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Guide to the Charles G. Havens family letters1838-1855 MS 3236

Charles G. Havens family letters

Call Number

MS 3236

Date

1838-1855, inclusive

Creator

Havens, Charles G., 1808-1888

Extent

.209 Linear feet

Language of Materials

The materials in this collection are in English.

Abstract

The Charles G. Havens family letters consist of approximately 165 pieces of correspondence from the 1830s to the 1850s between Charles G. Havens, a prominent lawyer and real estate investor in New York City, and various family and friends, mostly regarding personal and family matters and, to a lesser extent, business affairs.

Biographical / Historical

Charles G. Havens (1808-1888) was born in Brookhaven, Suffolk County, NY to parents Merodach "Mordecai" Havens (1779-1859) and Elizabeth Davis Havens (1784-1853). He grew up with six siblings: Harriet D. Havens, Daniel Havens (1803-1852), Maria Havens Hunt (1806-1885), Henrietta Havens Royce (1811-1871), Betsey Havens Learned (1814-1873), and Thomas S.S. Havens (1817-1875). He moved to New York City in 1822 and began working as a law clerk in the offices of George Griffin and George W. Strong, who mentored him. He was admitted to the bar and continued to work for Griffin and Strong throughout the 1830s before becoming a partner at Cutting, Moore, and Havens. There he worked alongside Francis B. Cutting, a prominent lawyer and one-term congressman as well as a member of the Livingston family. In 1849, Havens retired from law in order to focus on other pursuits.

While known for his work as a lawyer, Havens rose to prominence as a real estate investor, art collector, and philanthropist. His savvy real estate investments in New York City during a period of rapid urban growth enabled him to acquire a fortune of $3,000,000 at his death. In 1871, he founded the Havens Relief Fund Society to "support the self-determination of at-risk New York City individuals and families" by providing "modest one-time grants designed to address a personal financial crisis, improve quality of life, or increase opportunities." From 1871 until his death in 1888, Havens served as the director and manager of the Society.

Havens never married, but he did adopt a daughter named Charlotte Tilden. Later in Havens' life, Charlotte Tilden's son, William Tilden, and William Tilden's wife, Charlietta G. H. Wildey, lived with him in his residence. Upon his death, William Tilden and Charlietta G. H. Wildey inherited a part of his fortune; much of the remainder went to the Havens Relief Fund Society to help it run in perpetuity.

Arrangement

The collection is organized chronologically. Each of the letters in the collection contains a docket on the side or back documenting the sender, their location, and the date on which the letter was sent. These dockets were mostly written by Charles G. Havens for his own organization of his correspondence.

Scope and Contents

The Charles G. Havens family Letters consist of 165 pieces of correspondence dating from 1838-1855, largely between Charles G. Havens and various family members in New York, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Many of these letters concern family and personal matters, while some letters touch upon professional affairs as well as discussions of politics and other contemporary issues. Family members write asking for advice on everything from their businesses and finances to their marriage prospects. The collection also includes correspondence from Charles G. Havens' father, Merodach "Mordecai" Havens, and his nieces, nephews, and other extended relatives.

About 10 letters, most of them from the 1850s, have faded significantly and are only vaguely discernible.

Subjects

Families

Genres

People

Topics

Places

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to all qualified researchers.

Conditions Governing Use

Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.

Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.

Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions.

Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as the Charles G. Havens family letters, MS 3236, New-York Historical Society.

Location of Materials

This collection may be stored off-site. For more information on arranging to consult it, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection is a gift of the Havens Relief Fund Society, October 11, 2022.

Collection processed by

Paul-Louis Biondi

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-01-30 10:58:11 -0500.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Finding aid written in English

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Paul-Louis Biondi, N-YHS intern for the Princeton Internships in Civic Service (PICS), July 2023.

Repository

New-York Historical Society

View Inventory

Correspondence, 1838, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 1, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Text)

Scope and Contents

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from M. [Merodach] Havens (January 1838)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Daniel Havens (March 11, 1838)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from S.M. [Samuel M.] Hunt (March 25, 1838)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Origen Royce [Jr]. (April 20, 1838)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (May 14, 1838)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Daniel Havens (May 15, 1838)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (May 1838)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from H.H. [Henrietta Havens] Royce and Origen Royce Jr. (July 10, 1838)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (August 2, 1838)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Samuel M. Hunt (October 6, 1838)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (October 9, 1838)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Daniel Havens (October 1838)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from C.D.P Havens (November 17, 1838)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Daniel Havens (December 17, 1838)

Correspondence, 1843, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 1, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Text)

Scope and Contents

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (April 11, 1843)

• Extract of letter to Origen Royce Jr. from Charles G. Havens (June 10, 1843)

• Extract of letter to Daniel related to finances for the year 1841 (October 9, 1943)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Origen Royce Jr. (October 24, 1843)

Correspondence, 1847, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 1, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Text)

Scope and Contents

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from D.D. [D. Delos] Hunt (January 24, 1847)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from [Betsey Havens Learned] (February 17, 1847)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (March 17, 1847)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (March 29, 1847)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from C.H. [Charles Havens] Hunt (April 10, 1847)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Daniel Havens (April 13, 1847)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Charles L.F. Havens (April 28, 1847)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from D.A. Havens (May 10, 1847)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (May 18, 1847)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (May 1847)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from D. Delos Hunt (June 5, 1847)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (August 28, 1847)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from D. Delos Hunt (September 18, 1847)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (September 1847)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Eugene F. Havens (November 12, 1847)

• Letter to [Thomas S.S. Havens] from C.G.H. [Charles G. Havens] (November 19, 1847)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (December 7, 1847)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from D. Delos Hunt (December 20, 1847)

Correspondence, 1848, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 1, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Text)

Scope and Contents

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from D. Delos Hunt (January 1, 1848)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from D. Delos Hunt (March 12, 1848)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Strong [Thomas Strong S. Havens] (April 19, 1848)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from D. Delos Hunt (April 20, 1848)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (May 30, 1848)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from D. Delos Hunt (June 3, 1848)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from D. Delos Hunt (June 10 and June 26, 1848)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from D. Delos Hunt (July 20, 1848)

• Handwritten copy of insurance policy taken by D. Delos Hunt (July 20, 1848)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (July 27, 1848)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Eugene F. Havens (August 2, 1848)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from D. Delos Hunt (August 30, 1848)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from D. Delos Hunt (September 7, 1848)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (October 6, 1848)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (October 9, 1848)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from D. Delos Hunt (November 21, 1848)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach and E. [Elizabeth] Havens (December 18, 1848)

Correspondence, 1852, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 1, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Text)

Scope and Contents

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach and Elizabeth Havens (January 6, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (January 28, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Betsey Havens Learned (February 3, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Frances [E. Havens Stanley] (February 12, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (February 16, 1852) (Details the names and birthdays of Daniel Havens' children after his death.)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Harriet Havens [Avery] (February 25, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Thomas Strong S. Havens (February 28, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (February 27, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Frances E. Havens Stanley (March 5, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (March 8, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Reverend Charles L.F. Havens (March 8, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Thomas Strong S. Havens (March 8, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Origen Royce Jr. (March 25, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Mary A. [Angelica] Havens (March 27, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Origen Royce Jr. (March 27, 1853)

• Letter to Harriet Havens Avery from Charles G. Havens (March 29, 1852)

• Letter to Frances E. Havens Stanley from Charles G. Havens (March 29, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from M. Merodach Havens (April 6, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Origen Royce Jr. (April 7, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Harriet Havens Avery (April 13, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens (April 22, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (April 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (April 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (May 3, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (May 10, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from D. Delos Hunt (May 11, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Thomas Strong S. Thomas (May 13, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens (May 15, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Origen Royce Jr. (May 16, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Harriet Havens Avery (June 1, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Frances E. Havens Stanley (June 1, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens (June 5, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (June 7, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from D. Delos Hunt (June 12, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (June 15, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Harriet Havens Avery (June 18, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach and Elizabeth Havens (July 5, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Frances E. Havens Stanley (July 8, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Samuel M. Hunt (July 14, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Betsey Havens Learned, Angelica Havens, and Frances Havens Stanley (July 15, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Samuel M. Hunt (July 20, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Origen Royce Jr. (July 24, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (July 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (August 14, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (August 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Origen Royce Jr. (September 16, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens (September 18, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (September 20, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from D. Delos Hunt (September 26, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (September 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (October 3, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (October 22, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens (November 8, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach and Elizabeth Havens (November 9, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens and Frances E. Havens Stanley (November 23, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Origen Royce Jr. and Henrietta Havens Royce (December 1, 1852)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Harriet Havens Avery (December 14, 1852) (Faded significantly)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (December 28, 1852)

Correspondence, 1853, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 1, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Text)

Scope and Contents

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Origen Royce Jr. (January 11, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Samuel M. Hunt and D. Delos Hunt (January 16, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Frances E. Havens Stanley (March 28, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (March 31, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from [Merodach Havens] (March 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens (April 1, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (April 4, 1853)

• Letter to Frances E. Havens Stanley from Charles G. Havens (April 20, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Augusta [Havens] [April 1853]

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens (May 5, 1853) (Marked up with corrections by Charles G. Havens)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (May 13, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (May 16, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (June 17, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Origen Royce Jr. (June 17, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (June 23, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (July 5, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens (August 11, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens (August 16, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (August 22, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Henrietta Havens Royce (September 5, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Origen Royce Jr. (September 6, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (September 21, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens (September 24, 1853) (Faded significantly)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Betsey Havens Learned (September 25, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens (October 11, 1853) (Faded significantly)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (October 11, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Frances H. [Henrietta Havens] Royce (October 12, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens (October 30, 1853) (Faded significantly)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (November 14, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens (November 28, 1853) (Faded significantly)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Frances E. Havens Stanley (December 1, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (December 2, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Origen Royce Jr. (December 6, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens (December 15, 1853) (Faded significantly)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (December 20, 1853)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens (December 25, 1853) (Faded significantly)

Correspondence, 1855, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 1, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Text)

Scope and Contents

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens (February 6, 1855)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (February 8, 1855)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Samuel M. Hunt (February 21, 1855)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from T.S.S. [Thomas S. Strong] Havens (February 26, 1855)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (February 1855)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from T.S.S [Thomas S. Strong] Havens (March 1, 1855) (Faded significantly)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens (March 5, 1855)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from H.H [Henrietta Havens] Royce (March 13, 1855)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Angelica Havens (March 24, 1855)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Thomas Strong S. Havens (April 3, 1855)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Merodach Havens (April 1855)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Samuel M. Hunt (May 7, 1855)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from John W. Hunt (May 20, 1855)

• Letter to Charles G.Havens, Charlotte [Wildey], and Charlietta [Wildey] from H.W. [Henry Wildey] (June 2, 1855)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens and [Charlotte] Wildey from Amelia Wildey (June 2 1855)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens, [Charlotte] Wildey, and Charlietta Wildey from Oscar Wildey (June 5, 1855)

• Letter to Charlietta Wildey from Amelia Wildey (June 5, 1855)

• Letter to Charles G. Havens from Henry Wildey (June 12, 1855)

• Letter to Charlotte Wildey from Henry Wildey (June 12, 1855)

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