ter, in what has been written, in what has been said, or in what has been done, whether by direct influence or remotely by contrast, comes of necessity within the scope of our design. The history of education from the beginning to the present time, of science and the arts, of foreign commerce and internal trade, of invention and industry, of military aims and achievements, of law and the administration of justice, of religion, morals, manners, habits and customs, in their endless combinations and applications, all are embraced under the two-fold significance of our corporate name.

With such a broad field as this, covered over with the ungathered harvest of rich historical material, the early members of our Society entered with youthful zeal and manly energy upon their career of

work.

2

Plans were laid and steps immediately taken, under numerous commissions, to bring within their reach the sources' of information which are indispensable and fundamental in all historic, genealogical investigations. These plans were broad, comprehensive, and characterized by a far-sighted practical wisdom. Many of them were speedily carried forward to completion, while others were so vast in their design, and so complicated in their nature, that they remain unexecuted down to the present moment. But all of these early movements, whether taken separately or together, were at once a pledge of present fidelity, and a prophecy of future growth.

It was esteemed a matter of no small moment by our early associates, to place themselves as a Society before the whole New-England population in their true and proper light, and especially that the value and importance of their chosen line of historical investigation should be clearly and distinctly understood. However marvellous and inex

1 On the 30th of January, 1845, "the expediency of publishing Farmer's Genealogical Register with the author's additions and corrections," was referred to the board of directors, and the author's copy and manuscripts were in their hands for about six months, and the subject was fully considered by them. It was found, however, that large additions would be necessary, involving systematic labors stretching through many years, and consequently it would not be advisable for the Society to undertake it in its corporate capacity. Soon after the agitation of the subject by the Society, this Herculean labor was undertaken by the Hon. James Savage, and completed at the termination of fifteen years. While the value of this work can hardly be over estimated, especially as directing the investigator to the proper sources of information, it has, however, in it so many errors that it cannot be fully relied upon, and is deficient in a happy and convenient arrangement. A work more exhaustive, better arranged, and correcting the errors in this, is a desideratum in the present stage of genealogical studies.

2 A great number of subjects were discussed, and committees were appointed to obtain information for the use of the Society. The following are some of them, viz.: measures to preserve the printed notices of marriages and deaths, the inscriptions upon tomb-stones in Boston and vicinity, to obtain abstracts from probate records, the record of marriages "in the Old Colony Records," sets of directories and city registers, annual and triennial catalogues of colleges and seminaries of learning, a complete list of all names changed by act of legislature in New-England, copies of all town records in Massachusetts previous to 1700, and deposit them in the state archives, to set forth forms of family registers, &c. &c. On the 6th of January, 1816, it was "voted that a special committee be appointed to petition the legislature that a record commission be appointed to procure the printing of such early records as may be deemed expedient." This was the earliest movement in this direction, of which we have any knowledge, and was seven years before the state of Massachusetts began to print the records of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth Colonies, edited by the Hon. Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, M.D., and David Pulsifer, Esq., both members of this Society, the latter editing four volumes and transcribing several of the others. The above indicate the energy, zeal and comprehensive intelligence with which our early members entered upon their work during the first year of the Society's existence.

plicable it may be to us, at the organization of this Society, and for sometime afterward, there was a strong, deep-seated prejudice,' lurking everywhere in the New-England mind against the cultivation in any degree of ancestral or family history. It was at that period regarded as an infringement upon good taste, if not a crime in morals, to speak of our ancestors with any fervent interest, at least beyond the precincts of the family circle. The cause of this unnatural sentiment may possibly lie in a philosophy too deep for our penetration. But it seems, nevertheless, to have had its germ in the principle of universal equality, which everywhere, except in social life, lies at the foundation of our institutions. To avoid the imputation of an offensive personal pride or self-importance, the tendency of public opinion was so strong in the opposite direction, that it was esteemed an honor to be ignorant of our origin, and a virtue to be reticent of our ancestry. Between this excessive and unnatural modesty on the one hand, and a boastful and repulsive pride on the other, there is a wholesome study of our family history, ennobling to the aspirations and stimulating to the virtues, which, from the beginning, it has been the unvarying aim of this Society to cultivate both by precept and example.

At a very early period in the history of our proceedings, bulletins were sent forth by the directors, announcing with clearness the objects of the association, and soliciting the aid and active co-operation of its members. These were followed by a series of addresses by several of our associates, printed and widely disseminated, which discuss with great learning and elaborate argument the true aim and purpose of our method. These direct efforts on the part of the Society, together with other incidental and perhaps more effective influences still, wrought, in the progress of a few years, an entire change, or rather created a new sentiment throughout the whole of New-England, on the value, importance and dignity of our line of historical investigation. The citizen's cheek that once flushed with shame now mantles with pride in the ample knowledge of ancestors, from whom he has received a veritable inheritance, by whom his physical, intellectual and moral character have been largely moulded and shaped, and to whom his distinguishing qualities may be proximately or remotely traced. The creation, therefore, of a public sentiment, favorable to our work, is one of the purposes which has been fully accomplished. The cloud of prejudice and ignorance which overshadowed us in the beginning has gradually faded from the sight, and for several years we have had only an open and clear sky before And any elaborate statements or discussions of this topic in our proceedings have been for some time past, and must ever in the future be regarded as the re-arguing a case before a jury, which had already returned a verdict in our favor.

us.

Among the primary movements of our members was the formation of a library of New-England history. This was justly regarded as the first step to be taken, and as lying at the foundation of all future success. To make any progress in historical study, it was obviously necessary that the proper material, digested and undigested, should be brought within their reach. The directors, acting for a Society, which, in their own emphatic words, was "endowed with nothing but the importance of its objects and the energy of its members," were fruitful in plans and instant in their execution. Schedules of what was wanted, under five distinct heads, embracing printed volumes, manuscript documents, original records, newspapers and magazines, were sent to all our members, and they were requested to procure the donation to the Society of this sort of material, classified and described by them more definitely than is necessary for my present purpose. These schedules were issued annually for the first three years of the Society's existence. The third, in June, 1847, reached our members, more than three hundred in number, including resident, corresponding and honorary, and scattered, not only over the six NewEngland states, but also to be found in New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, at the seat of government at Washington, and in the city of London in England. These bulletins went forth like a bugle call, and the response came back, warm, earnest, prompt and generous. It is to be observed that the contributions which came to us, as was intended, were, at this early period, almost exclusively from members of the Society. The collections of our associates yielded large material, gathered under the influence of their prevailing tastes, which they were ready and rejoiced to make the foundation of a library, which had a great historical purpose. The impulse thus given, kept alive by the growing fame of our generous design, and the broadly diffused personal influence of our members, has maintained a constant flow of historical material to the archives of this Society. The current has varied but little, either in strength or fulness, from the beginning down to the present moment. The sources, however, have not been limited to the narrow boundary of membership, but authors, and publishers, and private gentlemen have had a commendable pride in placing here not only the product of their own pens, but whatever may directly or indirectly illustrate the character of any descendant of New-England stock, whether found here upon her soil, or building up his fortunes on any other part of the globe. Our library has thus been made up, with hardly any exception, by the voluntary contributions of those who have a personal interest in our great work; and it is a noble monument to this historical taste, now numbering, as it does, over eight thousand bound volumes, and more than twenty-six thousand pamphlets, nearly all historical in their character, and indispensably necessary to our purpose in the illustration and development of New-England history.

So much have we done in this direction in the twenty-five years of our corporate existence. To say that it is the largest, the fullest, or even the best library within the limits of our chosen field, is not saying for it all that will be said of it at a future day. It is yet in its infancy, and matches by no means our ideal conception of what it should be. It must be made exhaustive in the department which it aims to represent. But as I propose to speak of it more fully in the sequel, I pass on to another branch of our work.

Immediately on the organization of the Society it became apparent, both from the instalments placed in our archives, and from other indications, that there was a large amount of historical material relating to local and family history, in the form of letters, papers, private and official records, scattered all through New-England, hid away in attics and unused apartments, in folios falling from their binding, worn and defaced, unappreciated, wasting and gradually becoming extinct. To bring this within the archives of the Society was an important step in their rescue from impending destruction, and their permanent preservation. And this we were effectually doing by the means to which I have already referred. But to render this crude material accessible to the historical student, to bring it within practical reach of the numerous investigators in our line of study, it was necessary to subject it to a careful inspection and analysis, to bring together the scattered fragments of history, to classify, arrange and unite them in their proper order; and, beyond all this, to secure their broadest usefulness, it was found also important to incorporate them into printed volumes, thus laying open their treasures, and placing them at the ready command of the historical investigator down to the latest period of time.

To accomplish this by an institution still in its infancy, and with no endowment beyond that of a noble purpose, was a problem difficult to solve. At an early period, almost coincident with the organization of the Society, the attention of our associates was directed to the establishment of a journal which should appear quarterly, in whose pages should be embalmed these perishing records of NewEngland history. I need not recount the obstacles that presented themselves, the repeated discussions, the propositions made and withdrawn, the negotiations attempted, the plans entered upon and abandoned, before it was possible to set forward on an enterprise like this, appealing to an undeveloped literary taste, and involving a large pecuniary responsibility. In January, 1847, somewhat more than a year after the primary steps were taken, appeared the first number of the Society's journal, under the title of the New-England Historical and Genealogical Register. From that beginning down to the present time a quarterly number has been issued without an omission, making twenty-three complete yearly volumes, and we are still advancing upon the twenty-fourth. The editorial conduct and literary management of this publication has been under the auspices

and direction of the Society, while by an order early adopted and firmly adhered to, all pecuniary burdens have been borne outside of our corporate responsibility.' The position to be occupied by this quarterly journal was altogether a new one; like the Society itself, it was entering upon an untried experiment. No publication had occupied the same field, or undertaken the same work. The founders did not propose to spread upon its pages the small personal controversies and historical squibbing, which may give life and freshness to a daily or weekly sheet, but which are utterly worthless in the elucidation of the truth, and must soon fade, like an aroma given to the air, forever from human recollection. It was on the other hand to be a repertory of hitherto unpublished historical material, important in itself, and essential to a good understanding of New-England history in its broadest and most comprehensive sense. If we cast our eye over the pages of these twenty-three volumes, we shall see with what unyielding fidelity the editors have carried out this original design.' And when we consider the value and extent of these collections, and the gratuitous labor expended upon them, we cannot repress a feeling both of gratitude and admiration. In these volumes we find the historical outline of two hundred and eighty-one New-England families, beginning with the emigrant ancestor, or with earlier generations still, delineated with greater or less fulness, and in some cases brought down in numerous branches to the present generation. Here, too, are sketches of the lives of deceased members of this Society by our several historiographers and others, memoirs of the early fathers of New-England, the charters of cities and towns, abstracts of early wills, private journals and notes touching important events, notices of historical discourses, of graduates of colleges, and of Indian wars,

1 The editors have been as follows:-Vol. I., the Rev. William Cogswell, D.D.; Vol. II., Samuel G. Drake, A.M.; Vol. III., Jan. No., Samuel G. Drake, A.M., April, July and Oct. Nos., William T. Harris, A.M.; Vol. IV., Jan. No., Samuel G. Drake, A.M., April, July and Oct. Nos., Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, M.D.; Vol. V., Samuel G. Drake, A.M.; Vol. VI., Jan. and April Nos., the Rev. Joseph B. Felt, LL.D., July No., the Hon. T. Farrar, LL.D., Oct. No., Mr. William B. Trask; Vols. VII., VIII., IX., X., XI., XII., Samuel G. Drake, A.M.; Vols. XIII., XIV., Mr. William B. Trask, William H. Whitmore, A.M., and John Ward Dean, A.M.; Vol. XV., Samuel G. Drake, A.M.; Vol. XVI., Jan. No., Mr. William B. Trask, April No., the Rev. Elias Nason, A.M., July No., the Hon. Charles Hudson, A.M., Oct. No., John Ward Dean, A.M.; Vol. XVII, John Ward Dean, A.M.; Vol. XVIII., Jan. and April Nos., Mr. William B. Trask, July and Oct. Nos., John Ward Dean, A.M.; Vol. XIX., Mr. William B. Trask; Vols. XX. and XXI., the Rev. Elias Nason, A.M.; Vols. XXII., XXIII., XXIV., Albert Harrison Hoyt, A.M.

2 The publishers have been as follows:-Samuel G. Drake, Vols. I, II., III., IV., V., VII., VIII, IX., X., XII., XIII., XIV., XV.; Thomas Prince, Vol. VI.; Charles B. Richardson, Vol. XI.; Joel Munsell, Vols. XVI., XVII., XVIII. These gentlemen are all members of the Society, and as no adequate emolument can have come to them, the honor must be accorded to them of assuming these responsibilities as an act of generosity in the interest of New-Englaud history. The remaining volumes, viz.: XIX., XX., XXI., XXII., XXIII., XXIV. have been published under the imprint of the Society, but without pecuniary responsibility. A club, composed exclusively of members of the Society, has annually entered into a written guarantee to pay any deficiencies, but in case of any surplus of income from subscriptions, to pass it into the treasury of the Society. It would be highly creditable to each member of the Society to be a subscriber to the Register, and thus encourage this method of preserving the wasting records of New-England history, and diminish the responsibility which now rests upon a few of his associates.

3 The office of historiorapher was created at the October meeting in 1855, and at the January meeting in 1856, Joseph Palmer, M.D., of Boston, was chosen to the office, which he held six years. Mr. William Blake Trask, of Dorchester, was chosen in January, 1862,