Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford Collection, 1862-1920
General International Standard for Archival Description
Mortimer Rare Book Room Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA
Finding aid encoded in NoteTab Pro. Encoded by Margaret Jessup. 2007-03-09
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford Collection
Creation of Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford Collection
Time of Creation of Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford Collection
Spofford, Harriet Prescott, 1835-1924
Biographical History for: Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford Collection
Biographical Note Harriet Elizabeth Prescott was born in Calais, Maine, on April 3, 1835. She moved with her parents to Newburyport, Massachusetts, in 1849 where she attended the Putnam Free School. She also attended the Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire (1853-1855). When her parents became infirm and the family's finances problematic, Prescott started to write. With encouragement from Thomas W. S. Higginson, her stories appeared in the Boston newspapers and later in the Atlantic Monthly. Her first novel, Sir Rohan's Ghost, appeared anonymously in 1860. Other novels followed and her work (poems, essays, stories and travel writings) appeared in the Atlantic, Scribner's, Century and other leading magazines of the day. In 1865 she married Richard Smith Spofford, Jr. (1833-1888), a Boston lawyer and sometime author. They resided on Deer Island, Amesbury, Massachusetts. Harriet Spofford continued to write and travel. It is at the Deer Island home that she died on August 14, 1921.
Scope and Contents of the Collection The Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford Collection consists of .5 linear feet of letters, manuscript poems and print materials related to Harriet Prescott Spofford. Also included in the collection are letters and literary manuscripts of Richard Smith Spofford. SERIES I. LETTERS: This series contains letters written by Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford to various individuals. It is arranged in chronological order. SERIES II. WRITINGS: This series contains a number of manuscripts of Spofford's poems. SERIES III. PRINT MATERIALS: This series contains some printed advertisements. SERIES IV. RICHARD SMITH SPOFFORD: This series contains letters and manuscripts by Richard Smith Spofford, husband of Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford, as well as print materials.
American literature-19th century-Biography-Sources
lcsh
Women authors-19th century-Biography-Sources
Spofford, Harriet Elizabeth Prescott, 1835-1921
lcnaf
Spofford, Richard Smith, 1833-1888
series
SERIES I. LETTERS
Letter to James T. Fields, Newburyport, [Mass.], 1864 Mar 29
Letter to A. A. Hill, Newburyport, Mass., 1864 Dec 29
Letter to Thanton Marble, Washington, D.C., [1868?] Mar 26
Letter to Henry R. Howland, Newburyport, Mass., 1868 Aug 31
Letter to Scribner & Co., Newburyport, Mass., 1872 Jul 27
Letter to A. G. Constable, Newburyport, Mass., 1874 Oct 29
Letter to "My dear Sir," Newburyport, Mass., 1885 Nov 18
Letter to "My dear Sir," Newburyport, Mass., 1887 Nov 4
Letter to "My dear Sir," Newburyport, Mass., 1887 Jul 29.
Letter and envelope to Rossiter Johnson, Boston, Mass., 1892 Apr 7
Letter to Charles T. Scott, Boston, Mass., 1894 Feb 23
Letter to Mr. Brown, Boston, Mass., 1894 Mar 24
Letter to Mr. Brown, Newburyport, Mass., 1894 May 24.
Letter to Mr. Beusel, Newburyport, [Mass.], [19--] Feb 2
Letter to "My dear editors," Newburyport, [Mass.], [19--] Sep 5
Letter to Laura A. Brown, Boston, [Mass.], 1900 Jan 25
Letter to "My dear Sir," Deer Island, near Newburyport, Mass., 1902 Jun 25
Letter to Mrs. Huchel, Rome, Italy, 1904 Apr 14
Letter to Mrs. Beal, Deer Island, near Newburyport, [Mass.], 1913 May 28
Letter to Miss Adams, Boston, Mass., 1919 Feb 3
SERIES II. WRITINGS
Holograph of poem: The Stern Chase, signed, 1874 Aug 19
Holograph of poem, signed, n.d.
Holograph of poem: Christmas, unsigned, n.d.
Holograph of poem, signed, 1861 Aug 3.
Holograph signature, n.d.
Signed receipt, 1862 Mar 11.
Holograph of poem, unsigned, n.d.
SERIES III. PRINT MATERIALS
Advertisement for Youth's Companion, n.d.
Advertisement for Youth's Companion: "Announcement of Youth's Companion for 1877." List of authors including Harriet P. Spofford., 1877
SERIES IV. RICHARD SMITH SPOFFORD
Letter of R. S. Spofford to Mrs. Spaulding, 1862 Aug 29
Letter of R. S. Spofford to James T. Brady, New York, N.Y., 1867 Nov 15
Letter of R. S. Spofford to Dr. Jeremiah Spofford, London, [England], 1873 Nov 7
Letter and envelope of R. S. Spofford to Edwd. S. Mosely, Washington, D.C., 1884 Mar 3
Letter of R. S. Spofford to Mr. Wallace, Washington, D.C., 1884 Mar 3
Letter (dictated) of R. S. Spofford to Apphia Spofford, Boston, [Mass.], 1887 Dec 28
Holograph of poem: The Factory Bell, signed with initials, n.d.
Holograph of poem: The loves of Orpheus and Eurydices, unsigned, n.d.
Holograph of poem: Night, unsigned, n.d.
Holograph of speech for New Year's, unsigned, n.d.
Printed broadside of poem: The Shame of the Virginius, n.d.