Business and personal letters received by the Rev. Samuel Chenery Damon (1815–1885) and Julia Sherman Mills Damon (1817–1890). Includes some Mills family letters from 1810, genealogical material, and sermons.

Collection number: MS-011

Location: Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives, Vault

Return to Table of Contents

Biographical Note

Samuel Chenery Damon, b. 1815 - d. 1885, was born in Holden, Massachusetts and educated at Amherst College, Princeton Theological Seminary and Andover Theological Seminary. Ordained in 1841, he arrived in Hawaii in 1842, accompanied by his wife, Julia Mills Damon, to take the post of Seamen’s Chaplain in Honolulu for the American Seamen’s Friend Society of New York. He was pastor of Bethel Union Church, Seamen’s Chapel, for 42 years. Beginning in January 1843, through 1884, Damon was editor and publisher of The Friend, a monthly newspaper, which included information on ship arrivals and departures, missionary activities, religious and temperance essays, and appeals to sailors who had lost touch with their families in New England. He became well known to ship captains and shipping companies who sailed the Pacific. Missionaries, traders, explorers, abandoned wives, widowed mothers, California gold-miners, and would be settlers sought his counsel. Damon made several trips to the U.S., Europe, Japan and China. He corresponded with relatives in New England. He was an avid collector of genealogical materials relating to both the Damon and Mills families and published a book on the subject.

Return to Table of Contents

Scope and Contents of the Papers

Damon kept up a vast correspondence, which ranged worldwide throughout his life. The Samuel C. Damon Papers Collection contains family letters, business letters and accounts, letters received in regard to ships and shipping, missionary news and correspondence, world events, including the Civil War, railroad building, travel accounts, sermons, essays, comments on English literature, notebooks, journals, and memorabilia. There are clipping scrapbooks and posters promoting events for sailors and townspeople. Legal papers include accounts and correspondence regarding property owned in Holden and Honolulu. Correspondents include missionaries of the Sandwich Islands Mission (1820-1863) sent by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) in Boston, government officials both here and abroad; missionaries of all denominations world-wide, especially those on other Pacific Island chains; and families of lost sailors, both American and English. Material written by and about his children is dated well into the twentieth century. Material is mainly sorted chronologically, with some by subject matter, e.g., genealogy, church membership certificates, land matters and posters. Some materials are undated and unidentified and suffer from termite damage and water stains. Some newsprint is in brittle condition. Inventories are available for most correspondence folders.

Return to Table of Contents

Arrangement of the Papers

The papers are arranged into 12 series

Letters and papers of Samuel Chenery Damon (b. 1815 - d. 1885)
Letters sent and received by Julia Mills Damon (Mrs. S.C. Damon, b. 1817 - d. 1890)
Letters sent and received by Edward Chenery Damon (b. 1848 - d. 1894)
Letters and papers of William Frederick Damon (b. 1857 - d. 1879)
Letters and miscellaneous materials related to S.C. Damon's genealogy research
Correspondence and accounts with the American Seamen's Friend Society regarding Seamen's Bethel and Seamen's Home in Honolulu
Church certificates of membership and letters of transfer
S.C. Damon sermons and miscellaneous materials
Papers and letters of Francis William Damon (Frank, b. 1852 - d. 1915)
Papers and letters of Samuel Mills Damon (b. 1845 - d. 1924)
Miscellaneous

Return to Table of Contents

Restrictions

Restrictions on Access:

The Damon Collection is open for research. All requests for permission to republish or quote from the manuscript collections must be submitted in writing to the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives.

Return to Table of Contents

Related Material

Researchers desiring materials about related persons, subjects or document types should search the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives catalog using the index terms shown below.

Return to Table of Contents

Index Terms

Personal Names

Damon, Samuel Chenery, 1815-1885

Damon family

Corporate Names

American Seamen’s Friend Society

American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions

Sandwich Islands Mission

Subjects

Missionaries--Hawaii--Correspondence

Missions --Hawaii

Document Types

broadsides (notices)

essays

letters (correspondence)

Return to Table of Contents

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Item, folder title, box number, Damon Collection, Collections of the Hawaiian Mission Children's Society Library, Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives.

Acquisition Information

The Damon Collection was a gift from Ethel M. Damon. (April 10, 1964)

Processing Information

The Damon collection was processed by the MHM librarian, Sophie J. Cluff in 1964. In July of 1996, the collection was reorganized and rehoused by MHM Head Librarian, Marilyn L. Reppun and Librarian, Jodie Kakazu.

Return to Table of Contents

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

The Letters and Papers of Samuel Chenery Damon (1815-1885) ~ 1810-1915 ~ Boxes 1-7

Box 1

Very early letters of Damon and Mills families ~ 1810-1830s

Box 1 Folder 1A

Very early letters of Damon and Mills families ~ 1810-1830s

Folder 1B

Pre-Hawaii essays, dramas, etc. ~ 1830s

Folder 2

Compositions, senior year

Folder 3

Letters received 1837-1840 ~ Jan 1837 - Aug 1838

Folder 4A

Letters received 1837-1840 ~ Sep 1838 - Dec 1838

Folder 4B

Letters received 1837-1840 ~ Jan 1839 - Mar 1839

Folder 5A

Letters received 1837-1840 ~ Apr 1839 - Dec 1839

Folder 5B

Letters received 1837-1840 ~ Jan 1840 - Mar 1840

Folder 6A

Letters received 1837-1840 ~ Mar 1840 - Dec 1840

Folder 6B

Box 1a

Letters from family & friends 1841-1842 ~ Jan 1841 - Mar 1841

Folder 7A

Letters from family & friends 1841-1842 ~ Mar 1841 - Jan 1842

Folder 7B

Letters received 1841-1843 (Small notebook - S.C.D's Handwriting) ~ 1841-1842

Folder 8A

Letters received 1841-1843 (Small notebook - S.C.D.'s Handwriting) ~ 1843

Folder 8B

Letters received 1843-1849 ~ 1843-1845

Folder 9A

Letters received 1843-1849 ~ 1846-1849

Folder 9B

Letters sent and received 1844 ~ Jan - Jun, 1844

Folder 10A

Letters sent and received 1844 ~ Jul - Aug, 1844

Folder 10B

Letters sent and received 1844 ~ Sep - Dec, 1844

Folder 10C

Letters to family in New England and journal letter ~ 1844

Folder 11

Description and reaction to the illness and death of first born son ~

Folder 12

Return to Table of Contents

Box 2

Letters received 1845-1846 ~ Jan - Mar, 1845

Box 2 Folder 1A

Letters received 1845-1846 ~ Apr - Jun, 1845

Folder 1B

Letters received 1845-1846 ~ Jul - Sep, 1845

Folder 2A

Letters received 1845-1846 ~ Oct - Dec, 1845

Folder 2B

Letters received 1845-1846 ~ Jan - Feb, 1846

Folder 3A

Letters received 1845-1846 ~ Mar - Apr, 1846

Folder 3B

Letters received 1845-1846 ~ May - Jun, 1846

Folder 4A

Letters received 1845-1846 ~ Jul - Aug, 1846

Folder 4B

Letters received 1845-1846 ~ Sep - Oct, 1846

Folder 5A

Letters received 1845-1846 ~ Nov - Dec, 1846

Folder 5B

Box 2a

Letters received 1847-1848 ~ Jan - Feb, 1847

Box 2a Folder 6A

Letters received 1847-1848 ~ Mar - Apr, 1847

Folder 6B

Letters received 1847-1848 ~ May - Jun, 1847

Folder 7A

Letters received 1847-1848 ~ Jul - Aug, 1847

Folder 7B

Letters received 1847-1848 ~ Sep - Dec, 1847

Folder 8

Letters received 1847-1848 ~ Jan - Jun, 1848

Folder 9

Letters received 1847-1848 ~ Jul - Nov, 1848

Folder 10

Return to Table of Contents

Box 3

Letters received 1849-1856 ~ Jan - Mar, 1849

Box 3 Folder 1A

Letters received 1849-1856 ~ Apr - Jun, 1849

Folder 1B

Letters received 1849-1856 ~ Jul - Sep, 1849

Folder 2A

Letters received 1849-1856 ~ Oct - Dec, 1849

Folder 2B

Letters received 1849-1856 ~ Jan - Apr, 1850

Folder 3A

Letters received 1849-1856 ~ May - Dec, 1850

Folder 3B

Letters received 1849-1856 ~ 1852

Folder 4

Record book of letters & accounts of requests regarding

main of seamen to be collected and forwarded ~ 1852-1855

Folder 5

Letters received 1849-1856 ~ 1854

Folder 6

Letters received 1849-1856 ~ Jan - Sep, 1855

Folder 7A

Letters received 1849-1856 ~ Oct - Dec, 1855

Folder 7B

Oversized posters and broadsides related to the Seamen's

Chaplaincy, Sailors Home fundraising, programs and special events ~

Folder 8

Letters received 1849-1856 ~ Jan - Jun, 1856

Folder 9A

Letters received 1849-1856 ~ Jul - Dec, 1856

Folder 9B

Box 3a

Letters received 1857-1859 ~ Feb - Sep, 1857

Box 3a Folder 10A

Letters received 1857-1859 ~ Oct, 1857

Folder 10B

Letters received 1857-1859 ~ Nov - Dec, 1857

Folder 10C

Letters received 1857-1859 ~ Jan - Feb, 1858

Folder 11A

Letters received 1857-1859 ~ Mar - May, 1858

Folder 11B

Letters received 1857-1859 ~ Jun - Jul, 1858

Folder 12A

Letters received 1857-1859 ~ Aug, 1858

Folder 12B

Letters received 1857-1859 ~ Sep - Oct, 1858

Folder 13A

Letters received 1857-1859 ~ Nov - Dec, 1858

13B

Letters received 1857-1859 ~ Jan - Feb, 1859

Folder 14A

Letters received 1857-1859 ~ Mar - Apr, 1859

Folder 14B

Letters received 1857-1859 ~ May - Aug, 1859

Folder 15A

Letters received 1857-1859 ~ Sep - Dec, 1859

Folder 15B

Return to Table of Contents

Box4

Letters received 1860-1863 ~ Jan - Mar, 1860

Box 4 Folder 1A

Letters received 1860-1863 ~ Apr - Jun, 1860

Folder 1B

Letters received 1860-1863 ~ Jul - Sep, 1860

Folder 2A

Letters received 1860-1863 ~ Oct - Dec, 1860

Folder 2B

Letters received 1860-1863 ~ Jan - Mar, 1861

Folder 3A

Letters received 1860-1863 ~ Apr - Jun, 1861

Folder 3B

Letters received 1860-1863 ~ Jul - Dec, 1861

Folder 4

Letters received 1860-1863 ~ Jan - Apr, 1862

Folder 5A

Letters received 1860-1863 ~ May - Jun, 1862

Folder 5B

Letters received 1860-1863 ~ Jul - Dec, 1862

Folder 6

Letters received 1860-1863 ~ Jan - Jun, 1863

Folder 7

Box 4a

Letters received 1863-1865 ~ Jul - Sep, 1863

Box 4a Folder 8A

Letters received 1863-1865 ~ Oct - Dec, 1863

Folder 8B

Letters received 1863-1865 ~ Jan - Jun, 1864

Folder 9

Letters received 1863-1865 ~ Jul - Sep, 1864

Folder 10A

Letters received 1863-1865 ~ Oct - Dec, 1864

Folder 10B

Letters received 1863-1865 ~ Jan - Mar, 1865

Folder 11A

Letters received 1863-1865 ~ Apr - Jun, 1865

Folder 11B

Letters received 1863-1865 ~ Jul - Dec, 1865

Folder 12

Return to Table of Contents

Box 5

Letters received 1866-1869 ~ Jan - Feb, 1866

Box 5 Folder 1A

Letters received 1866-1869 ~ Mar - Jun, 1866

Folder 1B

Letters received 1866-1869 ~ Jul - Sep, 1866

Folder 2A

Letters received 1866-1869 ~ Oct - Dec, 1866

Folder 2B

Letters received 1866-1869 ~ Jan - Jun, 1877

Folder 3

Letters received 1866-1869 ~ Jul - Dec, 1867

Folder 4

Letters received 1866-1869 ~ Jan - Sep, 1868

Folder 5

Letters received 1866-1869 ~ Jan - Mar, 1869

Folder 6

Letters received 1866-1869 ~ Apr - May, 1869

Folder 7A

Letters received 1866-1869 ~ Jun, 1869

Folder 7B

Letters received 1866-1869 ~ Jul, 1869

Folder 8A

Letters received 1866-1869 ~ Aug - Sep, 1869

Folder 8B

Box 5a

Letters received 1869-1874 ~ Oct - Dec, 1869

Box 5a Folder 9

Letters written to William Williams ~ 1869 & 1870

Folder 10

Letters written by S.C. Damon to son Francis William (Frank) Damon ~

Folder 11

Letters received 1869-1874 ~ 1870

Folder 12

Letters received 1869-1874 ~ 1871

Folder 13

Letters received 1869-1874 ~ Feb - Aug, 1872

Folder 14A

Letters received 1869-1874 ~ Sep - Dec, 1872

Folder 14B

Letters received 1869-1874 ~ Jan - Jul, 1873

Folder 15A

Letters received 1869-1874 ~ Aug - Dec, 1873

Folder 15B

Letters received 1869-1874 ~ Jan - Jul, 1874

Folder 16A

Letters received 1869-1874 ~ Aug - Dec, 1874

Folder 16B

Return to Table of Contents

Box 6

Letters received 1875-1880 ~ Jan - Jun, 1875

Box 6 Folder 1

Letters received 1875-1880 ~ Jul - Sep, 1875

Folder 2A

Letters received 1875-1880 ~ Oct - Dec, 1875

Folder 2B

Letters received 1875-1880 ~ Jan - Apr, 1876

Folder 3A

Letters received 1875-1880 ~ May - Dec, 1876

Folder 3B

Letters written during a trip to the U.S. Centennial Celebration

in Philadelphia ~ 1876

Folder 4

Letters received 1875-1880 ~ 1877

Folder 5

Letters received 1875-1880 ~ 1878

Folder 6

Letters received 1875-1880 ~ 1879

Folder 7

Letters received 1875-1880 ~ Jan - Jun, 1880

Folder 8A

Letters received 1875-1880 ~ Jul, 1880

Folder 8B

Letters received 1875-1880 ~ Aug - Dec, 1880

Folder 8C

Box 6a

Letters received from children, 1880-1885 ~ 1880

Box 6a Folder 9

Letters received 1880-1885 ~ 1881

Folder 10

Letters received 1880-1885 ~ 1882

Folder 11

Letters received 1880-1885 ~ Feb - Mar, 1883

Folder 12A

Letters received 1880-1885 ~ Apr - Dec, 1883

Folder 12B

Letters received 1880-1885 ~ Jan - Jun, 1884

Folder 13A

Letters received 1880-1885 ~ Jul - Dec, 1884

Folder 13B

Letters received 1880-1885 ~ 1885

Folder 14

Various Letters ~ Undated

Folder 15

Various Letters ~ Undated

Folder 16

Notebook kept on trip to the Orient ~ 1884

Folder 17

Return to Table of Contents

Box 7

One letter (mutilated and unusable) ~

Box 7 Folder 1

Letters by James Hunnewell, 1822-1869 ~ 1822-1857

Folder 2A

Letters by James Hunnewell, 1822-1869 ~ 1858-1859

Folder 2B

Letters by James Hunnewell, 1822-1869 ~ 1860-1864

Folder 3A

Letters by James Hunnewell, 1822-1869 ~ 1865-1869

Folder 3B

Letters by S.C. Damon (some are copies) ~

Folder 4A

S.C. Damon's passport ~

Folder 4B

Correspondence concerning the publication of the Friend ~ 1848; some undated

Folder 5

Box 7a

Business and real estate interests in New England, 1871-1885 ~ 1871-1872

Box 7a Folder 6A

Business and real estate interests in New England, 1871-1885 ~ 1873-1880

Folder 6B

Material concerning literature (no Hawaiiana) ~

Folder 7

Material concerning the family property in Holden, Mass, 1851- 1875 ~ 1851-1858

Folder 8A

Material concerning the family property in Holden, Mass, 1851- 1875 ~ 1859-1863

Folder 8B

Material concerning the family property in Holden, Mass, 1851- 1875 ~ 1864-1875

Folder 8C

Clippings from various newspapers ~

Folder 9A

Clippings from various newspapers ~

Folder 9B

Return to Table of Contents

Letters sent and received by Julia Mills Damon ~ 1863-1889 ~ Box 8

Letters sent and received ~ 1863-1864

Box 8 Folder 1

Letters sent and received ~ Feb, 1885

Folder 2A

Letters sent and received ~ Mar - Jun, 1885

Folder 2B

Letters sent and received ~ 1877-18 86

Folder 3A

Letters sent and received ~ 1887-1889; some undated

Folder 3B

Letters sent and received by Edward Chenery Damon ~ 1861-1884 ~ Box 8

Letters sent and received ~ 1861-1884

Folder 4

Letters sent and received ~ 1869-1880

Folder 5A

Letters sent and received ~ 1884

Folder 5B

Letters and papers of William Frederick Damon ~ 1868-1883 ~ Box 8a

Letters and papers ~ 1868-1872

Box 8a Folder 6A

Letters and papers ~ Sep - Oct, 1874

Folder 6B

Letters and papers ~ Nov - Dec, 1874

Folder 6C

Letters and papers ~ Jan - Jul, 1875

Folder 7A

Letters and papers ~ Aug - Sep, 1875

Folder 7B

Letters and papers ~ 1876-1879

Folder 8

Letters and papers ~ 1869-1876

Folder 9

Letters and papers ~ Jul - Nov, 1879

Folder 10A

Letters and papers ~ 1879-1883

Folder 10B

Return to Table of Contents

Letters and misc related to S.C. Damon's genealogy research ~ 1865-1882 ~ Box 9

Requests for genealogy information ~ Various dates; some undated

Box 9 Folder 1

Requests for genealogy information ~ 1870's

Folder 2

Requests for genealogy information ~ 1870's-1880's

Folder 3

Requests for genealogy information ~ Feb - Jul, 1881

Folder 4A

Requests for genealogy information from mainland relatives ~ Aug - Dec, 1881

Folder 4B

Requests for genealogy information ~ Jan - Jun, 1882

Folder 5A

Requests for genealogy information ~ Jul - Dec, 1882

Folder 5B

Requests for genealogy information ~ 1865-1869

Folder 6

Requests for genealogy information ~ 1875-1879

Folder 7A

Requests for genealogy information ~ Various dates; some undated

Folder 7B

Box 9a

Requests and misc. printed material and bound books ~ Various dates

Box 9a Folder 8

Requests and misc. printed material and bound books ~ Various dates

Folder 9

Requests and misc. printed material and bound books ~ 1882

Folder 10

Requests and misc. printed material and bound books ~ Various dates

Folder 11

Correspondence and accounts with the American Seamen's Friend Society regarding Seamen's Bethel and Seamen's Home in Honolulu ~ 1837-1865 ~ Box 10

Correspondence and accounts ~ 1837-1845

Box 10 Folder 1

Correspondence and accounts ~ 1845-1846

Folder 2A

Correspondence and accounts ~ 1847-1849

Folder 2B

Correspondence and accounts ~ 1850-1854

Folder 3

Correspondence and accounts ~ 1855-1856

Folder 4A

Correspondence and accounts ~ 1857

Folder 4B

Correspondence and accounts ~ 1858-1859

Folder 4C

Correspondence and accounts ~ 1860-1862

Folder 5A

Correspondence and accounts ~ 1863-1865

Folder 5B

Correspondence and accounts ~ 1865-1869

Return to Table of Contents

Box 10a

Correspondence and accounts ~ 1865-1869

Box 10a Folder 6

Correspondence and accounts ~ 1870-1874

Folder 7

Correspondence and accounts ~ 1875-1879

Folder 8

Correspondence and accounts ~ 1880-1885

Folder 9

Correspondence and accounts ~ Various dates; some undated

Folder 10A

Correspondence and accounts ~ Undated

Folder 10B

Church certificates of membership and letters of transfer ~ 1838-1885 ~ Box 10a

Church certificates of membership and letters of transfer ~ 1838-1853

Box 10a Folder 11A

Church certificates of membership and letters of transfer ~ 1856-1866

Folder 11B

Church certificates of membership and letters of transfer ~ 1867-1885; some undated

Folder 12

S.C. Damon sermons and misc materials ~ Box 11

Sermons and misc. ~ 1842 - Aug 1872

Box 11a

Sermons and misc. ~ Nov 1872 - 1880; some undated

Box 11b

Sermons and misc. ~ 1840s-1880s

Papers and letters of Francis William Damon ~ Box 12

Papers and Letters ~ 1863-1866

Box 12 Folder 1

Papers and Letters ~ Various dates; some undated

Folder 2

Papers and Letters ~ 1869-1877; some undated

Folder 3

Papers and Letters ~ May 1878 - Aug 1880

Folder 4A

Papers and Letters ~ Sep 1880 - Jun 1881

Folder 4B

Papers and Letters ~ 1883-1884; some undated

Folder 5

Papers and Letters ~ 1885

Folder 6

Papers and Letters ~ 1894-1895; 1908

Folder 7

Papers and Letters ~ 1878-1888

Folder 8A

Papers and Letters ~ 1889-1899; some undated

Folder 8B

Papers and Letters ~ 1912; some undated

Folder 9

Papers and Letters ~ 1915; some undated

Folder 10A

Papers and Letters ~ Undated

10B Folder

Papers and Letters of Samuel Mills Damon ~ 1863-1896 ~ Box 13

Papers and Letters ~ 1863-1869

Box 13 Folder 1A

Papers and Letters ~ 1870-1896

Folder 1B

Miscellaneous ~ Box 13

Letter book (empty); envelope addressed to S.C. Damon ~ 1870-1896

Box 13 Folder 2

Return to Table of Contents

Banner Image Damon, Samuel - HMCS Family Photo Collection - Box 0009 - Image 0015A

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse