Scope and Content Note
The papers of Frank Alden Hill span the years 1627 to 1897 and consist largely of handwritten copies of legal records in various English and American repositories. They include marriage, death, baptism, land, and property records relating mainly to the Hathaway, Lawrence, Chase, Townley, and Stephens families. In two booklets are color drawings of family crests and one that depicts the pedigrees of various New England families. The records relate to inhabitants of the colonies of New England, particularly Massachusetts Bay, and later the states of New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and Virginia. Also included are copies of letters by individuals from other states documenting family lineage.
Bound volumes “A” through “D” and “I” relate to the Hathaway family, while “E” and “F” relate largely to the Lawrence and Chase families. In volumes “M” and “O” are expository remarks by Hill on the purpose and status of his genealogical pursuit. Most volumes contain indexes, either at the front or back, and may be useful in finding correspondence or legal records by name of person. A partial index with notes on the collection is in Container 1 of the papers.
Recorded by Hill in the early 1880s, the copied documents range from the seventeenth century until the end of the nineteenth century.