Martha's Vineyard Museum
A Finding Aid to the Vincent Family Letters, 1842-1908
Table of Contents
Descriptive Summary
| Repository | Martha's Vineyard Museum,
Gale Huntington Research Library 59 School Street P.O. Box 1310 Edgartown, MA 02539 (508)627-4441 |
|---|---|
| Call Number | RU 438 |
| Creator | Vincent family |
| Title | Vincent family letters |
| Date | 1842-1908 |
| Extent | 2 boxes (1.008 cubic feet) |
| Language | The materials are in English. |
| Abstract | This collection consists of correspondence created by Frank P. Vincent, his wife Minnie Vincent and their son, Wesley Grove Vincent during the latter half of the 19th century. Most of the letters are from Wesley Vincent to his parents and were written during his enrollment at Phillips Exeter Academy and Yale University. There are also many letters from Frank Vincent to Minnie Vincent, dating from 1870 to 1877. |
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Use and Reproduction Restrictions
Requests to reproduce material from this collection should be directed to the library's staff. Reproduction fees may apply.
Preferred Citation
Martha's Vineyard Museum, RU 438, Vincent Family Letters.
Acquisition Information
The immediate source of acquisition and date of accession are unknown.
Publication Information
Martha's Vineyard Museum
Gale Huntington Research Library59 School Street
P.O. Box 1310
Edgartown, MA 02539
(508)627-4441
Processing Information
Finding aid prepared by Joyce Cooper in April 2013 with assistance from Insley Julier. Machine-encoded by Nathaniel Janick April 2014.
Creation of this finding aid was sponsored by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.Related Materials
Related Materials
See also the Civil War diary of Francis P. Vincent.
Index Terms
Corporate Name(s)
- Phillips Exeter Academy
Genre(s)
- Correspondence
- Letters of recommendation
Geographic Name(s)
- Cottage City (Mass.)
- Oak Bluffs (Mass.)
Personal Name(s)
- Vincent, Francis P., 1831-1908
- Vincent, Minnie Killian, 1850-1931
- Vincent, Wesley G., 1871-1922
Subject(s)
- Boarding schools
- Students
Biography/Historical Note
Francis Pease Vincent, nicknamed Frank, was the son of Samuel G. Vincent, 1803-1882, and Harriett D. Pease, 1812-1880. Frank P. Vincent was born in 1831 and grew up in Edgartown, Massachusetts with siblings; Ellen M., Charles Macreading, Harriett Coffin and Fredrick Upham. In 1867 he married Minnie E. Killian. After serving in the Civil War, Frank became Postmaster in Cottage City, Massachusetts in 1874. He was also a house wright. By 1888, Vincent was managing the Vineyard Gazette branch office in Cottage City. He died in 1908.
Born in 1850, Minnie Killian Vincent was politically active and civic minded. She served as County Chairman of the Republican State Committee and she was a life member of the Oriental Chapter of the Eastern Star, a fraternal organization dedicated to charity, education and spiritualism. She also served on the Oak Bluffs School Committee for many years, from around 1917-1931. Minnie Vincent died in 1931.
Frank and Minnie had one surviving child, Wesley Grove Vincent. Born on December 6, 1871, he was named for the area of Cottage City where he grew up; Wesley Grove. He left the island in 1888 to attend Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. After graduation he went on to Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, eventually becoming a doctor at St. Bartholomew's Clinic in New York City. He never married. Wesley Vincent died in January 1922.
Scope and Content of Collection
This collection consists of correspondence created by Frank P. Vincent, his wife Minnie Vincent and their son, Wesley Grove Vincent during the latter half of the 19th century. Most of the letters are from Wesley Vincent to his parents, particularly his mother, and were written during his enrollment at Phillips Exeter Academy and Yale University. The letters report on boarding school life in the 1880s and describe Wesley Vincent's classes, sports, dances, glee club and odd jobs. The collection also contains many letters from Frank Vincent to Minnie Vincent, dating from 1870 to 1877. Minnie Vincent took two extended trips off island in 1874 and 1877 to visit friends and relatives. Frank Vincent wrote to her almost daily during these trips. Other letters from extended family, include those of Richard L. Pease, who was Frank's mother's brother, and Frank's brothers, Fredrick (Fred) and Charles Macreading, nicknamed, Charlie or Charles Mac.
Some of the letters addressed to the Vincent family were found intermingled in the same box with letters created by Sarah G. Colt. As there is no known relationship between Colt and the Vincent family, the letters were separated into two individual collections.
Arrangement
- Series I: Frank P. Vincent, 1842-1892
- Series II: Minnie Vincent, 1870-1902, undated
- Series III: Wesley Vincent, 1881-1892
- Series IV: Other Correspondence, 1855-1908
Collection Contents
Series I. Frank P. Vincent, 1842-1892 Scope and ContentFrank Vincent's correspondence largely consists of letters from his son Wesley, written during the latter's years at Exeter Academy. Wesley describes dorm life and sporting events to his father. The series also includes an early letter from "Uncle Richard," (Richard L. Pease), to his young nephew Frank Vincent, describing the Boston Common during George Washington's birthday celebrations and an 1866 letter from Frank Vincent to his brother Fredrick, catching him up on home life, fishing and local marriages. Additionally, there is some post office related correspondence. ArrangementThe series is arranged alphabetically by recipient and then by sender. | ||||
| Box | Folder | |||
Vincent, Frank from Davis, Rep. Robert T., 1883 December | 1 | 1 | ||
Vincent, Frank from Maybury, Edwin, 1880 February | 1 | 2 | ||
Vincent, Frank from Pease, Richard L., 1842 February | 1 | 3 | ||
Vincent, Frank from Vincent, Mac, 1871 December | 1 | 4 | ||
Vincent, Frank from Vincent, Minnie, 1888 September | 1 | 5 | ||
Vincent, Frank from Vincent, Wesley, 1888-1892 | 1 | 6-9 | ||
Vincent, Fredrick from Vincent, Frank, 1866 September | 1 | 10 | ||
Quarterly Statement for Post Office, 1884 April NoteNote: The statement is notarized by Richard L. Pease. | 1 | 11 | ||
Series II. Minnie Vincent, 1881-1902, undated Scope and ContentMinnie Vincent's earliest letters are from her husband Frank P. Vincent. She took two lengthy trips off island to visit friends and family in different areas of Massachusetts, including, Canton, Jamaica Plain, Boston, New Bedford and Charlestown. During these trips Frank told her how Wesley and local friends were doing. When Wesley Vincent went off to school in 1888, he was very good about keeping in touch with his mother. He describes Glee Club concerts and dances in his letters. The series also includes a few letters between Minnie Vincent and her friends. ArrangementThe series is arranged alphabetically by recipient and then by sender. | ||||
| Box | Folder | |||
Chase, Mrs. from Vincent, Minnie, 1881 December | 1 | 12 | ||
Killian, Minnie from Hiawatha, undated | 1 | 13 | ||
Vincent, Harriet from Vincent, Minnie, 1880 April | 1 | 14 | ||
Vincent, Minnie from Dunham, Clara, 1989 March | 1 | 15 | ||
Vincent, Minnie from Hood, W. L., 1902 February | 1 | 16 | ||
Vincent, Minnie from Vincent, Frank, 1870-1872 | 1 | 17 | ||
Vincent, Minnie from Vincent, Frank, 1874 February-March | 1 | 18 | ||
Vincent, Minnie from Vincent, Frank, 1877 November | 1 | 19 | ||
Vincent, Minnie from Vincent, Frank, 1877 December | 1 | 20-21 | ||
Vincent, Minnie from Vincent, Wesley, 1888-1891 | 1 | 22-25 | ||
Vincent, Minnie from Vincent, Wesley, 1891-1893 | 2 | 1-5 | ||
Vincent, Minnie from Vincent, Wesley, 1896 | 2 | 6 | ||
Vincent, Minnie from Vincent, Wesley, 1902, undated | 2 | 7 | ||
Series III. Wesley Vincent, 1881-1892 Scope and ContentWesley Vincent's correspondence dates largely from the period leading up to his departure for Phillips Exeter Academy and after his initial arrival at the boarding school. He received words of congratulations, encouragement and advice from friends and his father Frank Vincent. The series also includes correspondence with Dr. Walter Scott asking for and receiving a letter of recommendation for Exeter Academy. Additionally, there are two school report cards; one from elementary school and one from Exeter Academy. ArrangementThe series is arranged alphabetically by recipient and then by sender. Miscellaneous materials are filed at the end of the series. | ||||
| Box | Folder | |||
Clara from Vincent, Wesley, 1886 May | 2 | 9 | ||
Jewell, Sadie from Vincent, Wesley, 1892 November | 2 | 10 | ||
Vincent, Wesley from Breckinridge, Harry, 1888 October | 2 | 11 | ||
Vincent, Wesley from Meara, Frank, 1888 October | 2 | 12 | ||
Vincent, Wesley from/to Scott, Walter, 1888 August | 2 | 13 | ||
Vincent, Wesley from Vincent, Frank, 1888 | 2 | 14 | ||
School Report Cards, 1881, 1892 | 2 | 15 | ||
Series IV. Other Correspondence, 1855-1908 Scope and ContentSeries IV contains letters from Frank Vincent's extended family and unknown sources. Frank Vincent's uncle, Richard L. Pease and cousins, Harriet Marshall Pease and Maria Thurston Pease, are known to have had an interest in genealogy and letters related to this field were found in the collection. There are also several empty envelopes and two postcards addressed to Frank's father Samuel G. Vincent. In addition, there is a letter from Charles Mac Vincent to an unidentified "Sister" in this series. It was sent from his Civil War post. Other miscellaneous materials include an invitation to a fundraiser for the Cape Cod Pilgrim Memorial in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The unidentified correspondence found in this series shows no direct relationship to Sarah G. Colt or the Vincent family but was intermingled among the letters. ArrangementThe series is arranged alphabetically, with unidentified correspondence filed at the end. | ||||
| Box | Folder | |||
Cape Cod Pilgrim Memorial Association, 1903 August | 2 | 16 | ||
Genealogy Correspondence , 1899-1908 | 2 | 17 | ||
Pease, Richard from Folger, William, 1876, 1885 | 2 | 18 | ||
Sister from Vincent, Charles Mac, 1864 June | 2 | 19 | ||
Vincent, Samuel from Vincent, Fred, 1875 | 2 | 20 | ||
Unidentified Correspondence, 1855-1898 | 2 | 21 | ||