Contents and Arrangement Collection View
Description:

The papers of John Ross Delafield (Class of 1896) comprise the largest segment of the collection. His correspondence and other records reflect his avid interest in genealogy of the Delafield family and local history, his views on the cancellation of Allied war debts from World War I, and his advocacy of military preparedness. General Delafield served as president of the Reserve Officers Association from 1923-1926 and of the Military Order of World War from 1930-1933. His correspondents include family members, military officers, political figures, and members of the upper echelon of New York and Hudson River Valley society. There is also a significant amount of correspondence with his classmate and long-time friend, Robert McElroy, who was a professor at Princeton.

This series is arranged into five subseries: Writings, Correspondence, Photographs and Prints, Miscellaneous Material, and Family Papers.

Description:

The papers of Violetta Susan Elizabeth White Delafield, consist of her writings, correspondence, documents, photographs, memorabilia, and miscellaneous material. Her writings and notes deal with her research in mycology and horticulture, and much of the correspondence reflects these topics. In addition, there is correspondence with family members such as her sister and brother, Lucy A. White Morris and Alain C. White. The documents contain papers of the White family as well as correspondence bearing on their estate. Material regarding the annual meetings of the Garden Club of America makes up the bulk of the miscellaneous material series.

This series is arranged into five subseries: Writings, Correspondence, White Family Estate Papers, Garden Club of American, and Miscellaneous Material.

Description:

The papers of Maturin Livingston Delafield, father of John Ross Delafield, consist of writings, correspondence, business papers, documents, photographs, drawings, memorabilia, genealogical papers, and miscellaneous material. Delafield's years at Columbia College are represented by his diaries (1853-1856), essays, notebooks, diploma (1856), academic honors and awards, photographs of classmates, a notebook of college drawings, and one book of college songs. The bulk of this section consists of personal, business, and legal correspondence including letterbook copies of letters by Delafield. Personal correspondence contains letters by family members, friends, and acquaintances, while business correspondence includes general and legal letters, many with the attorney David Thompson Watson of Pittsburgh. Among the business papers, there are correspondence, documents, maps, and accounts, dealing with the Williamson estate (New Jersey), as well as real estate material concerning Shinnecock Hills.

This series is arranged into six subseries: Writings, Correspondence, Business Papers, Documents, Photographs and Drawings, and Miscellaneous Material..

Leary, 1896

1 folder
Description:

The papers of Mary Coleman Livingston Delafield, wife of Maturin Livingston, consist of correspondence, photographs, documents, and miscellaneous material. Included are letters by family, friends, and acquaintances, a photograph of a Carroll Beckwith portrait, documents such as wills and codecils, and financial records containing bank statements, canceled checks, and receipts.

This series is arranged into three subseries: Correspondence, Photographs, and Documents.

Description:

The papers of Joseph Delafield, grandfather of John Ross Delafield, include student notebooks and correspondence from his college days (Yale Class of 1808); correspondence, proceedings, survey maps, and accounts relating to the United States Boundary Commission survey of the Canadian border under the 6th and 7th articles of the Treaty of Ghent; correspondence relating to the Lyceum of Natural History (later the New York Academy of Science), of which he was president from 1827 to 1866; records of the 46th Infantry during the War of 1812 and the bounty claims of some its veterans; correspondence concerning Trinity Church (New York City), where he was a vestryman; and outgoing correspondence of the Apalachicola (Fla.) Land Co., for which he was an agent and director. A few of Major Delafield's main correspondents include John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, R. E. de Russy, John William Draper, James Ferguson, Donald Fraser, Samuel Hawkins, Fred William Hoenighaus, Baron Lederer, Thomas Meade, J. N. Reynolds, Benjamin Silliman, Benjamin Tallmadge, George W. Whistler, and James Whitelaw.

This series is arranged into seven subseries: Writings, Correspondence, Official Documents, Professional and Financial Records, Maps, Miscellaneous Material, and Printed Matter.

Bibby, 1840

1 folder

Mossi, 1840

1 folder

Spadu, 1839

1 folder

Tarbe, 1871

1 folder

Young, 1858

1 folder
Description:

The papers of Julia Livingston Delafield, wife of Joseph Delafield, consist of correspondence, documents, receipts, a scrapbook, miscellaneous material, and family papers. The correspondence contains letters by family, friends, and acquaintances, including letters of condolence on the death (1882) of her mother, Margaret Lewis Livingston, and letters acknowledging the receipt of her book, Biographies of Francis Lewis and Morgan Lewis (1877). There are documents concerning the settlement of her estate and that of Henry Parish, receipts for the rent and upkeep of real estate, and a scrapbook containing a manuscript on the life of Francis Lewis, presumably used for her biography. The family papers include letters and documents of her daughter and son, Julia Livingston Delafield and Lewis Livingston Delafield.

This series is arranged into 3 subseries: Correspondence, Documents and Financial Papers, and Family Papers.

Description:

The papers of John Delafield, great-grandfather of John Ross Delafield, consist of correspondence, documents, financial records, miscellaneous material, and printed matter, most of it reflecting his banking (United States Bank and Manhattan Company Bank) and insurance interests (Mutual Assurance Company and United Insurance Company). In addition to letters by associates, the correspondence contains fragments of two unbound letterbooks. The bulk of this section includes documents such as marine insurance policies, legal transactions, and certificates of registry, and financial records including ledgers, registers of insurance policies, memoranda books, business accounts, and private underwriters' papers. In addition, there are insurance records of merchant ships and the constitution and list of subscribers of the Tontine Coffee House.

This series is arranged into 3 subseries: Correspondence, Documents, and Financial and Business Records.

Description:

The papers of Henry Delafield, great uncle of John Ross Delafield, consist of correspondence, business papers, documents, financial papers, and printed matter. This section reflects the business world of foreign trade in which Henry and his twin brother, William, founders of the firm of H. and W. Delafield, later Henry Delafield & Co., thrived even after a devastating fire in 1835. The family papers contain correspondence, especially that of Richard Delafield and Tallmadge Delafield, nephew of the brothers, who was taken into the firm as a partner after William's death (1853), estate papers, mainly for Henry and William Delafield, and genealogical material. The bulk of the business papers include correspondence with clients, many of the letters addressed to both brothers, and maritime insurance claims for ships.

This series is arranged into 5 subseries: Family Papers, Business Records, Official Documents, Financial Papers, and Printed Matter.

Description:

The papers of Henry Parish, a merchant, and his wife, Susan Delafield Parish, great-aunt of John Ross Delafield, consist primarily of personal and professional correspondence, domestic and business-related financial records, as well as some estate papers and ephemera.

Arranged into two series: Henry Parish and Susan Delafield Parish.

Description:

Consists of two scrapbooks. One documents the death of President James A. Garfield (1881); the other relates to the Seventh Regiment, New York Militia (1871-1894), of which Delafield was an active member for forty years. They contain mostly newspaper clippings and other printed material such as programs, reports, orders, invitations as well as letters, a photograph of Garlfield accompanied by his autograph, and tickets.

Not arranged according to any scheme.

Description:

The papers of James Ross, U.S. senator and great-great-grandfather of John Ross Delafield, consist of correspondence, documents, estate papers, genealogical papers, miscellaneous material, visual material, printed matter, and papers of others. The correspondence contains legal and business letters, including letters by George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. Found among the documents and estate papers are deeds, insurance policies, wills, estate vouchers, and a survey book of the Ross proerty, as well as correspondence among Hopewell Hepburn, Hugh Brady Wilkins, and William Addison, the executors of the estate. The genealogical papers contain letters to Maturin L. Delafield and his sons, Joseph L. Delafield and John Ross Delafield, memoirs of James Ross by James Brownson and James Veech, biographical notes, and genealogies. There is miscellaneous material concerning the development of Tarantum, Pa., and Steubenville, Ohio, as well as some financial papers such as canceled checks, receipts, and account books (1801-1844). The visual material contains a photograph of a Thomas Sully portrait of Ross and architectural drawings of his summer home. The papers of others are those of James Ross, Jr., and include correspondence, documents, and miscellaneous financial papers.

Arranged into six subseries: Correspondence, Documents, Estate Papers, Genealogical Papers, Land Development Records, Financial Records, Visual Material, Printed Matter, and James Ross, Jr.

Description:

The papers of Prosper Montgomery Wetmore, grandfather of Violetta White Delafield, consist of twelve bound volumes (1818-1874) of correspondence, as well as loose material including letters by Wetmore, genealogical papers, miscellaneous material, and printed matter. The bound volumes contain correspondence between Wetmore and his family, business, policial, civic, and Eleventh Regiment New York State Militia colleagues, also some of his poems and essays, documents, maps, miscellaneous material, and printed matter. Some of the correspondents included in the bound volumes are Townsend Harris, William H. Seward, Benson J. Lossing, William Cullen Bryant, and Martin Van Buren.

Arranged by genre of material.

Description:

The papers of Richard Delafield, great-uncle of John Ross Delafield, consist of correspondence, photographs, genealogical papers, photocopies, and printed matter. The correspondence contains letters by Delafield, soldier and military engineer, in reference to army and engineering matters, some letters to family members, and letters about him sent to John Ross Delafield by the archivist of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. There is a photograph of Delafield taken while he was superintendent of West Point as well as photocopies of letters, an army order, reports, and sheet music of the "Florida March" and the "Manassas March," both dedicated to Delafield.

Arranged by genre of material.

Description:

This series consists of a variety of materials of family members not represented elsewhere in the collection. Included are diaries, correspondence, documents, photographs, including photographs of White, Poole, Morris, and other related families, genealogical papers, various ephemera, and printed matter. Among the miscellaneous family material can be found papers of the Delafield Family Association, a review of John Ross Delafield's Delafied: The Family History (1945), book plates, information about the "triple funeral" of Joseph, Henry, and Edward Delafield, correspondence concerning the Delafield family in the U.S. Army, a pamphlet by John Ross Delafield about the family vault in Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York, photocopies of several pages of genealogy in the oldest known family Bible (1713), as well as other general material, and printed matter.

Arranged by genre of material.

Description:

This series consists of miscellaneous papers, ranging in date from the late-13th to the mid-20th century, amassed primarily by John Ross Delafield reflecting his interest in history, particularly his interest in collecting family history family-related memorabilia. Similar to a subject file, the series includes papers created by as well as research and genealogical materials about families related to the Delafields and various other persons (particularly political figures) as well as miscellaneous materials documenting various places and subjects. There are as little as one item or up to several folders associated with each name and topic represented; and while a good number of items are original, a significant amount are copies of original documents. Found throughout this series is the correspondence of John Ross Delafield relating to his research and collecting efforts.

Arranged alphabetically by creator, subject, or document type.

Scope and Contents

Consists of the papers of the Delafield family and related families, most prominently the Livingstons, containing both personal papers and papers collected for their genealogical and historical significance. Central to the collection are the papers of John Ross Delafield (1875-1964), his grandfather, Joseph Delafield (1790-1875), and his father, Maturin Livingston Delafield (1836-1917). Also represented are John Delafield (1748-1824), Violetta White Delafield (1875-1949), Prosper Wetmore (1798-1876), Henry Delafield (1792-1875), Henry (1788-1856) and Susan Delafield Parish (1805-1861), and James Ross (1762-1847), among others. The Hudson River Valley region, including the Delafield estate in Annandale-on-Hudson, Montgomery Place, forms a natural background to much of the period covered by these personal papers.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into series by family member.

Collection Creator Biography:

The Delafield family was a wealthy family from New York state. Several of its members were significantly involved in law, commerce, the army, medicine, and finance from the time of the early republic. The family's American patriarch, John Delafield (1748-1824), was a merchant and marine insurance underwriter who immigrated to the United States from London in 1783. In 1784, Delafield married Ann Hallett (1766-1839) with whom he had twelve children. His personal fortune was greatly diminished when he had to cover losses sustained during the War of 1812. His oldest son, John Delafield (1786-1853), helped restore the family fortune through his successful efforts in banking. Related families included the Livingston and Schuyler families, also of New York, among others.

Acquisition:

The Delafield Family Papers and the Edward Livingston Papers, originally housed at Montgomery Place, Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., were given to the Princeton University Library in 1986 by Mr. J. Dennis Delafield (Class of 1957) and Professor Penelope D. Johnston.

At the time of their donation to Princeton University, the Edward Livingston papers and Delafield Family papers were known collectively as "The Delafield Family Papers" and remain such conceptually. But to avoid confusion and enhance access, the two halves of the papers have been described in separate finding aids. Delafield Family Papers, AM 86-103.

Appraisal

No materials were separated during 2016 processing.

Sponsorship:

The Delafield Family Papers (formerly comprising the Foundation Collection and the Mansion Corporation Collection housed at Montgomery Place, Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y) were the gift of Mr. J. Dennis Delafield and Professor Penelope D. Johnson in 1986. Processing of this collection was sponsored by the Delafield Fund.

Processing Information

This processing of this collection was completed by Judith Golden in 1992, after initial work by Stacy Flora Roth in the late 1980s. Finding aid written by Judith Golden in 1992.

Folder inventory was completed by Kristine Gift (GS) in 2016.

Some reprocessing was completed by Faith Charlton in 2016-2017. Finding aid updated by Faith Charlton in 2016-2017.

Additional description indicating Violetta Susan Elizabeth White Delafield's contributions to the fields of mycology and horticulture were added by Kelly Bolding in 2020. During 2022, restrictions on original materials where researchers were required to use surrogates were lifted as part of a restrictions review project. At this time, separated materials were refiled into their original boxes.

The collection, particularly materials from Series 7, 9 and 11, was treated for mold during 2016 processing.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Glass plate negatives in Boxes 28-29 require special handling. Please consult with Public Services staff.

Credit this material:

Delafield Family Papers; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/gt54kn036
Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
Storage Note:
  • Firestone Library (scamss): Boxes 1-117; 119-120; 123-129; 131-137; 139-161; P-000040; P-000041; P-000039; B-001091; P-000036; P-000037; P-000038; P-000042
Related Materials

Edward Livingston Papers (C0280)

Princeton University Library Collection of General John Ross Delafield Family Materials (C1508)

Other repositories with Delafield Family holdings include Hudson Valley Restorations in Tarrytown, N.Y., the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Library in New York City, and the New York Historical Society.

Bibliography

Much of the biographical information for the Delafield Family Papers is from Delafield: The Family History by John Ross Delafield, privately printed, 2 volumes, 1945. Additional biographical information on Violetta Susan Elizabeth White Delafield was taken from David Rose, "Our Lady of the Gasteromycetes: The Mushrooms of Violetta White Delafield," FUNGI Volume 13:4 (Winter 2020).

Subject Terms:
African Americans -- Economic and social conditions -- 19th century -- Sources.
African Americans -- United States -- History -- Sources.
Bounties, Military -- United States -- 19th century.
Freed persons -- New York -- 19th century -- Sources.
Genealogists.
Genealogy -- Societies, Etc.
Mycologists -- United States -- Correspondence -- 20th century.
Northern boundary of the United States -- 19th century.
Slave records -- New York (State).
Slavery -- United States -- History -- 19th century -- Sources.
Women -- United States -- History -- 19th century -- Sources.
Women -- United States -- Social conditions -- 19th century -- Sources.
Women scientists -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
World War, 1914-1918 -- Reparations.
Genre Terms:
Correspondence
Names:
Yale University. Class of 1808
United States Boundary Commission
United States. Army. Armored Infantry Regiment, 46th
Trinity Church (New York, N.Y.)
Reserve Officers Association of the United States
Lyceum of Natural History (New York, N.Y.)
Military Order of the World Wars
New York academy of sciences
White, Violetta Susan Elizabeth, 1875-1949
Delafield, John, 1748-1824
Delafield, Joseph, 1790-1875
Delafield, Maturin Livingston, 1836-1917
Ross, James, 1762-1847
Wetmore, Prosper Montgomery, 1798-1876
Places:
Canada -- Boundaries -- United States -- 19th century.
Hudson River Valley (N.Y.) -- Genealogy.
United States -- Boundaries -- Canada -- 19th century.
United States -- History -- War of 1812 -- Sources.