Drinking horn, circa 1780s Digital
Scope and Contents
Silver drinking horn fashioned from Holyoke’s watch case, engraved with the initials MHA, likely Mary Holyoke Abbot, his granddaughter. A tag attached by Edward Holyoke Osgood explains the object’s provenance. On the recto he writes: This drinking tube was made from the outside case of President Holyoke’s watch. On the verso: For Mr. Abbott – I purchased the watch from Mr. Abbott’s [sic] estate (Mr. Park of Groton Executor) Edward H. Osgood. Osgood refers to George Edward Henry Abbot, whose estate was managed by Lawrence Park (1873-1924) of Groton, Massachusetts.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1780s
Conditions Governing Access
Open for research.
Extent
.5 cubic feet (3 flat boxes, 1 accordion folder)Historical note on the drinking horn
Mary Holyoke Pearson Abbot (1782-1829), daughter of Harvard professor and interim president Eliphalet Pearson (1752-1826; Harvard AB 1773) and Priscilla Holyoke (1739-1782), and granddaughter of Edward Holyoke, was the likely owner of the drinking horn. She was the first wife of Ephraim Abbot (1779-1870; Harvard AB 1806), and tube came into the possession of his son, George Edward Henry Abbot (1838-1911). It was sold by George Abbot’s estate to Holyoke descendent Edward Holyoke Osgood, circa 1911.
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.
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