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Storrs family collection

Call Number

ARC.082

Date

1764-1900, inclusive

Creator

Storrs, John
Storrs, Richard S. (Richard Salter)

Extent

0.1 Linear Feet in five folders.

Language of Materials

English .

Abstract

The Storrs family collection, dated 1764 to 1900, contains sermons, lectures, correspondence, and a listing of accounts belonging to Rev. Richard Salter Storrs and his great-grandfather, Rev. John Storrs, as well as the 1897 diary of Mary Storrs Packard.

Biographical note

Richard Salter Storrs (1821-1900) was born in Braintree, M.A. into a family of clerics. His great-grandfather, John Storrs (1735-1799), was a pastor in Southold, Long Island from 1763 to 1776, and again from 1782 to 1787. The eldest son of John Storrs, Richard Salter Storrs (1763-1819), was a pastor in Longmeadow, M.A. His eldest son, also named Richard Salter Storrs (1787-1873), preached in Braintree, M.A.

As a Congregational minister, Richard Salter Storrs served at the Harvard Congregational Church in Brookline, M.A. in 1845, and at the Church of the Pilgrims in Brooklyn, N.Y. from 1846 until his death. He married Mary Elwell Jenk (b. 1824) in 1845. In addition to his work in the clergy, Storrs was a writer and historian. He was an editor of the New York Independent from 1848 to 1861, and served as President of the Long Island Historical Society (now Brooklyn Historical Society) from 1873 to 1900.

Richard Salter Storrs (1821-1900) was born in Braintree, MA into a family of clergymen. His great-grandfather, John Storrs (1735-1799), was a pastor in Southold, Long Island from 1763 to 1776, and again from 1782 to 1787. The eldest son of John Storrs, Richard Salter Storrs (1763-1819), was a pastor in Longmeadow, MA. His eldest son, also named Richard Salter Storrs (1787-1873), preached in Braintree, MA.

As a fourth generation minister, Richard Salter Storrs (1821-1900) received training at Amherst College, graduating in 1839, and Andover Theological Seminary, graduating in 1845. He served as pastor at the Harvard Congregational Church in Brookline, MA in 1845, and at the Church of the Pilgrims in Brooklyn, N.Y. from 1846 until his death. He married Mary Elwell Jenk (b. 1824) in 1845. In addition to his work in the church, Storrs was a writer and historian. He was an editor of the New York Independent from 1848 to 1861, and served as President of the Long Island Historical Society (now Brooklyn Historical Society) from 1873 to 1900.

Sources

  1. Storrs, Charles. The Storrs Family: Genealogical and Other Memoranda. New York: Privately printed, 1886.

Scope and Contents

The Storrs family collection, dated 1764 to 1900, contains sermons, lectures, correspondence, a presentation bible, and a listing of accounts belonging to Rev. Richard Salter Storrs and his great-grandfather, Rev. John Storrs. Materials include Richard Salter Storrs's 1863 sermon, "How Our Gratitude to God for His Goodness to the Nation is Manifested," his 1874 sermon titled "Ruth and Naomi," and his lecture from the late 19th century titled "Colony of Massachusetts Bay." Correspondence, dated 1851 to 1893, is addressed to either the Rev. Richard Salter Storrs or Mrs. Mary Storrs; one notable correspondent is Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. Several invitations to Rev. Storrs, dated 1878, request that he deliver a lecture titled "The Ottomon and the Muscovite: Their Long Dual" at the New York Academy of Music. Lastly, a document from Rev. John Storrs lists his account with the First Society of Southold, Long Island between 1764 and 1786. Also included is an 1897 diary of Mary Storrs Packard detailing daily life.

Conditions Governing Access

Open to researchers without restriction.

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date (if known); Storrs family collection, ARC.082, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Historical Society.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Mary Storrs Packard, 1959-1960, and purchase from Charles Apfelbaum, 1991.

Related Materials

Published sermons by John Storrs, Richard Salter Storrs (1821-1900), and his father Richard Salter Storrs (1787-1873) are available in the library collection of the Brooklyn Historical Society.

Collection processed by

Weatherly Stephan

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 11:20:46 +0000.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: English

Processing Information

Minimally processed to the collection level.

This collection is comprised of five accessions: 1973.237, 1974.097, 1974.189, 1978.047, 1980.016, and 1991.013.

Material found in repository added to collection by Lena Evers-Hillstrom in October 2018.

The collection name was changed in 2018 to more fully reflect the individuals included in this collection.

Repository

Brooklyn Historical Society

Container

Box: A0127 (Material Type: Text)
volume: 2 (Material Type: Books)
Center for Brooklyn History
128 Pierrepont Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201