Martha's Vineyard Museum
A Finding Aid to the Thomas Nevin Jernegan Dexter Collection1778-1935, 1980, undated
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 454 |
Creator | Dexter, Thomas, 1906-1936 |
Title | Thomas Nevin Jernegan Dexter collection |
Date | 1778-1935, 1980, undated |
Extent | 1 box + 1 oversize folder (0.529 cubic feet) |
Language | The materials are in English. |
Abstract | A poet, genealogist and local historian, Thomas Nevin Jernegan Dexter, researched historic homes in Edgartown, Massachusetts, and gathered primary source material and genealogical information about his Martha's Vineyard relations in the early 20th century. |
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 454, Thomas Nevin Jernegan Dexter Collection.
Acquisition Information
Scrapbook gift of Mrs. Thomas A. Dexter, July 9, 1943 (accession no. 1943.011). Primary source documents, undated poetry and genealogical research notes gift of Mrs. Thomas A. Dexter, November 15, 1943 (accession no. 1943.034). Poetry and clippings dated 1923 and undated, gift of Esther C. Conkling in 1974 (Accession no. 1974.025). The immediate source of acquisition and date of accession of the essay, address, Coffin letter transcriptions and notes on historic houses are unknown.
Publication Information
Martha's Vineyard Museum
Gale Huntington Research Library59 School Street
P.O. Box 1310
Edgartown, MA 02539
(508) 627-4441
Revision Description
Addition to the Collection; Addition of Box 1, Folder 18, Epitaphs[CJ]. August 2015
Processing Information
Finding aid prepared by Insley Julier in August 2013 and completed by Lara J. Ullman in May 2014. Finding aid was 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.Related Materials
Related Material
The museum holds an oil painting and a drawing of Thomas Nevin Jernegan Dexter, see accession numbers 1950.006 and 1936.019 respectively.
Controlled Access Headings
Family Name(s)
- Coffin family
- Jernegan family
- Ripley family
Genre(s)
- Notebooks
- Research notes
Geographic Name(s)
- Martha's Vineyard (Mass.)--Genealogy
Subject(s)
- Genealogy--Coffin family
- Genealogy--Jernegan family
- Genealogy--Ripley family
Biography/Historical Note
Thomas Nevin Jernegan Dexter was born April 28, 1906 to Carleton H. Dexter, 1889-1916, and Alice McLeod, 1889-1949. Thomas Dexter was the only grandson of Thomas A. Dexter, 1859-1946, and Gertrude Leonard Ripley, 1863-1948. A poet, collector, genealogist and local historian, he was the treasurer of the Dukes County Historical Society (predecessor to the Martha's Vineyard Museum). Thomas Dexter died in 1936, just before his 30th birthday.
Scope and Content Note
This collection largely consists of undated genealogical research notes created by Thomas Nevin Jernegan Dexter. Most of the material pertains to the Coffin, Jernegan and Ripley families. There is a scrapbook with notes and clippings compiled by Thomas Dexter focusing on genealogical research, poetry, and articles about the artist Paul Cadmus, who was a friend of Dexter's who painted and drew portraits of him. There are several primary source documents created by members of the Jernegan family, 1811-1852. There is also a 1778 bill from Henry Fish to Thomas Smith. In the 1930s, Thomas Dexter researched old houses in Edgartown, Massachusetts, and the collection contains notes on historic buildings and their previous occupants. In addition, the collection includes a few pages of poetry, an essay titled "Epitaphs," and several hand-written transcriptions of Dexter's notes, clearly written at a later date, including some from 1980.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged by record form or topic and therein chronologically, with primary source documents first, followed by genealogical notes, poetry, and notes on historic houses and other subjects.
Collection Inventory
Box | Folder | |||
Bill from Henry Fish to Thomas Smith and Genealogical Notes, 1778, undated | OS GEN 7 | 11 | ||
Jernegan Receipts, 1811, 1833 | 1 | 1 | ||
Election Warrant to Thomas Jernegan, Constable, 1812 | 1 | 2 | ||
Deed to Henry Gray from Mary Jernegan, 1846 | 1 | 3 | ||
Deed to Joseph Gray from Joseph Jernegan, 1852 | 1 | 4 | ||
Letters from Beth S. Felix to Thomas Nevin Jernegan Dexter, 1926 August 11, undated | 1 | 5 | ||
Notebook, 1924 September 08 | 1 | 6 | ||
Scrapbook: "Clippings of Historical Interest", 1849-1935 | 1 | 7 | ||
Genealogical Notes, circa 1923 | 1 | 8 | ||
Genealogical Notes on Coffins, Jernegans and Ripleys, undated | 1 | 9 | ||
Genealogical Notes on Jernegans, undated | 1 | 10 | ||
Genealogical Notes on Ripleys, undated | 1 | 11 | ||
Poetry and Clippings, 1923, undated | 1 | 12 | ||
Poetry, undated | 1 | 13 | ||
History of Old Homes in Edgartown, 1931-1933, 1980, undated | 1 | 14 | ||
Address and Coffin Letter Transcriptions, undated | 1 | 15 | ||
Chappaquiddick House and Coffin Family Homes, undated | 1 | 16 | ||
Epitaphs Essay, undated | 1 | 17 | ||
Epitaphs, circa 1929 NoteUnpublished paper. | 1 | 18 | ||