Martha's Vineyard Museum
A Finding Aid to the Lucretia S. Norton and Minnie Ford (Norton) Butler Collection
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 428 |
| Creator - Collector | Butler, Minnie Ford Norton, 1858-1904 |
| Creator - Collector | Norton, Lucretia S., 1867-1944 |
| Title | Lucretia S. Norton and Minnie Ford (Norton) Butler collection |
| Date [inclusive] | 1856-1941, undated |
| Extent | 2 boxes (1.008 cubic feet) |
| Language | The materials are in English. |
| Abstract | The collection consists of the papers of Lucretia S. Norton (1867-1944) and Minnie Ford (Norton) Butler (1858-1904), two of Captain Ichabod Norton's (1818-1897) three daughters. The bulk of the collection pertains to Lucretia's research on various topics. |
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Access to photograph albums (Box 2) is RESTRICTED due to preservation concerns. Materials are extremely fragile. Please contact the Chief Curator for further information regarding the availability of these albums for research. There are no restrictions on the rest of the collection.
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 428, Lucretia S. Norton and Minnie Ford (Norton) Butler Collection.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Miss Miriam Butler in November 1965 (Accession no. 1965.027).
Custodial History
The material in this collection was found in the home shared by sisters Sarah Mayhew Norton and Lucretia S. Norton. It was donated by their niece, Miriam Butler, who also lived in the house.
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 Lara J. Ullman in October 2014.Finding aid machine-encoded by Nathaniel Janick in November 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, RU 454, Thomas Nevin Jernegan Dexter Collection. See also, Photograph Archive.
Controlled Access Headings
Genre(s)
- Autograph albums
- Essays
- Photograph albums
- Poetry
- Research notes
- Viewbooks
Geographic Name(s)
- Cottage City (Mass.)
- Edgartown (Mass.)
- Oak Bluffs (Mass.)
- Tisbury (Mass. : Town)
Personal Name(s)
- Butler, Minnie Ford Norton, 1858-1904
- Norton, Lucretia S., 1867-1944
Subject(s)
- Architecture, Domestic--Massachusetts--Edgartown
- Historic buildings
- Martha's Vineyard (Mass.)--History
Biography/Historical Note
Ichabod Norton was born on Nantucket, Massachusetts, on September 22, 1817 to James and Mary (Riddell) Norton. Following James' death in 1822, Ichabod moved to Martha's Vineyard to live with his grandfather. When Ichabod was 13 years old he went to sea for the first time and attained the rank of Master at a young age. After making some very successful voyages, Ichabod retired from the life of a whaling captain in 1858. Captain Norton entered the United States Navy shortly after the start of the Civil War. He was the acting assistant paymaster on the bark Horace Beales. After being honorably discharged from the Navy in 1865, Norton made his home in Edgartown, Massachusetts.
In 1848 Ichabod married Sarah Mayhew (1822-1854) and the couple had one son, Francis I. (1848- ). Sarah died on April 21, 1854 in Edgartown. Captain Norton married his second wife, Maria P. Robinson (1831-1910), in 1858. The couple had three daughters: Minnie Ford, Sarah Mayhew, and Lucretia Storms. Captain Ichabod Norton died on April 25, 1897 in Edgartown.
Minnie Ford Norton was born on December 14, 1858 in Edgartown. In 1895 Minnie married William Morgan Butler (1861-1937). The couple lived in Boston, Massachusetts and had a summer home at Lambert's Cove on Martha's Vineyard. Minnie and William had five children: Morgan, Gladys, Miriam, Beatrice, and Mary. Minnie Ford (Norton) Butler died on February 17, 1904.
Sarah Mayhew Norton was born on May 21, 1860 in Edgartown. She attended Edgartown High School. For many years Sarah worked in the office and drugstore of local physician, Dr. Thomas J. Walker. She was an active member of the Methodist Church. For many years Sarah lived with her sister, Lucretia, and her niece, Miriam Butler, in a house on Meeting House Way. Sarah Mayhew Norton died on December 16, 1945.
Lucretia Storms Norton was born on December 14, 1867 in Edgartown. After graduating from Edgartown High School, she remained on the Vineyard and immersed herself in various Island organizations. Lucretia was a lifelong member of the Methodist Church and a member of the Edgartown Woman's Club. She was also involved with the Martha's Vineyard Chapter, D. A. R., of Edgartown; the Dukes County Historical Society (the predecessor to the Martha's Vineyard Museum); and the Edgartown Public Library. For many years Lucretia lived with her sister, Sarah, and her niece, Miriam Butler, in a house on Meeting House Way. Lucretia Storms Norton died on August 1, 1944.
Scope and Content Note
Most of the collection consists of Lucretia S. Norton's papers, including essays, poetry, research notes, and clippings about various topics. There is a bill and tax receipt addressed to Mrs. Ichabod Norton, Ichabod's second wife, Maria P. (Robinson) Norton. Also included in the collection is Minnie Ford (Norton) Butler's autograph album. There are also two publications and three photograph albums.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged by family member and therein chronologically with publications at the end. The family members' papers are in the following order: Lucretia S. Norton, Mrs. Maria P. (Robinson) Norton, and Minnie Ford (Norton) Butler. The photograph albums can be found at the end of the collection.
Collection Inventory
| Box | Folder | |||
Clippings, 1885, 1936, 1938, undated | 1 | 1 | ||
Clubs and Organizations, 1928, 1935-1936 | 1 | 2 | ||
Correspondence, 1939-1941, undated | 1 | 3 | ||
Essay on Slavery, undated | 1 | 4 | ||
"The House in Which I Live" by Lucretia S. Norton, Read at a Meeting of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Martha's Vineyard Chapter, 1931 May 2 | 1 | 5 | ||
Ideas in Rhyme by Lucretia Norton, 1937, undated | 1 | 6 | ||
Miscellaneous Papers, 1928 April-May, undated | 1 | 7 | ||
Notes on Colloquial Expressions, undated | 1 | 8 | ||
Notes on Gosnold and Gayhead, 1935-1936 | 1 | 9 | ||
Notes on Historic Buildings in Edgartown, 1938, undated | 1 | 10 | ||
Notes on Logbooks, 1936, 1938 | 1 | 11 | ||
Notes on Unpublished Manuscripts, Cemetery Epitaphs, and Tisbury Records, 1936, undated | 1 | 12 | ||
Norton Family Obituaries and Notices, circa 1904-1910 | 1 | 13 | ||
"Old Historic Houses in Great Harbor" by Lucretia S. Norton, Read Before the Dukes County Historical Society, 1931 August 12 | 1 | 14 | ||
Writings on Historic Houses in Edgartown by Lucretia S. Norton, undated | 1 | 15 | ||
Love Poem, Bill, and Tax Receipt to Maria P. (Robinson) Norton, 1856, 1859, 1863 | 1 | 16 | ||
Minnie F. Norton's Autograph Album, 1876-1882 | 1 | 17 | ||
"Cottage City Illustrated. Eighteen Views." Gardner, Mass.: Lithotype Printing Co., n.d., circa 1880-1889 | 1 | 18 | ||
Norton, Henry Franklin. "Martha's Vineyard, Historical, Legendary, Scenic." Hartford, Conn.: Henry Franklin Norton, 1923., 1923 | 1 | 19 | ||
Norton Family Album, undated | 2 | 1 | ||
Norton Family Album, undated | 2 | 2 | ||
Butler and Norton Families Album, undated | 2 | 3 | ||
Loose Photographs, 1887, 1897, undated | 2 | 4 | ||