Contents

Collection Overview

Biographical Note

Scope and Contents of the Collection

Organization of the Collection

Search Terms

Noah Webster Family Papers, 1810-1917

Finding Aid

Finding aid prepared by Carol Trabulsi, Peter Nelson.

Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

© 2003

Biographical Note

Noah Webster, influential American lexicographer, author and teacher, was born in 1758 in West Hartford, Connecticut. He graduated from Yale College in 1778, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1781. As a schoolteacher in New York State, he became dissatisfied with children's textbooks, which he felt ignored distinctive elements of American language and culture. In 1783 he published The American Spelling Book, the famed "Blue-backed Speller," a widely used and highly influential textbook that is still in print. Subsequent publications of a grammar (1784) and a reader (1785) formed, with the speller, Webster's three-part Grammatical Institute of the English Language. Webster's advocacy of spelling reform in this period was responsible for most of the differences that exist today between American and British spelling. After marrying Rebecca Greenleaf in 1789, Webster practiced law in Hartford until 1793. In New York City he then founded two newspapers, American Minerva (said to be New York's first daily newspaper) and The Herald, both of which he sold in 1803. He moved to New Haven in 1798, where he was active in local politics. In 1806 Webster published his Compendious Dictionary of the English Language. This work prepared the way for the achievement for which he is most famous, An American Dictionary of the English Language, containing over 70,000 entries and published in two volumes in 1828. (Later, George and Charles Merriam purchased the rights to this dictionary from Webster's estate.)

From 1812 to 1822, Webster and his family lived in Amherst, Massachusetts, where, living largely off the income from his published schoolbooks, he farmed, served in the Massachusetts legislature and continued work on his dictionary. In Amherst the Webster family lived in a house on Main Street, facing the Common. (This house was destroyed by fire in 1838.) As a trustee of Amherst Academy, he was involved in the founding of the Amherst Collegiate Institute, the precursor of Amherst College. In 1822 the family moved back to New Haven. Noah Webster died in New Haven in 1843.

Descendants of Noah Webster: The following is a partial listing of the descendants of Noah Webster who are represented in the Noah Webster Family Papers.

1. Noah Webster (1758-1843) m. Rebecca Greenleaf Daughter: 2. Eliza Steele Webster (1803-1888) m. Henry Jones (Oct 15, 1801-Nov. 7, 1878) Daughter: 3. Emily Ellsworth Jones (1827-1869) m. Daniel Jones Day Son: 4. Robert W. Day (b. 1854, Bridgeport Conn.; lived in Buffalo, N.Y.) Son: 5. Rodney W. Day (b. 1883)

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

Letters, legal and business papers, journals, photographs and other materials belonging to Noah Webster and four generations of his descendants, chiefly Eliza S.W. Jones, Emily J. Day, Robert W. Day, and Rodney W. Day. Much of the early 19th century correspondence concerns Noah Webster's publications, family history, travels and trials. Other family papers relate to the work of Rev. Henry and Eliza Jones as educators in Bridgeport, Conn. and Greenfield, Mass.; and to the personal and business affairs Robert W. Day, a businessman in Buffalo, N.Y.

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Search Terms

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Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into two series:

• 1. Family Correspondence, 1817-1917
• 2. Miscellaneous Family Papers, 1810-1911

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Series 1: Family Correspondence, 1817-1917

Consists of letters from four generations of the descendants of Noah Webster (following the line of his daughter, Eliza S.W. Jones, her daughter, Emily J. Day, her son, Robert W. Day, and his son, Rodney W. Day). Some of the more interesting topics discussed in the letters are Noah Webster's publications, and family history, travels and trials. Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by addressor, and chronologically within each folder. When the author of a letter could not be determined, the letter was placed under the name of the person to whom it was addressed.

Series 2: Miscellaneous Family Papers, 1810-1911

Relates chiefly to Robert W. Day and his business affairs in Buffalo, N.Y. However, this series also includes an interesting group of papers of or relating to Daniel Jones (brother of Henry Jones) which includes compositions written while in grammar school, two journals written while onboard schooners, records kept while he served as a member of the governor's foot guard and sundry lists of purchases and inventories.

Other manuscript groups of interest in Series 2 relate to Henry and Eliza Jones (educators who founded the Cottage School in Bridgeport, Connecticut and who were involved in the Greenfield High School for Young Ladies in Greenfield, Massachusetts); Illinois land holdings of Noah Webster; spelling reform; and Webster family genealogy.