59 School Street, Box 1310, Edgartown MA 02539 - 508.627.4441
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A Finding Aid to the William Cottle and Holmes Hole Post Office Collection

Descriptive Summary

RepositoryMartha's Vineyard Museum
Gale Huntington Research Library
59 School Street
P.O. Box 1310
Edgartown, MA 02539
(508) 627-4441
Call NumberRU 487
Creator Cottle, William, 1775-1830
TitleWilliam Cottle and the Holmes Hole Post Office collection
Date1811-1829
Extent7 folders (0.081 cubic feet)
LanguageThe materials are in English.
AbstractThe collection contains personal papers and professional records belonging to William Cottle (1775-1830), master mariner and Holmes Hole postmaster from 1828-1830.

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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 487, William Cottle and the Holmes Hole Post Office Collection.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Herman Herst, Jr. in 1960 (Accession no. 1960.042). Gift of Mrs. Ralph M. Packer, Sr. in 1972 (Accession no. 1972.030). The immediate source of acquisition and date of accession for the rest of the material is unknown.

Publication Information

Martha's Vineyard Museum

Gale Huntington Research Library
59 School Street
P.O. Box 1310
Edgartown, MA 02539
(508) 627-4441

Processing Information

Finding aid prepared by Lara J. Ullman in February 2015 and machine-encoded by Nathaniel Janick in March 2015.

 Creation of this finding aid was sponsored by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

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Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

  • Acastus (ship)

Genre(s)

  • Accounts
  • Journals (accounts)
  • Letters
  • Records (documents)
  • Summonses

Geographic Name(s)

  • Homes Hole (Mass.)
  • Vineyard Haven (Mass.)

Subject(s)

  • Holmes Hole Post Office (Homes Hole, Mass.)

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Biography/Historical Note

William Cottle was born in 1775 to Edmund Cottle and Jemima (Dunham) Cottle. He married Mary Daggett (1777-1828) and the couple lived in Holmes Hole, Massachusetts (what is now considered Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts). As well as being a master mariner William was the Holmes Hole postmaster from 1828 until his death on October 30, 1830. The post office was located in William’s store adjoining his house on Main Street.

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Scope and Content Note

The collection contains personal papers and professional records belonging to William Cottle.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged chronologically. The material is housed in a box with other small collections.

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Collection Inventory

BoxFolder

Bill of Health and Clearance Certificate for Acastus (Ship), 1811 September 27, 1815 June 10 

141

Journal of Voyages, Sailing Instructions, Letters, and Poems, 1814-1815 

142

Record of Purchase by William Cottle from George Dunham and Captain S. Dunham, 1822-1826 

143

Court Summons for Henry Allen of Chilmark to Answer William Cottle of Tisbury, 1825 June 22 

Note

There is also a note about amounts Henry Allen owed William Cottle

144

Bills of Quarterly Returns of the Post Office, 1828 February-September 

145

Holmes Hole Post Office Accounts Current with the General Post Office, 1828 February-December 

146

Letter from William Luce to William Cottle regarding Post Office Business, 1829 May 20 

147