Scope and content:

            These papers are from the ancestors of Gail Waterman Fraser, through both of her parents: Lewis A. Waterman (1898-1990) and Katherine (Tillinghast) Waterman (1904-1977). The exact relationship of several items to the family could not be determined.

            Among the most interesting items are: a 1681 deed to land in Warwick; a 1710 plat map; two letters from U.S. Representative Thomas Tillinghast, 1797 and 1798; documentation on the Pardon Tillinghast cemetery in Providence, 1915-1946; a 1932 letter from Charles Tillinghast Straight describing the old Tillinghast reunions once held in West Greenwich; two letters from Susan Tillinghast to her mother in 1852 and 1853, discussing her daughter's mill work and the difficulty of raising a family; and five letters between Lewis A. Waterman and relative Edgar W. Anthony 1860-1867 re travel to Cape Cod, the Lapham Institute baseball team, his stint at Fort Leavenworth with the U.S. Signal Corps, and a temperance agreement signed by Waterman and Anthony.

Bibliography:

Information from donor

Jacobus, Donald Lines and Edgar Francis Waterman. The Waterman Family: Descendants of Richard Waterman of Providence..., 294-305. Hartford: Connecticut Historical Society, 1954.

Rhode Island Cemetery Database

Return to top

Provenance:

This collection was donated by Gail Waterman Fraser in 2004.

Return to top

Inventory:

Bernard Bardeen (1851-1894). Maternal grandfather of GWF's mother. Married Ella F. Patton, had daughter Grace H. (Bardeen) Tillinghast.

Folder 1.         Wedding invitation, 1874

                        "To the Garret Club," undated poem about Bardeen and friends

William G. Bowen. Relationship unknown.

Folder 2.         Letter from J.M. Chesebrough, 2/8/1837, listing "landholders with whom settlement has been effected" from Kent County.

John W. Greene (1809-1882). Of Warwick/Providence. Relationship unknown.

Folder 3.        Letter from brother Benedict A. Greene, 5/22/1842, re father's death.

                        Letter to daughter Isabel, 12/26/1867

                        Letter to daughter Mary, ½2/1872.

Thomas Greene Jr. Of Warwick. Relationship unknown.

Folder 4.         Deed, March 10 1681/82, from Samuel Gorton [Jr.], Benjamin Gorton, James Greene Sr., John Warner, Moses Lippitt, John Knowles, John Greene Jr., and Philip Sweet to Thomas Greene Jr. and Henry Knowles to land in Warwick. With original signatures of the grantors.

Thomas Holden. Of Warwick. Relationship unknown

Folder 5.         Note regarding Elder John Gorton, undated.

Thomas Stafford. Of Warwick. Relationship unknown.

Folder 6.        Plat map written in January 1710/11, recorded in 1754. In five segments.

Folder 7.        Two letters from U.S. Representative Thomas Tillinghast (1742-1821)

                                    12/15/1797. Brief update on pending legislation

2/27/1798. Spain expected to relinquish post. "As to the business before Congress, it has of late been of such a nature that I should blush to relate it."

Grace H. (Bardeen) Tillinghast (1875-1954).

Daughter of Bernard and Ella (Patton) Bardeen; married John A. Tillinghast in 1901; maternal grandmother of GWF.

Folder 8.         Scrapbook, circa 1880-1901. Personal and manuscript items:

                                    Preface.           Essay on "two kinds of happiness," 6/1899

                                    Page 22           Poem titled "We boys": "Harold's first piece spoken at the State Street School, 1882."

                                    Page 29-30      Curriculum titled "A Study of Education in Ancient Greece"

                                    Page 31-38      Essay titled "The Ideal Future," undated

                                    Page 40-41      Poem titled "My Father's Favorite Hymn"

                                    Page 42           Letter from friend Ida M. Thomas re Christmas

                                    Page 46           Letter, Olea Bull Vaughn to Mrs. Fellows, 1894

                                    Page 46           Cut autograph of Lucy Lascom, Boston, 1884

                                    Page 46           Quotation from George MacDonald

                                    Page 49           Article on Julia Ward Howe's visit to the Sarah Doyle Club

                                    Page 50           Poem, "To Grace," by Annie A. Fellows, 1897

                                    Page 153-165  Clippings re legal cases involving J.A. Tillinghast

                                    Page 166-168  Clippings re Grace Bardeen's social engagements and wedding

Folder 9.         Miscellaneous:

                                    Three typescript poems for Providence High School, Class of 1893

                                    Invitations to party at Spink's Assembly Rooms

                                    Letter from Ida M. Thomas, 4/21/1901, on eve of wedding

                                    Wedding invitation, 4/22/1901

                                    Letter from mother, 8/20/1901

                                    Card announcing daughter Katherine's birth, 12/15/1904

                                    Congratulations on birth from cousin Mary E. Seamans, 1/1/1905

                                    Invitation to daughter Katherine's wedding, ½8/1928

John Avery Tillinghast (1874-1948)

Son of Judge Pardon E. and Ellen F. (Paine) Tillinghast, husband of Grace (Bardeen) Tillinghast, maternal grandfather of GWF.

Folder 10.      Papers re house at Lorraine Avenue, 1908-1917

Folder 11.       Family papers, including Pardon Tillinghast Cemetery in Providence:

                                    Invitation to Brown University Delta Upsilon event, 6/13/1902

                                    Letter re genealogy from Burton S. Flagg, ½3/1918

                                    Extract from will of William H. Tillinghast (re cemetery)

                                    Decree re estate of William H. Tillinghast, 7/26/1915 (re cemetery)

                                    Letter from Charles Tillinghast Straight, 6/18/1932 (re cemetery, family)

                                    Letter from Arthur R. Paine, 7/10/1933 (re cemetery)

                                    Letter from Arthur R. Paine, 10/2/1946 (re cemetery)

                                    Three newspaper clippings re Tillinghast family, undated

Pardon E. Tillinghast (1836-1905)

Son of the Rev. John and Susan C. (Avery) Tillinghast; father of John A. Tillinghast; great-grandfather of GWF.

Folder 12.       Letter from Rev. John Tillinghast (1812-1878) of West Greenwich, R.I. to son Pardon E. Tillinghast, 11/11/1869, with typescript. Routine family news.

Susan C. (Avery) Tillinghast (c1810-1875). Of West Greenwich, R.I.

Wife of Rev. John Tillinghast; mother of Pardon E. Tillinghast; great-great-grandmother of GWF.

Folder 13.      Two letters from Susan Tillinghast to her mother:

2/6/1852: "I expect [Angeline] will go to the Factory in the Spring... If I could see you and hear you talk it would relieve my cares which are so numerous that I some times don't know what to do first, for one is a criing one way and sais I want my stockings mended..."

3/31/1853: "Angeline has gone back to the factory again to work, see expects to stay there the season if she is well enough to work."

Franklin A. Waterman (1844-1886). Of Arlington, R.I.

            Father of Lewis A. Waterman Sr., and great-grandfather of GWF.

Folder 14.       Miscellaneous:

                                    Obituaries, 1886

                                    Civil War discharge from Co. D, First R.I. Light Artillery, 1864

                                    Diploma from Schofield's Commercial College, 1865

                                    Listing of Waterman-Anthony family plot at Swan Point Cemetery, 1906

Lewis A. Waterman (1848-1894). Member of U.S. Signal Corps, 1864-1865.

            Brother of Franklin A. Waterman

Folder 15.       Letters to uncle Edgar W. Anthony (1848-1878), son of Lewis's much older sister:

                                    8/13/1860, dated Cape Cod. Describes travel to Cape Cod.

10/3/1863, dated Lapham Institute. Discusses his debate club, and congratulates Edgar on his baseball team's victory over the Empire Club at the Dexter Training Grounds.

7/31/1864?, dated Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Heard political speech by Gen. Lane

½3/1865, dated Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Regrets leaving school. Hopes to be appointed clerk at post headquarters.

                                    11/10/1867, temperance agreement signed by Waterman and Anthony.

Lewis A. Waterman Sr. (1871-1923).

            Grandfather of GWF.

Folder 16.       Letter from President E.G. Buckland of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Co., 9/13/1918. Offers thanks for legal advice in Sound Line case.

Return to top

Subjects:

Anthony, Edgar W., 1848-1878.

Avery, Susan C., c.1810-1875.

Bardeen, Bernard, 1851-1894.

Bardeen, Grace H., 1875-1954.

Baseball - Rhode Island - Providence.

Cemeteries - Rhode Island - Providence.

Gorton, Benjamin.

Gorton, John, 1723-1792.

Gorton, Samuel Jr.

Greene, Benedict A., 1812-1858.

Greene, James Sr.

Greene, John Jr.

Greene, John W., 1809-1882.

Greene, Thomas Jr., 1662-1698.

Holden, Thomas.

Knowles, Henry.

Knowles, John.

Lapham Institute (Scituate, R.I..)

Lippitt, Moses.

New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Co.

Schofield's Commercial College (Providence, R.I.)

Stafford, Thomas.

Straight, Charles Tillinghast, 1860-1940.

Sweet, Philip.

Temperance - Rhode Island.

Textile workers - Rhode Island - West Greenwich.

Tillinghast family.

Tillinghast, Grace H. (Bardeen), 1875-1954.

Tillinghast, John, 1812-1878.

Tillinghast, John Avery, 1874-1948.

Tillinghast, Pardon E., 1836-1905.

Tillinghast, Susan C. (Avery), c.1810-1875.

Tillinghast, Thomas, 1742-1821.

United States - History - Civil War, 1861-1865.

Warner, John.

Warwick (R.I.)

Waterman, Franklin A., 1844-1886.

Waterman, Lewis A., 1871-1923.

Waterman, Lewis A., 1848-1894.

West Greenwich (R.I. : Town) - Social life and customs.

End of finding aid - return to top

RIHS1822