1.   Historical note

2.   Scope and content

3.   Provenance

4.   Processing note

5.   Inventory

6.   Subjects


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 Timothy Green Family Papers

 Lawyer, of Providence, Worcester, Mass. and New York City.

 Papers, 1783-1812

 Size: 0.5 linear feet

 Catalog number: MSS 450

 Processed by: Rick Stattler, September 1996


©Rhode Island Historical Society

Manuscripts Division

 


Historical note:


            These are the papers of Timothy Green (1765-1813) of Worcester and his wife Mary. Mary was a native of Providence, and was often called "Polly" or "Serena". She was apparently the daughter of Joseph Martin. Timothy was a native of Worcester, Mass. and the son of Dr. John Green (1736-1799). He graduated from Brown University in 1786, and later practiced law in Worcester and in New York City. He and Mary were married circa 1794. He died at sea in 1813 while returning from Charleston, S.C. Mary survived him by many years, and resided in New York. Their surviving children included Martha L. Mitchell, Caroline Mitchell, Elizabeth E. Green, and Timothy Ruggles Green (1806-1840). Through Timothy R., they were great-grandparents of U.S. senator Theodore Francis Green.


Bibliography:

Greene, Samuel S. A Genealogical Sketch of Thomas Greene of Malden, Mass. Henry W.             Dutton & Son: Boston, 1858


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Scope and content:


            This collection consists of correspondence received from 1783 through 1812, with a large quantity undated. Most is to Mary "Polly" (Martin) Green, from family members. Frequent correspondents include Sally "Amanda" Mathewson, Joseph Martin, Timothy's sister Mary Green (1772-1824) and sister E. Smith.

            Letters received by Timothy Green include some from Nicholas Brown, and his brother-in-law Joseph Martin Jr.


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Provenance:


            The provenance of the bulk of this collection is unknown. 43 items were donated in 1996 by Mrs. Elliot Chesebrough. 17 letters to Timothy Green were purchased from David Gilman in four batches in 1973. The 1807 patent certificate was a gift of Burges Greene in 1972. All of these identified gifts are in marked folders.


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Processing note:


            The unidentified gift was processed circa 1987; at around that time a single letter was apparently misfiled in the records of the Warren Insurance Company, which has since been restored. In 1996, the other accessions were integrated. This collection is in very poor condition; most of the letters are extremely mold-damaged, and some are torn. This is true of both the 1996 accession and the large unidentified gift, which obviously were previously housed together.


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Inventory:


Box 1.


Folder 1. 1783-1789. All to Mary Martin.

            1783/04/05   Sally "Amanda" Mathewson

            1785/11/18   Polly Sweeting. Very poor condition, torn.

            1788/09/06                                                     

            1788/10/01   Sally "Amanda" Mathewson

            1788/12/09   Sally "Amanda" Mathewson

            1789/09/23  Sally "Amanda" Mathewson

            1789/12/16   Sally "Amanda" Mathewson

    

Folder 2.

            1786/05/26. L. Gould to Timothy Green.


Folder 3. 1790-1799. All to Mary Martin-Green except as noted.

            1790/05?       Sally "Amanda" Mathewson

            1790/10/08   [Sally "Amanda" Mathewson]

            1791/05/2?   Mary Green (a sister of Timothy) to “dear sister”.

            1791/08/19   “Sml. Philosopher” to “Sophia”

            1792/08/20   Timothy Green to Mary “Serena” Martin c/o Joseph Martin?

            1792/12/15   Sally "Amanda" Mathewson at Southampton, L.I. to dear sister.

            1792/01/12   Sally "Amanda" Mathewson

            1793/02/08   From “Daggett”?

            1794/05/18   Joseph Martin to brother Timothy Green

            1794/05/25   William Barton to Timothy Green.Death of father-in-law Joseph Martin.

            1794/06/02   Joseph Martin to Timothy & Polly Green

            1795/12/15   Joseph Martin

            1796/11/05   Sally "Amanda" Mathewson

            1797/02/17   Joseph Martin to Timothy Green


Folder 4. 1794-1799. All to Timothy Green.

            1794/01/15   Joseph Martin Jr.

            1794/06/23   Joseph Martin Jr.

            1794/11/19   John Pope.                 Needs soap, red bark and licorice.

            1795/10/06   Samuel Thurber Jr.  Settlement of estate of Mrs. Green's father.

            1795/10/23   John Whipple Jr.      Death of Elijah Green; lottery tickets.

            1795/11/17   Brown Benson & Ives. Note for $100 secured by chinaware.

            1795/11/25   Paul Allen.                Refuses to move from Providence.

            1795/11/28   John W. Blake.          Investments in Massachusetts land.

            1795/12/15   Brown, Benson & Ives. Sending a load of silver.


Folders 5 to 9. 1791-1800. Not inventoried. Mostly to Mary Green.



Box 2.


Folder 1. 1800-1809. All to Timothy Green except as noted.

            1800/01/24   Joseph Martin

            1800/04/30   Copy of letter from Joseph Martin to Capt. John Martin

            1802/03/14   Joseph Martin

            1807/02/26   Joseph Martin

            1807/06/06   Nicholas Brown.     Introduces a Baptist minister.


Folder 2. 1801-1810. Not inventoried. Mostly to Mary Green.


Folder 3. 1807/04/01Patent for new method of making salt.

                                                Signed by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.


Folder 4. 1808. Letters to Mary Green.

            1808/06/2?   E. Smith at Montezuma

            1808/05/14                                 

            1808/10/25                                 

            1808/02/28   Joseph Martin

            1808/05/02   E. Smith, friend and sister

            1808/12/01                          


Folder 5. 1809. Letters to Mary Green.

            1809/03/20                          

            1809/04/28   Lucinda Martin, niece

            1809/05/12   Sally "Amanda" Mathewson

            1809/08/31   Austin


Folder 6. 1810-1812. Letters to Timothy Green.

            1811/12/28   Josiah C. Shaw.        Heirs of Green & Tillinghast seek to close firm.

            1812/03/28   Henry Smith.            Disposal of fowls.


Folder 7 and 8. Undated. Letters to Mary Green, except as noted.

            Undated                    Amelia to Miss Mary Green

            Undated                    Mary Green (sister-in-law?)

            Undated                    Pages 5-8, unsigned.

            Undated                    Joseph M. Green to uncle Dr. John Green of Worcester

            Undated                    Sally “Amanda” Mathewson

            Undated                    E. Smith

            ????/05/14                Sally "Amanda" Mathewson

            Undated                    Sally "Amanda" Mathewson

            ????/004/14              Mary Green (sister-in-law)

            Undated                    Sally “Amanda” Mathewson to Miss Polly Sweeting

            ????/01/29                Sister ___ Martin

            Undated                    Sally "Amanda" Mathewson


Folder 9. To Timothy Green.

            Undated                    Nicholas Brown. Gossip. Has been "dunning".


Folders 10-13. Undated. Mostly to Mary Green.


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Subjects:


Allen, Paul

Blake, John W.

Brown, Nicholas

Brown, Benson & Ives

Gould, L.

Green, Mary (1772-1824)

Green, Mary (Martin)

Jefferson, Thomas

Martin, Joseph Jr.

xMartin, Mary

Mathewson, Sally

Shaw, Josiah C.

Smith, Henry

Patents

Pope, John

Salt industry and trade

Thurber, Samuel Jr.

Whipple, John Jr.




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RIHS1822