Collection context
Summary
- Abstract:
- The Merrill family mss., ca. 1851-1927, consist of correspondence, diaries, photographs, and writings of various members of the George Merrill family of New York. Present are papers of George Merrill, 1832-1888, his wife Emma Fitzrandolph (Laing) Merrill, their sons William Laing Merrill and George Grenville Merrill, and George's wife Pauline (Dresser) Merrill.
- Extent:
- 1 folio (oversize) and 2 Boxes (2 standard)
- Language:
- Materials are in English and French .
- Preferred citation:
[Item], Merrill Family mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
Background
- Biographical / Historical:
Originally a member of the Tibbets family, George Merrill (1832-1888) was adopted by his uncle, Nathaniel Wilson Merrill. A lawyer by profession, he married Emma Fitzrandolph Laing in 1862 and went to Paris to serve as Councillor at the American Legation in 1866. The Merrill's three sons, Stuart, George Grenville, and William, were all raised in France. The family returned to New York in 1884, where the father died in 1888.
The son of George and Emma Laing Merrill, George Grenville Merrill was the minister of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. He graduated from Princeton in the class of 1889. His wife, Pauline Dresser Merrill, was very active in church and missionary affairs.
- Scope and Content:
Correspondence is arranged chronologically. Early folders contain letters between George Merrill and his adoptive parents, Nathaniel and Caroline Merrill. Later folders relate to the mission work of Reverend George Grenville and Pauline Merrill. It also includes letters relating to George Grenville's work with the Alliance Française.
George Merrill's papers consist primarily of his poetry. The "political essays" notebook contains questions of pressing contemporary importance, e.g. "Slavery in the Territories," "The Presidential Contest (1860)," and "Secession: neither a right nor a remedy."
The primary topics of the other family members' papers are as follows: George's wife Emma, two journals; their son William, poetry; their other son George Grenville, essays and drawings from his time at Princeton; and George Grenville's wife Pauline, journals plus papers related to her mission work.
The miscellaneous printed materials series includes World War I Victory Garden pamphlets and "A Calendar of War Verse" including poetry by Rupert Brooke, Edith Wharton, and Edgar Lee Masters. The photographs series contains photos of Tuxedo, New York as well as photos from George Grenville Merrill's travels.
- Acquisition information:
- Purchase: 1987
- Arrangement:
The collection is organized into the following series: I. Correspondence, II. George Merrill, III. Emma Fitzrandolph Laing Merrill, IV. George Grenville Merrill, V. Pauline Dresser Merrill, VI. William Laing Merrill, VII. Miscellaneous Printed Materials, and VIII. Photographs.
- Physical location:
- ALF (Auxiliary Library Facility) - OVFlat; Lilly - Stacks
Access
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
This collection is open for research.
Many collections are housed offsite; retrieval requires advance notice. Please make an appointment a minimum of one week in advance of your visit.
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
[Item], Merrill Family mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
-
1200 East Seventh StreetBloomington, Indiana 47405-5500, USA
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- CONTACT:
-
(812) 855-2452liblilly@indiana.edu