Lovell Family Papers (Ms.89.4)

The Lovell Family Papers (Ms.89.4) were compiled by Malcolm R. Lovell, Jr. They range in date from 1790 to 1911, with the primary focus being the period between 1800 and 1860. The range of subjects covered is equally broad, including religion and spirituality, slavery, family life, and student life at Brown University.

Religion is at the core of this collection. The story depicted in the collection of nearly 850 letters, journals, clippings, sermons and other materials is that of a family struggling with its convictions about religion. These convictions are apparent in nearly all portions of the collection, from the sermons of Shubael Lovell to the letters and journals of his children.

The materials are arranged in eight series:

Series 1. Correspondence. Letters dated 1790 to 1870, and undated, from various members of the Lovell family, including the patriarch, Rev. Shubael Lovell, his daughter Laura Hoover Lovell, the primary correspondent in the collection, and the bulk of whose correspondence was with her sister Martha B. Hall, as well as Laura’s brothers Lorenso Owen Lovell and Nehemiah Gorham Lovell, some of whose letters were written while they were students at Brown University. Also well represented in the collection is Sally Lovell, writing mostly to Rev. Shubael Lovell. This series also includes letters from people outside the Lovell family, undated fragments in various hands, essays, notes, obituaries, a short story, and fabric samples.

Series 2. Sermons of Rev. Shubael Lovell , some dated between 1792 and 1817, but most undated. The majority have titles. Some are in a bound “Sermon Book” but most are written on loose pages. Sermons were apparently used on multiple occasions and include more than one sermon topic per document. Accompanied by Rev. Shubael’s leather case for holding sermons.

Series 3. Journals. Subseries A consists of journals of Rev. Shubael Lovell, most dated 1792 to 1833, but with others not fully dated, listing his daily activities, including visits to homes, lectures, sermons, and communions. Subseries B consists of journals of other members of the Lovell family dated 1827 to 1838, including longer journals of Laura H. Lovell and Martha B. Lovell.

Series 4. Two Quaker Sisters: From the Original Diaries of Elizabeth Buffum Chace and Martha B. Lovell. Subseries A contains the book “Two Quaker Sisters” as well as notices of and clippings about the book, and source material used in the book. Subseries B consists of reviews, and Subseries C contains listings of the book in various publications. See also the journal of Martha B. Lovell labelled Codex 1 in Series 3, Subseries B.

Series 5. Malcom R. Lovell Materials. School assignments of Malcolm R. Lovell at Highland Grammar School in Fall River, Massachusetts, dated 1903 to 1905 and undated. Also includes three issues of the Highland Grammar School newspaper “The Premier” dated 1907 to 1909.

Series 6. Genealogy Materials on the Lovell family , dated circa 1801 to circa 1819.

Series 7. Photographs consist of twenty-two daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, and photographs, sixteen of which are unidentified.

Series 8. Miscellaneous. Consists of newspaper clippings dated 1872 to 1882 and undated, a 1938 issue of a publication from Williston Academy in Easthampton, Massachusetts, and some sewing needles.