828, Box 4, Folder 147
  76. Trumbulll, John, 1750-1831, Box 7, Folders 287-295
  77. Valliere, ---, French Consul- General at Algiers, Box 2, Folder 66; Box 3, Folders 103-104
  78. [Venegas?] de Saavendra, Francesco [Xavier?], 1754-1838, Box 2, Folder 67
  79. Washington, George, 1732-1799, Box 3, Folders 105-109; Box 4, Folders 110, 148, 159-160
  80. Webster, Noah, 1758-1843, Box 4, Folder 149

Subjects

Related Names

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the Humphreys-Marvin-Olmstead Collection
Status
Under Revision
Author
by C. A. Myrans Completed ad interim by Susan Grigg and Janet Elaine Gertz
Date
April 1979
Description rules
Finding Aid Created In Accordance With Manuscripts And Archives Processing Manual
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository

http://www.library.yale.edu/mssa/
Contact:
Yale University Library
P.O. Box 208240
New Haven CT 06520-8240 US
(203) 432-1735
(203) 432-7441 (Fax)

Location

Sterling Memorial Library
Room 147
120 High Street
New Haven, CT 06511

Opening Hours

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