Gillett Family Papers, 1848-ca. 1920:Finding Aid

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Biographical Note

Edward Bates Gillett (1817-1890) graduated from Amherst in 1839 and from Harvard Law School in 1841. He was the District Attorney for Hamden and Berkshire Counties from 1856 to 1871, during which time his eloquence in the courtroom became the stuff of legend. Two famous cases he tried, the Starkweather libel suit and the prosecution of "the Northampton Bank Robbers," got state- and even nation-wide attention and he was pressed to run for governor of Massachusetts but declined. He was badly injured in a carriage accident during the Northampton Bank robbery case, in 1877, and never fully recovered. He was awarded an honorary LL.D. from Amherst in 1885. Edward Bates Gillett was chosen by Sophia Smith as one of the first Trustees as well as the Vice-President (1871-1890) of Smith College and served as a trustee of Amherst College and the Hartford Theological Seminary. He married Lucy D. Fowler in 1848 and was survived by three children: Frederick, Arthur, and Lucy Douglass Gillett.

Lucy Douglass Fowler Gillett (1830-?), mother of Frederick Huntington Gillett and Arthur Lincoln Gillett, married Edward Bates Gillett on November 1, 1848.

Frederick Huntington Gillett (1851-1935), son of Edward Gillett (AC 1839) was a member of the Amherst College Class of 1874. He received an M.A. from Amherst College in 1877 and an LL.B. from Harvard University in the same year. He was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1877, practiced law in Springfield Mass., 1877-1893, and served as assistant Attorney General of Massachusetts, 1879-1882. He was a member of the Massachusetts Legislature, 1890-1891; a U.S. Congressman, 1893-1925 (Speaker of the House, 1919-1925); and a U.S. Senator, 1925-1931.

Arthur Lincoln Gillett (1859-1938), son of Edward Bates Gillett (AC 1839), graduated with a B.A. from Amherst in 1880. He returned to Amherst after four years of study at the Hartford Seminary to receive his M.A. in 1884 and his D.D. in 1901. He was an eminent theologian who spent many years as the chair of the department of religion and philosophy at the Hartford Theological Seminary. Arthur Lincoln Gillett was a trustee of Amherst and Smith Colleges.

Robert Swift Gillett (1895-1918), son of Arthur Gillett, graduated from Amherst in 1916 and enrolled in Harvard Law School. When the United States entered the war, he enlisted. He was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant at Plattsburg, N.Y. Subsequently, he made 1st Lieutenant and was assigned to aviation services. During an observation trip to Kingsville, Texas, he was killed in a plane accident on September 17, 1918.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The collection consists of a scrapbook composed of chronologically jumbled newspaper clippings (c. 1867-1890); Edward Bates Gillett's undated journal and Lucy Douglass Fowler Gillett's herbarium; 12 notebooks, c. 1910-1924, containing notes taken by Frederick Huntington Gillett from Amherst classes in Latin, history, political science and religion, and one notebook serving as his commonplace book; two journals chronicling Robert Swift Gillett's 1915 and 1916 summer military training; and, photographs of Edward Bates Gillett, Lucy Douglass Fowler Gillett, Frederick Huntington Gillett, Arthur Lincoln Gillett and Robert Swift Gillett, singly and in groups.

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Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into seven series:

Scrapbook, c. 1867-1890
Edward Bates Gillett Journal, n.d.
Lucy Douglass Fowler Gillett Herbarium, bulk 1848
Frederick Huntington Gillett Amherst Notebooks, 1870-1874
Frederick Huntington Gillett Commonplace book, c. 1910-1924
Robert Swift Gillett Journals, summer 1915 and summer 1916
Photographs, 1862-c.1928

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Series 1: Scrapbook, c. 1867-1890

Box	Folder
1	1	Scrapbook (53 pp.) bearing the label "Edward Bates Gillett and Family," containing newspaper clippings. The clippings include marriage notices, obituaries for family friends, and memorial poems, but largely follow the careers and accomplishments of Edward Bates Gillett, Frederick Huntington Gillett and Arthur Lincoln Gillett. The bulk covers Edward Bates Gillett's legal career. Highlights are local and regional coverage of Edward Bates Gillett's high-profile 1876 defense of The Republican against charges of libel by Dr. Starkweather and Edward Bates Gillett's prosecution of the infamous 1877 Northampton Bankrobbers. The clippings also include coverage of encouragement of Edward Bates Gillett to run for governor of Massachusetts after the 1877 case. Also included are Frederick Huntington Gillett's "Junior Prize Composition" winning essays "The Brutus of Shakespeare," and "Emulation," likely published in the Amherst Student. There are several announcements about Arthur Lincoln Gillett's preaching engagements and involvement in local education. Many of the clippings are undated, and late in the scrapbook, many are clearly misdated (for instance, dating coverage of Edward Bates Gillett's activities after his death). c. 1867-1890

Series 2: Edward Bates Gillett Journal, n.d.

Box	Folder
1	2	Edward Bates Gillett's Journal is labeled "Records" on the spine and can be secured by a lock. It contains many fragments of speeches, some broken off abruptly, and all written in a very difficult to decipher hand. There are numerous loose pieces of note paper with fragments covering them tucked into the Journal, several of these notes are scrawled on "United States Hotel, Boston" stationery. Several small newspaper clippings are also tucked into the spine. They are undated and unattributed anecdotes of various sorts, likely saved for use in oratory.<lb /><lb />A note from "L.D.B.," Edward Bates Gillett's daughter, is tucked inside the front cover. It reads: "My father Edward Bates Gillett was often called upon to make an address before large or small groups-in church, colleges, public assemblings. He never wrote out a speech but made preparations chiefly while walking back + forth in the house or street-I know he often carefully prepared illustrations. [Paragraph break.] Evidently he used this book as a treasure house of suggestion. [Paragraph break.] If he could only have used a type writer [sic] these pages would be interesting to read! [Signed.] L.D.B. April 1941 [With additional note:] I wish I knew where this book was stashed." n.d.

Series 3: Lucy Douglass Fowler Gillett Herbarium, bulk 1848

Box	Folder
1	3	The herbarium contains heavyweight and variously colored and textured paper, some with various types of embossed frames. The first half of the herbarium consists of unlabelled samples, often simply pressed on the page or affixed to separate pieces of paper and then glued into the album. Many of these are very handsome and well-preserved. The first labeled (though unnamed) and mounted (by use of tabs likely cut by a pen-knife) sample is titled "From the Patent Office garden / Washington. June, 1848." The samples are of four types, unlabeled, labeled by name, labeled by site of collection, or labeled by name and site. Lucy Douglass Fowler Gillett doesn't have too much interest in typing the samples. Though there is no direct attribution, one sample is labeled, "From a Bouquet presented on my 18th birth day - Feb 18th, 1848." This is the year of Edward Bates Gillett's marriage to Lucy Fowler, when he was already 31. c. 1848

Series 4: Frederick Huntington Gillett Amherst Notebooks, 1870-1874

Box	Folder
2	1	A 5x7 1/2" black, soft-cover notebook dated "March '74" on the inside cover containing Frederick Huntington Gillett's notes for a class "European Progress, 1500-1800." Inside the front cover there is a loose, handwritten editorial for The Amherst Student about the choice not to row in Saratoga as "expedient" rather than "principled." 1874

A purple, hardbound, 7X8 notebook containing notes on 17 lectures and titled "Lectures on The Hebrew Theocracy." c. 1872

A green, hardbound, 7 1/4X8 1/2 notebook with notes running from the front of the book from Prof. Mather's February to March 1871 lectures on Greek Writers and Playwrights and from the back from Professor Crowell's 1871 course in Latin Literature. 1871

A dappled, hardbound, 7x8 1/4 notebook containing notes from reading and lectures for a class on "European History (to the Reformation)" dated April 16, 1874 to June 5, 1874. The notebook is full from beginning to end, recto and verso. 1874

A dappled, hardbound, 7X8 1/4 notebook dated September 25, 1873 to c. March 1874 containing notes from "Lectures in History and Political Science by Prof. Burgess." 1873-1874

A hardbound, 7X8 notebook dated "April '73" containing notes on "Lectures by Prof. Tyler" on Greek Epic. 1873

A hardbound, vertical, 7X4 notebook dated "April '72" containing notes for a Chemistry class with Professor Harris. 1872

A hardbound, vertical, 7X4 notebook dated September 30, 1872 containing notes from Professor Ty's lectures in Greek history. 1872

A hardbound, vertical, 7X4 notebook dated September 1873 with notes from "Lectures on History and Political Science by Prof. J. W. Burgess." 1873

A hardbound, horizontal, 7X4 ledger-type notebook dated December, 1873, containing notes on "Lectures on History & Political Science, Prof. Burgess, Commenced Fall term '73." 1873-1874

A hardbound, vertical, 7X4 notebook titled "Lectures by Prof. Stearns" containing notes on Religion taken between January 14, 1874 and February 5, 1874. 1873

A hardbound, vertical, 7X4 notebook beginning with some notes on proper grammar and continuing, undated, with notes on Contemporary European History. n.d.

Series 5: Frederick Huntington Gillett Commonplace book, c. 1910-1924

Box	Folder
2	13	A hardbound, black, 7X8 1/4 notebook containing, from the front, notes and bon mots that merge into a journal on p. 27 where Frederick Huntington Gillett dates his first entry, a five line piece of doggerel, July 1915. The journal makes big temporal jumps between entries. There are two from 1915, two from 1922, and several from 1924. An entry dated November 1922 describes a conversation with President Harding about his being asked to appoint a Catholic to "the Supreme bench." Starting from the back there is a small collection of quotations, many about politics. Some of the unattributed notes seem like personal anecdotes or verbal inventions. c. 1910-1924

Series 6: Robert Swift Gillett Journals Summer 1915 and Summer 1916

Box	Folder
2	14	A soft-bound, 5X7 7 3/4, notebook labeled "Summer of 1915-Tacoma, Concrete, Marblemount, Ruby Creek, Rolland Ranch, Boundary Station, Beaver Creek, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco." It contains a very detailed account of nearly each day of Robert Swift Gillett's military training. 1915

A soft-bound, 5X7 3/4, notebook labeled "Summer of '16-Plattsburg Training Camp." Inside the front cover, it details the locations and dates of the later Summer for Squad 11: "July 11-Aug 9 Hartford/ Greensboro Aug 15-25/ Penobscot Aug 26-Sept 10th." The notebook includes records of target practice accuracy, letters sent and received, &c, followed by a diary titled "Continued," and starting on July 11, 1916. The first half of the diary is not included in this collection. The diary is a nearly daily account of Robert Swift Gillett's activities. Often Robert Swift Gillett addresses "M," who provides some drama in the otherwise flat narrative, as Robert Swift Gillett's friend Buddie has announced his unique love of "M." 1916

Series 7: Photographs, 1862-c.1928

Box	Folder
2	16	Photographs of Edward Bates Gillett. Two 1862, 2 1/2X4 studio photographs. Two undated 4X6 photographs of Edward Bates Gillett in later life, likely in the early 1870s. One color copy of Edward Bates Gillett, likely in the later 1870s. One 5X7 of Lucy Douglass Fowler Gillett, Edward Bates Gillett and "probably Grandson Robert S. Gillett, Mary's father." Also one 4 1/2X6 matted reproduction of a painting, which appears to represent a fable-an old woman holding an hourglass next to a young woman playing a fiddle. c.1862-1880

Photographs of Frederick Huntington Gillett. The folder includes an early undated 2 1/2X4 portrait, a 4X6 portrait dated 1884, a 4X6 portrait with "Senator Frederick Huntington Gillett" written on the back but unlikely to have been taken during the period when Frederick Huntington Gillett was a Senator because he appears too young, and a 4X6 of an older Frederick Huntington Gillett. c.1884-1925

Photographs of Arthur Lincoln Gillett. The folder includes three photos of Arthur Lincoln Gillett, one 4X6 of him as a student, one 4X6 of him labeled "Pastor Arthur Lincoln Gillett," and one 4X6 from late in his teaching career, which bears a remarkable resemblance to the final photograph in the folder: a photograph of a portrait of Arthur Lincoln Gillett in professorial regalia. c. 1860-1930

Photographs of Robert Swift Gillett. The folder includes two 4X4 1/2 color copies of undated snapshots of Robert Swift Gillett. It also includes two studio photos, one 3X5 photo inscribed, "To Grandma With lots of love from, Bob / October 13, 1911" and a 4X7 that appears to have been taken slightly later, perhaps during college. c. 1911-1916

One 10X13 photograph labeled "Amherst June 28, 1887" at what looks like a reunion. There is a map of the locations of Edward Bates Gillett, Frederick Huntington Gillett, and Arthur Lincoln Gillett on the back. 1887

Contents

Gillett Family Papers, 1848-ca. 1920

Finding Aid

Finding aid prepared by David Schaich '06, Student Encoding Assistant; John Emil Vincent, Intern, Simmons College GSLIS.

2009

Collection Overview

Administrative Information

Biographical Note

Scope and Contents of the Collection

Organization of the Collection

Series 1: Scrapbook, c. 1867-1890

Series 2: Edward Bates Gillett Journal, n.d.

Series 3: Lucy Douglass Fowler Gillett Herbarium, bulk 1848

Series 4: Frederick Huntington Gillett Amherst Notebooks, 1870-1874

Series 5: Frederick Huntington Gillett Commonplace book, c. 1910-1924

Series 6: Robert Swift Gillett Journals Summer 1915 and Summer 1916

Series 7: Photographs, 1862-c.1928