Nott Family Papers

Collection

Call Number: RG 304

Scope and Contents

This collection documents the life and work of three generations of the Nott family. Eliphalet Nott (1773-1866) served as president of Union College for 62 years beginning in 1804. Eliphalet's brother Samuel Nott (1754-1852) was a Congregational minister in Franklin, Connecticut for 70 years. The bulk of the collection relates to Samuel's son, also named Samuel (1787-1869) who, with his wife Roxana Peck Nott, went to India as part of the first group of missionaries commissioned by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. The lives and work of Samuel and Roxana's seven children are also documented.

The collection includes correspondence and memorabilia collected by Roxana Nott Vivian and Roxana H. Vivian, respectively daughter and granddaughter of Gordon Hall Nott. The material is arranged by generation, alphabetical order by given name within each generation.

Dates

1797 - 1944

Creator

Nott, Eliphalet, 1773-1866

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Transferred from Andover Newton Theological School, 2017.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into five series:

Series I. Papers of Eliphalet Nott (1773-1866).

Series II. Papers of Samuel Nott (1754-1852).

Series III. Papers of Papers of Roxana Peck Nott.

Series IV. Papers of Samuel Nott (1787-1869).

Series V. Papers of children of Roxana and Samuel Nott.

Extent

1.5 Linear Feet (4 boxes)

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/divinity.304

Additional Description

Overview

The Nott Family Papers document the life and work of three generations of family members. Eliphalet Nott (1773-1866) served as president of Union College for 62 years beginning in 1804. Eliphalet's brother Samuel Nott (1754-1852) was a Congregational minister in Franklin, Connecticut for 70 years. The bulk of the collection relates to Samuel's son, also named Samuel (1787-1869) who, with his wife Roxana Peck Nott, went to India as part of the first group of missionaries commissioned by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.

Biographical / Historical

Eliphalet Nott (1773-1866), a Presbyterian clergyman known as a gifted pulpit orator, served churches in New York state before becoming president of Union College in 1804, where he served for 62 years. Eliphalet's brother Samuel Nott (1754-1852) was a Congregational minister in Franklin, Connecticut for 70 years. During the course of his long ministry he instructed over 200 young men in his home, preparing some for college and some for theological training. His younger brother Eliphalet was one of the students he instructed.

Samuel Nott (1787-1869) was the son of Samuel (1750-1852). Roxana Peck (1785-1876) spent her childhood in Franklin, CT Before her marriage to Samuel (1787-1869) in 1812, she had taught school at various places in Connecticut and Maine. Shortly after their marriage, Roxana and Samuel went to India as part of the first group of missionaries commissioned by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. They were compelled to return to the United States in 1816 because of ill health, and were released from Board service at that time. For several years Samuel taught in New York City. In 1823 the family moved to Galway, NY, where he became pastor of a Presbyterian church there; and in 1829 he became pastor of the Congregational church in Wareham, Ma. Samuel returned to teaching in 1849; and the family moved to Hartford in 1866.

Samuel and Roxana Nott had seven children: Eliphalet, Gordon Hall (d.1903?), Harriet, John Wade (1822-1911), Samuel (1815-1899), Sarah Maria (1826-1910?),and William (1817-1890).Little is known about the lives of Eliphalet, Harriet, and Sarah Maria. Gordon Hall and Samuel (1815-1899) were civil engineers whose professional work was with various railway companies. William was a seaman; and John Wade was an Episcopal rector.

Custodial History

Donated to Andover Newton Theological School by Roxana Vivian, granddaughter of Gordon Hall Nott.

Processing Information

Place names were modernized in the description, with the name originally used in the collection material or in an older version of the finding aid in parenthesis: e.g. “Beijing (Peking)” or “Benin (Dahomey)”.