Collections : [Connecticut Museum of Culture and History]

The collection was given the accession number of the first gift to the Historical Society, a scrapbook donated by Phyllis Kihn. The other materials were donated at a later time by Kihn and were also gathered when the Historical Society developed an exhibit about the Mission for the Chinese Students Memorial Association in 2001.

The collection primarily consists of financial and legal documents of a Somers, Connecticut family who were merchants and farmer. The papers were arranged chronologically by person, starting with the elder Ebenezer Spencer who is represented by land and probate records, 1738-1740. His son, Ebenezer, is represented by deeds and by his will, 1754-1800. The papers of Ezekiel Spencer, son of the second Ebenezer, consists of legal and estate records, 1815-1820 while the papers of his son Ezekiel Jr. concern some debt he found himself in, 1816, 1820.

The collection, donated by Mr. and Mrs. Frank M. Chapin, was described in the accession record as being material from the Chapin Machine Company In processing the collection it was evident that it included personal papers of the Chapin family and records of several Chapin companies.

The collection primarily consists of deeds for land in Hartford, specifically South Meadow, to members of the Bull family. Some of these deeds represent the earliest Hartford deeds in the CHS collection. All three Jonathan Bull’s bought and sold property.

The folders are arranged alphabetically and the material within each folder is arranged chronologically. The collection begins with assorted correspondence, which includes an order concerning plaster of Paris and fish, and then bills, receipts and promissory notes which are separated into Seymour family, Henry Seymour, Thomas Seymour and non-Seymour family. Among Thomas Seymour’s financial papers is an account with the Colony of Connecticut for his expenses as King’s Attorney, 1770-1771. Within his correspondence is a letter concerning a case between Baxter and Miller about the sale of a Negro man.

The collection had been processed once before, but without any organization as to type of document. The new arrangement places selectmen-related materials first, then tax records, school records, land and highway records, and court records.

Wherever possible, folders in this collection have been arranged in chronological order by birth year of the person whose papers they contain. Furthermore, folders have been arranged by family names and familial relation (with family lines grouped together and parents coming before their children). Items within folders have been arranged chronologically.