VI. Ward's Island (Bumpkin Island), 1680-1821
Scope and Contents
Samuel Ward, a resident of Charlestown, Massachusetts, bequeathed the island to Harvard College in 1680. He had either purchased it from the town of Weymouth or been granted it by the British Crown (sources differ), and he gave it to Harvard with the intention of providing a source of income from tenant farmers that would benefit Harvard students. Ward's will reads as follows: "I give the island living betwixt Hingham & Hull called Bumpkin Island unto the Colledge and my mind that it be called by the name of Ward's Island." He made this gift "for the easement of the charges of the dyet of the students that are in Commons." This series contains Ward's deed of gift for the island and an extract from his will; leases of the island to tenants including Isaac Lobdell, Joseph Lobdell, Cromwell Lobdell, Solomon Lovell, Benjamin Lincoln, Martin Lincoln, Abner Lincoln, Daniel Spear, Josiah Adams, Josiah Davis(?), and Elijah Spear; and correspondence related to the property and its management.
Dates
- Creation: 1680-1821
Physical Description
.20 cubic feet (23 legal folders and 3 oversize folders)
Researcher Access
The Records of land and property owned by Harvard University are open for research with the following exceptions: materials in boxes 10, 11, 12, and 13 are closed to research due to their fragile state. These records have been severely damaged by mold, and some are so severely damaged that their contents are largely illegible (including all records related to Shawshin Farm in Billerica, Massachusetts). The contents of other damaged records are more clear and are listed in this finding aid.
Extent
8 cubic feet (11 document boxes, 7 flat boxes)Historical Note
Ward's Island, more commonly known as Bumpkin Island, is located in the Hingham Bay area of Boston Harbor. The island is approximately 62 acres in size, with half of the land considered "upland" and the other half "intertidal." It was once used by Native Americans, and after it was bequeathed to Harvard College by Samuel Ward in 1680 it was leased to tenant farmers. In the early nineteenth century, it was host to a fish-drying operation, and in the early twentieth century it housed a fish smelting operation. In 1900, Boston philanthropist Albert Burrage leased the island from Harvard and constructed a hospital for children with physical disabilities; the hospital burned in 1945. During the second world war Burrage also allowed the United States Navy to use the island as a training station. It was purchased by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the 1980s and is now part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area.
Creator
- From the Collection: Harvard University. Corporation (Organization)
Repository Details
Part of the Harvard University Archives Repository
Holding nearly four centuries of materials, the Harvard University Archives is the principal repository for the institutional records of Harvard University and the personal archives of Harvard faculty, as well as collections related to students, alumni, Harvard-affiliates and other associated topics. The collections document the intellectual, cultural, administrative and social life of Harvard and the influence of the University as it emerged across the globe.
Pusey Library
Harvard Yard
Cambridge MA 02138 USA
(617) 495-2461
archives_reference@harvard.edu