KEYES FAMILY DEEDS AND OTHER PROPERTY DOCUMENTS, 1813-1910
Not to be reproduced without permission from the Concord Free Public Library.
Vault A50, Unit 3
EXTENT: 50 items (one container).
ORGANIZATION: Organized in a single file, arranged chronologically (for deeds, by date witnessed rather than date received or recorded in registry).
BIOGRAPHY: The Keyeses of Concord, Massachusetts descended from Westford storekeeper Joseph Keyes (1746-1823). John Keyes (1787-1844), the oldest of five children born to Joseph Keyes and his second wife Sarah Boyden Keyes, moved to Concord in 1811. John Keyes was a lawyer, and served as postmaster, treasurer of Middlesex County, and a state representative and senator. He was the first in a line of prominent Concord citizens, active in the political, commercial, and social life of the town. John Keyes married Ann Stow Shepard, daughter of Timothy Shepard of Hopkinton, in 1815. John Shepard Keyes, the second of their five children, was born in 1821, died in 1910. His brothers Joseph Boyden and George were born in 1829 and 1832, respectively. John S. Keyes was, like his father, a lawyer. He was also a Massachusetts senator, a sheriff of Middlesex County, a United States marshal, and a district court judge. In 1844, he married Martha Lawrence Prescott, daughter of Timothy Prescott of Littleton and (later) of Concord. They had six children, four of whom survived to adulthood: Annie Shepard (born 1847; married Edward Waldo Emerson, son of Ralph Waldo Emerson, in 1874); Florence (born in 1850; married Charles Hosmer Walcott in 1875); Alicia Mulliken (born in 1855; artist, art teacher, and lecturer); and Prescott (born in 1858; twice married; lawyer and district court judge). John S. and Martha L. P. Keyes started out their married life in the Keyes family home on Monument Square, later acquired the Jones Farm (now known as the Bullet Hole House) on Monument Street (the present 242 Monument, today owned by the Minute Man National Historical Park).
SCOPE AND CONTENT: Fifty property documents (forty-four deeds, two leases, one draft agreement, and three notes consisting largely of extracts from deeds), 1813-1910, for properties owned by Joseph Keyes, John Keyes, Ann Stow Shepard Keyes, John Shepard Keyes, Martha Lawrence Prescott Keyes, Joseph Boyden Keyes, George Keyes, Prescott Keyes, Annie S. Keyes Emerson, Alicia M. Keyes, and Philip K. Walcott. Other parties represented in the documents include both Concord and non-Concord names: Augusta Atwill; Thomas M. Balcom; Arthur Barrett; Edwin S. Barrett; Francis Barrett; George H. Barrett; Nathan Barrett; Nathan H. Barrett; Sidney J. Barrett; Caleb Bates; George M. Brooks; Nathan Brooks; Jacob Brown; Nathaniel Brown; Reuben Brown; Adeline E. Buttrick; Francis Buttrick; George Buttrick; Harriette Buttrick; S. Buttrick; Tilly Buttrick; William Buttrick; Edward S. Cheney; Hezekiah Cheney; Charles N. Clark; Willard Clark; George B. Cunningham; Eli Dakin; Lorenzo Eaton; Edward Waldo Emerson; First Parish in Concord; Nehemiah Flint; Arthur G. Fuller; Catherine P. Fuller; Horace Fuller; Lemuel Fuller; S. Catherine Fuller; Timothy Shepard Fuller; Harriet Hayward; John Hayward, Jr.; Ann Maria Hewett; Daniel Hoar, Jr.; Samuel Hoar; Joseph Holbrook; John Hosmer; Lucy Jane Hosmer; Peter Hutchinson; James Jones; Joshua Jones; K. Lang; George Leland; Hannah C. Leland; Alicia Mulliken; Isaac W. Mulliken; Joseph Mulliken; Sally Mulliken; Nehemiah Pierce; Asa Porter; Mary Porter; Maria K. Prescott; Timothy Prescott; Alicia Rice; Selden Rice; C.G. Ripley; Henry Sanderson; Daniel Shattuck; M. Smith; Benjamin Stearns; Timothy S. Stone; Charles H. Walcott; Ellen W. Webster; and Samuel Wright. (The place of residence for a non-Concord party is included in the item listing in the container list, if specified on the document described. If no place follows a name in the item listing, assume that the named party is of Concord.) The properties represented are mostly in Concord, but the following other locations are also represented: Acton; Ashland; Littleton; Tyngsborough; and Westford. The Concord properties represented are primarily on Monument Square and Monument Street, and include the Elisha Jones (Bullet Hole) House on Monument Street and parcels in the Great Meadows.
SOURCES OF ACQUISITION: Multiple; not established.
ASSOCIATED MATERIALS: The Concord Free Public Library holds several other collections of personal and family papers generated entirely or in part by members of the Keyes family. Search the database of the Minuteman Library Network, consult the "Selected Finding Aids" page of the Special Collections portion of the CFPL Web site, and contact Special Collections staff for information about related Keyes holdings.
NOTES/COMMENTS: The majority of items in the collection were transferred from the former CFPL Letter File (their old Letter File numbers recorded in the container list).
PROCESSED BY: LPW (preliminary sorting by Gretchen Frasier); finding aid completed December 24, 2003.
CONTAINER LIST
Folder 1 (1813, 1820s):
Lease, Nehemiah Flint (as guardian to the heirs of Joseph Mulliken) and Hezekiah Cheney to Henry Sanderson, Benjamin Stearns, and Tilly Buttrick, for a "Dwelling House … in … Concord, near the Court House … with the out Buildings and a Garden," 1813 Apr. 1. Manuscript note added to back of deed: "This house stood where the courthouse now stands. Mr. Keyes afterward lived in it. John, Joseph, & George Keyes were all born in it. Mr. Mulliken made clocks, some of which are in Concord now. Capt. Sanderson afterward lived there."
Deed, Joseph Keyes (of Westford) to John Keyes, for property in Tyngsborough, 1822 Jan. 7.
Deed, Samuel Wright (of Westford) to John Keyes ("of Westford" [sic]), for "a pew in Westford meeting-house," 1823 Nov. 25. (Formerly Letter File 8, W5.)
Deed, Asa Porter and Mary Porter (of Bedford), John Hayward, Jr., Harriet Hayward, and Sally Mulliken to John Keyes, for property in "the middle" of Concord, 1824 Apr. 15. (Formerly Letter File 4, P5.)
Deed, Samuel Hoar to John Keyes, for property "near the Court house" in Concord, 1824 May 3. (Formerly Letter File 8, H5.)
Deed, Caleb Bates to John Keyes, for property in Concord ("a certain piece of meadow land … being a part of the great meadows"), 1825 May 2. (Formerly Letter File 8, B3.)
Folder 2 (1840s):
Deed, Francis Buttrick to John Keyes and Daniel Shattuck, for property in "the middle" of Concord, 1840 Nov. [date of witness left blank]. (Formerly Letter File 8, B12.)
Deed, Daniel Shattuck to John Keyes, for property in "the middle" of Concord ("easterly of the Court House"), 1841 Nov. 1. (Formerly Letter File 8, S4.)
Deed, Daniel Shattuck to John Keyes, for property in "the middle" of Concord ("being the lot on which Ephm. C. Wetherbee has erected a dwelling house and carpenter’s shop"), 1844 Apr. 22. (Formerly Letter File 8, S5.)
Deed, Daniel Shattuck to John S. Keyes, for property in "the middle" of Concord, 1844 Aug. 20. (Formerly Letter File 8, S6.)
Deed, Nathaniel Brown (of Acton) to Timothy Prescott, for property in Littleton and Acton, 1840 Nov. 30. Addenda to original deed: Conveyed in 1844 by Nathan Brooks as administrator of estate of Timothy Prescott to Maria K. Prescott and Martha L. Prescott, and later in 1844 by Maria K. Prescott to Martha L. Prescott Keyes. (Formerly Letter File 8, B10.)
Deed, First Parish in Concord to Martha L. Keyes, for "the Pew numbered seventy-five in the [meeting] house," 1845 Jan. 1. (Formerly Letter File 8, F6.)
Deed, Peter Hutchinson to John S. Keyes, for "The Timber, Boards, & all the Materials of the Barn, formerly Standing on the Jones place," 1847 Mar. 18. (Formerly Letter File 8, H7.)
Deed, John Hosmer to John S. Keyes, for property in "the westerly part of Concord," 1847 Apr. 1. (Formerly Letter File 8, H6.)
Deed, Nehemiah Pierce (of Hopkinton) to Ann S. Keyes, for property in Ashland, 1848 Oct. 12.
Lease, Lorenzo Eaton (of Pennsylvania) to John S. Keyes, for a "dwelling house and about three acres of land … on Monument Street in … Concord," for a period of two years and nine months, 1849 July 12. (Formerly Letter File 8, E1.)
Folder 3 (1850s):
Deed, Nathaniel Brown (of Littleton) to Martha L. Keyes, for property in Acton and Littleton, 1850 Feb. 26.
Deed, Ann S. Keyes, Joseph B. Keyes, and George Keyes to John S. Keyes, for property in Concord ("in the middle of … Concord northerly of the court house lot"), 1850 July 1. (Formerly Letter File 4, K1.)
Deed, Horace Fuller (of Ohio) to John S. Keyes, for property in Ashland, 1857 Aug. 20.
Deed, Nathan H. Barrett, Edwin S. Barrett, and Sidney J. Barrett (all of Concord) and Arthur Barrett (of Ohio) to John S. Keyes, for property in Ashland, 1857 Sept. 30.
Deed, Lemuel Fuller (of Weymouth) to John S. Keyes, for property in Ashland, 1857 Sept. 30.
Deed, Timothy Shepard Fuller (of Wisconsin) to John S. Keyes, for property in Ashland, 1857 Sept. 30.
Deed, George Leland, Hannah C. Leland, Isaac W. Mulliken, and Alicia Mulliken (all of Waltham) and Ann S. Keyes to John S. Keyes, for property in Ashland, 1857 Sept. 30.
Deed, Timothy S. Stone, Selden Rice, and Alicia Rice (all of Worcester) and Edward S. Cheney (of Rhode Island) to John S. Keyes, for property in Ashland, 1857 Sept. 30.
Deed, John S. Keyes to Hannah C. Leland (of Waltham), for property in Ashland, 1857 Oct. 30.
Deed, Willard Clark (of Milford; as guardian of Charles N. Clark) to John S. Keyes, for property in Ashland, 1857 Dec. 1.
Deed, Ann S. Keyes to John S. Keyes, for property in Ashland, 1858 Jan. 15.
Deed, First Parish in Concord to John S. Keyes, for "the Pew numbered one in the galleries of said Meeting House" (‘in consideration of the having taken the Pew in the north gallery … for the purpose of enlarging the same"), 1859 Jan. 1. (Formerly Letter File 8, F5.)
Folder 4 (1860s):
Deed, C.G. Ripley to Martha L. Keyes, for property on Monument Street in Concord (two parcels, consisting of "all of the hill lot or pasture lying southerly of a line drawn from … Monument Street" and "one other small piece of meadow land lying near the above"), 186- [the decade printed; rest of date of witness, intended to be supplied in manuscript, left blank]. (Formerly Letter File 8, R3.)
Deed, Nathan Barrett to Martha L. Keyes, for property near "the middle" of Concord ("on Monument Street … known as the Jones Farm"), 1863 Apr. 4. (Formerly Letter File 8, B2.) Also: "Copy [of same] by J.S. Keyes, Decr. 10th 68." (Formerly Letter File 4, B4.)
Deed, Maria K. Prescott to Martha L. Keyes, for property in Concord ("one parcel on Monument Street" and "a certain other strip of land near the above"), 1865 May 4.
(Formerly Letter File 8, P2.)
Deed, George M. Brooks (as administrator of estate of George L. Prescott) to Martha L. Keyes, for property in Concord ("one parcel on Monument Street" and "a certain strip of land near the above"), 1865 May 29. (Formerly Letter File 8, B8.)
Deed, Thomas M. Balcom (of Malden) to Martha L. Keyes, for property in "the Easterly part" of Concord (described as "beginning at the road leading by Peter Hutchinson’s"), 1866 Dec. 25. (Formerly Letter File 4, B1.)
Deed, George M. Brooks (as executor of estate of Daniel Shattuck) to Martha L. Keyes, for property in the "Easterly part" of Concord ("called the Peter Robbins place"), 1868 May 4. (Formerly Letter File 4, B9.)
Deed, Nathan H. Barrett (of Washington, D.C.), Arthur H. Barrett (of Pennsylvania), Edwin S. Barrett, and Sidney J. Barrett to Martha L. Keyes, for property in Concord (two parcels, one "east of the Ripley Hill," the other "situated easterly of the above lot … [and ] called the ‘Spring Meadow’ "), 1868 Dec. 1. (Formerly Letter File 4, B3.)
Deed, James Jones to Francis Barrett, Ann Maria Hewett, George H. Barrett, Augusta Atwill, and Catherine Barrett (the place(s) of residence of the purchasing parties not specified), for property in Concord ("homestead," "Bridge pasture," "Flint pasture," "river meadow," "swamp meadow," and "woodlot"), 1835 Oct. 1; conveyed by Ann Maria Hewett, Augusta Atwill, and Catherine P. Fuller (of New York) to Martha L. Keyes, 1869 Apr. [date of witness left blank]. (Formerly Letter File 8, J2.)
Deed, Ann Maria F. Hewitt, Augusta Atwill, and Catherine P. Fuller (of New York) to Martha L. Keyes, [property not described; identical with that described in previous deed?], 1869 Apr. 5.
Deed, Joseph Holbrook to John S. Keyes, for property ("reclaimed meadow land situated in the Easterly part of … Concord in the Great Meadows"), 1869 Nov. 17. (Formerly Letter File 4, H3.)
Folder 5 (1870s, 1880s, and 1890s, 1910):
Deed, Adeline E. Buttrick, Harriette Buttrick, and William Buttrick (all of Concord), John Hosmer and Lucy Jane Hosmer (of Michigan), and George Buttrick (of Texas) to John S. Keyes, for property in the "Great River Meadows" of Concord, 1877 Nov. 10. (Formerly Letter File 4, B12.)
Deed, John S. Keyes and Martha L. Keyes to Prescott Keyes, for property (woodland) in "the Easterly part of Concord," 1879 Mar. 26. (Formerly Letter File 4, K2.)
Undated note, "A.S.K. [Annie S. Keyes Emerson]’s Woodlot as described in her Deed," signed "E.W.E. [Edward Waldo Emerson]." (Consists largely of extract from deed dated 1879/1880.) (Formerly Letter File 8, K2.)
Deed, Charles H. Walcott to John S. Keyes, for property ("upland … about a mile easterly of the centre of … Concord near the Great Meadow"), 1886 Oct. 5. (Formerly Letter File 4, W1.)
Deed, Annie S. Emerson to John S. Keyes, for property in Concord ("woodland … in the easterly part thereof"), 1891 Jan. [date of witness left blank]. (Formerly Letter File 8, E3.)
Deed, George B. Cunningham to Prescott Keyes, Alicia M. Keyes, and Annie S. Emerson, for "a right of way upon over and across my land lying northerly of Bedford street in … Concord," 1891 Jan. 17. (Formerly Letter File 4, C2.)
Deed, Annie S. Emerson to John S. Keyes, for property ("woodland … in the Easterly part of … Concord"), 1892 [month and date of witness left blank]. (Letter File 8, E2.)
Deed, Ellen W. Webster, S. Catherine Fuller (of Groton), and Arthur G. Fuller (of Groton), to Annie S. Emerson, Alicia M. Keyes, Prescott Keyes, and Philip K. Walcott, for property in Concord (bounded in part by land of the Middlesex Central Railroad), 1910 June 20. (Formerly Letter File 8, W3.)
Folder 6 (undated):
Undated draft agreement between K. Lang and Martha L. Keyes regarding line between their respective properties. (Formerly Letter File 8, L1.)
Undated manuscript note (two pages on two leaves) in hand of John S. Keyes, relating in part to problematic identification of property known as "Spring Meadow," consisting of extracts from several deeds (Joshua Jones to Daniel Hoar, Jr., 1813 Nov. 12; Jacob Brown to Eli Dakin, 1816 Jan. 3; M. Smith to Reuben Brown, 1837; heirs of Daniel Hoar, Jr. to S. Buttrick, 1844), with related sketches and notes. (The two leaves formerly numbered separately as Letter File 7, D2 and Letter File 7, D3.)
Undated manuscript note (two pages on one leaf)in hand of John S. Keyes, referring to or relating to deeds and parcels treated in note previously listed (including Spring Meadow). (Formerly Letter File 8, B11.)
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