|
3. Provenance 5. Inventory 6. Subjects |
Enos Hitchcock Papers Minister from Providence, R.I. Papers, 1768-1803 Size: 1 ft. Catalog number: MSS 78 Processed by: Elizabeth Delmage, April 2006 ©Rhode Island Historical Society Manuscripts Division |
Historical note:
The Reverend Doctor Enos Hitchcock served as a chaplain during the American Revolutionary War. He was also a distinguished preacher, promoter of education and member of the Benevolent Congregational Society. Rev. Hitchcock was born March 7, 1744 in Springfield, Mass. and was the son of Peletiah and Sarah (Parsons) Hitchcock. In 1767, he graduated from Harvard College and soon began preaching. Hitchcock was officially ordained a minister in 1771 and preached at the Second Church in Beverly, Mass. It was also during this time that he married his wife Achsah Jordan (c.1744-1801). They had one child together, Achsah (c.1775-1784) and later adopted Mary Hitchcock Jordan (c.1778-1803) at an unknown date.
When fighting broke out between the colonies and Great Britain in 1775, Hitchcock felt compelled to join the army. He served as chaplain of the Continental Army from 1779-1780 in the following regiments: 3rd Continental Infantry, 10th Massachusetts and Patterson's Massachusetts Brigade. Following the end of the war, Rev. Hitchcock preached in different communities until he finally settled in Providence, R.I. as the pastor of the First Congregational Church in 1783. Here he became an active member in the Benevolent Congregational Society, which was also referred to as the First Congregational Society interchangeably.
Rev. Hitchcock received his doctorate from Brown University in 1788 and maintained close connections with the school throughout his life. He was also involved in the cause of education, along with President James Manning (1738-1791) of Brown University, Moses Brown (1738-1836) and other prominent Providence citizens. By the time of his death, he was successful in obtaining the establishment of a public school system in Providence. Besides this endeavor, Rev. Hitchcock was a member of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery. He himself had purchased a man from slavery, Ceasar Hitchcock, whom he manumitted and remembered in his last will and testament for his faithful service. Rev. Hitchcock died in Providence, R.I. on February 27, 1803.
Bibliography:
Rhode Island Cemetery Database.
Shipton, Clifford K. Sibley's Harvard Graduates - Volume 16: 1764-1767. Boston:
Massachusetts Historical Society, 1972.
Winship, George P., William MacDonald, and Frank Greene Bates. Proceedings of the Rhode
Island Historical Society: 1900-1901. Providence, R.I.: Standard Printing Company,
1902.
Weeden, William B., ed. "Diary of Enos Hitchcock, D.D., A Chaplain in the Revolutionary Army.
With a Memoir." Publications of the Rhode Island Historical Society 7 (July 1899) : 87- 134.
________. "Diary of Enos Hitchcock, D.D." Publications of the Rhode Island Historical Society
7 (Oct. 1899) : 147-194.
________. "Diary of Enos Hitchcock, D.D., (Concluded)" Publications of the Rhode Island
Historical Society 7 (Jan. 1900) : 207-231.
Scope and content:
This collection includes letters, diaries, accounts, sermons and other miscellaneous material from Enos Hitchcock as well as accounts and papers pertaining to the First Congregational Society Church and their Benevolent Congregational Society.
Provenance:
Enos Hitchcock's Papers arrived in various accessions. The first donation was in 1847 (#1847. 6. 1.-; #1847. 6. 2) by William Gammeel which included a collection of almanacs that have journal entries interleaved throughout the pages. Hitchcock's sermon, "A Devout Soldier: A Sermon Preached at West Point," is assumed to have been donated in 1889 (#1889. 23). In 1900 (#1900. 21. 1; #1900. 29. 2-4), Fred A. Arnold donated more diaries that belonged to Hitchcock. Also in 1900 (#1900. 32. 1. 1-), about 500 letters and other manuscripts covering Hitchcock's life from 1780-1803 were found by librarian Clarence Bridghem in an old trunk in the newspaper room, labeled, "Of Little Value." Further description of this accession can be found in Proceedings of the Rhode Island Historical Society: 1900-1901 on page 27.
Processing note:
This collection was previously processed in June 1987 by Harold Kemble. In March 2006, the Enos Hitchcock Papers were given an updated listing and the diaries were more closely cataloged and added to the Guide of Men's Diaries. Also, accounts that relate to the First Congregational Church's Benevolent Congregational Society were removed from Enos Hitchcock's personal accounts into their own folder within this collection.
Inventory:
Accounts
Box 1, Folder 1. Accounts. 1765-1769
Box 1, Folder 2. Accounts. 1770-1774
Box 1, Folder 3. Accounts. 1775-1779
Box 1, Folder 4. Accounts. 1780-1784
Box 1, Folder 5. Accounts. 1785-1789
Box 1, Folder 6. Accounts. 1790-1794
Box 1, Folder 7. Accounts. 1795-1799
Box 1, Folder 8. Accounts. 1800-1803
Box 1, Folder 9. Accounts for the Estate of 1803-1804
Rev. Enos Hitchcock and Copy of
His Last Will and Testament
Correspondence
Box 1, Folder 10. Correspondence. n.d.
Box 1, Folder 11. Correspondence. 1768
Box 1, Folder 12. Correspondence. 1771
Box 1, Folder 13. Correspondence. 1774
Box 1, Folder 14. Correspondence. 1776
Box 1, Folder 15. Correspondence. 1777
Box 1, Folder 16. Correspondence. 1778
Box 1, Folder 17. Correspondence. 1779
Box 1, Folder 18. Correspondence. 1780
Box 1, Folder 19. Correspondence. 1781
Box 1, Folder 20. Correspondence. 1782
Box 1, Folder 21. Correspondence. 1783
Box 1, Folder 22. Correspondence. 1784
Box 1, Folder 23. Correspondence. 1785
Box 1, Folder 24. Correspondence. 1786
Box 1, Folder 25. Correspondence. 1787
Box 1, Folder 26. Correspondence. 1788
Box 1, Folder 27. Correspondence. 1789
Box 1, Folder 28. Correspondence. Jan 1790 - May 1790
Box 1, Folder 29. Correspondence. Jun 1790 - Dec 1790
Box 1, Folder 30. Correspondence. 1791
Box 1, Folder 31. Correspondence. 1792
Box 1, Folder 32. Correspondence. 1793
Box 1, Folder 33. Correspondence. 1796
Box 1, Folder 34. Correspondence. 1797
Box 1, Folder 35. Correspondence. 1799
Box 1, Folder 36. Correspondence. 1800
Box 1, Folder 37. Correspondence. 1802
Diaries
Box 1, Folder 38. Diary. 29 Jul - 26 Nov 1776
Box 1, Folder 39. Diary. 1777
Box 1, Folder 40. Diary. 2 May - 26 Nov 1778
Box 1, Folder 41. Diary. 7 Apr - 10 Nov 1779
Box 1, Folder 42. Diary. 1 Aug - 5 Nov 1780
Box 1, Folder 43. Diary. 1783
Box 1, Folder 44. Diary. 1784
Box 1, Folder 45. Diary. 1785
Box 1, Folder 46. Diary. 1786
Box 1, Folder 47. Diary. 1787
Box 1, Folder 48. Diary. 1788
Box 1, Folder 49. Diary. 1789
Box 1, Folder 50. Diary. 1790
Box 1, Folder 51. Diary. 1791
Box 1, Folder 52. Diary. 1797
Box 1, Folder 53. Diary. 1798
Box 1, Folder 54. Diary. 1799
Box 1, Folder 55. Diary. 1800
Box 1, Folder 56. Diary. 1801
Sermons
Box 1, Folder 57. Notes, untitled and undated n.d.
sermons, commonplace book
Box 1, Folder 58. Sermons with dated notes 1782-1789
and drafts.
Box 1, Folder 59. Sermons. 1793, 1796, 1801
Miscellaneous
Box 1, Folder 60. Poetry. n.d.
Box 1, Folder 61. "Memoirs of the Bloomsgrove c.1790
Family" - Correspondence and
Subscription lists
Benevolent Congregational Society
Box 1, Folder 62. Correspondence and Subscription 1778-1802
lists
Box 1, Folder 63. Accounts. 1783-1794
Box 1, Folder 64. Accounts. 1783-1794
Subjects:
Benevolent Congregational Society (Providence, R.I.)
Diaries, 1776-1780.
Diaries, 1783-1791.
Diaries, 1797-1801.
First Congregational Church (Providence, R.I.)
Hitchcock, Enos, 1745-1803 - Sermons.
United States. History. Revolutionary War, 1775-1783 - Chaplains.
United States. History. Revolutionary War, 1775-1783 - Personal narratives.
United States. History. Revolutionary War, 1775-1783.
End of finding aid - return to top
RIHS1822