Finding Aid - Peabody Essex Museum

HARRIET C. RANTOUL (1878-1975)PAPERS, 1784-1949MSS 451 Processed by: Halley GroganFebruary 2012Volume:5 boxes5.5 linear feetProvenance:Conservation:Copyright:Processing:This material was donated by Harriet C. Rantoul in 1965-1971 and Cynthia NealRantoul in 1977.The material was placed in acid-free folders.Requests for permission to publish material from the collection must be submittedin writing to the Manuscript Librarian in the Phillips Library at the Peabody EssexMuseum.Processing of this collection was funded by a grant from the NHPRC (NationalHistorical Publications and Records Commission).BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHHarriet C. Rantoul was born on February 16, 1878 in Paris, France, the youngest child ofRobert S. Rantoul (1832-1922) and Harriet C. Neal (1837-1899). She was a member of one ofSalem’s sea merchant families; her grandfather Robert Rantoul Jr. was a Massachusetts StateRepresentative and United States Senator and her father, Robert S. Rantoul, was mayor of Salem,Massachusetts for four terms. Her mother, Harriet C. Neal, was the daughter of David AugustusNeal and Harriet C. Price, and her grandfather was Captain Jonathan Neal who served during theRevolutionary War before becoming a successful merchant in Salem.Ms. Rantoul traveled extensively around the world; she was in China during the PekingRevolution in 1900 and was in San Francisco during the 1906 earthquake. She was known for hersocial and philanthropic work, along with her love of the Boston Symphony orchestra. She attendedthe Friday afternoon concerts and was honored on her 90 th birthday in 1968 by the Symphonydirectors who placed a gold plaque with her name inscribed on seat G-16, the one she had occupiedfor many years. Ms. Rantoul died at age 97 in May 1975 at her home in Beverly Farms.©2012, Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum Page 1

MSS 451 Harriet C. Rantoul PapersSCOPE AND CONTENT NOTEThe Harriet C. Rantoul Papers include correspondence, journals, genealogical records for theNeal family, photograph albums, event programs, newspaper clippings and broadsides. Thiscollection has been arranged into two series: Series I: Harriet C. Rantoul Papers and Series II:Neal Family Papers.Series I: Harriet C. Rantoul Papers includes correspondence, event programs, newspaperclippings and albums of photographs and postcards. Correspondence to Harriet is primarily from herbrother Beverley while he was abroad with the American Red Cross in France. Publications andevent programs document celebrations in Salem, including the Salem Tercentenary in 1926. Thealbums include a family photograph album of travels abroad in Europe, dating circa 1909 to 1912,two postcard albums that document travels to the West Coast of the United States and historic sitesin Salem and New England, and a travel album of the costumes of the Swiss cantons.Series II: Neal Family Papers includes estate documents, genealogical records, journals,and an album for the Neal Family, Ms. Rantoul’s mother’s family. Estate documents relate tovarious members of the Neal family and their property. Two personal notebooks along with loosehandwritten notes record genealogical information for the Neal family. A handwritten journal relatedto the ship Navigator is included, most likely related to the work of Captain Jonathan Neal. Twojournals are from Mrs. Harriet C. Neal and date approximately 1824, presumably given to her by herbrother Joseph Price. Correspondence dates back to 1784 and includes letters from Captain JonathanNeal, and David A. Neal.BIBLIOGRAPHY AND RELATED COLLECTIONSHill, Ruth Henderson. Robert Rantoul and His Descendants. Beverly Historical Society, 1960.Hitchings, A. Frank. Ship registers of the district of Salem and Beverly, Massachusetts, 1789-1900.Salem: Essex Institute, 1906.Neal, Theodore Augustus. Neal record: being a list of the descendants of John Neale, one of theearly settlers of Salem, Mass. Boston: H. W. Dutton, 1856.Photograph of Miss Harriet C. Rantoul’s 90 th Birthday Party held on February 18, 1968 at HamiltonHall, Salem.Robert S. Rantoul Papers, 1817-1920, MSS 448Rantoul Family Papers, 1865-1914, MSS 450William G. Rantoul Papers, 1889-1940, ARCH 1Page 2©2012, Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum

HARRIET C. RANTOUL (1878-1975)PAPERS, 1784-1949MSS 451 Harriet C. Rantoul PapersSERIES I: Harriet C. Rantoul PapersA. Personal PapersB. Albums and ClippingsSERIES II: Neal Family PapersA. Family PapersB. GenealogyC. Albums and EngravingsSERIES LISTSERIES I: Harriet C. Rantoul PapersCONTENTS LISTBox Folder Contents DateA. Personal Papers1 1 Correspondence to Harriet C. Rantoul 1916-1918, 19492 Event Programs 1880-19263 Publications 1914-1926B. Albums and Clippings1 4 Postcard Album by Edith Rantoul 1915Vol. 1 Postcard Album, Salem and New England n. d.2(OS) Vol. 2 Photograph Album circa 1909 - 19123 Vol. 3 Costumes and Travel Album n. d.1 Newspaper Clippings 1922-19324(OS) 1 Oversize Newspaper Clippings 1922-19322 Broadsides 1926SERIES II: Neal Family PapersA. Family Papers3 2 Harriet C. (Price) Neal Journals 1824, n. d.Box Folder Contents Date©2012, Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum Page 3

MSS 451 Harriet C. Rantoul Papers3 3 Abstract of Journals, Navigator (Ship) 1843-18454 Estate Papers 1836-18815(OS) 1 Oversize Estate Papers 1837-18382 Oversize Correspondence 18803 5 Correspondence 1784-1877B. Genealogy3 6 Genealogy Notes n. d.C. Albums and Engravings3 7 Engraving and Profile of Abraham Lincoln n. d.5(OS) Vol. 4 Poetry Clippings Album by Margaret Matia Neal 1856-1862Page 4©2012, Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum