In his second installment, David Swain, the David Library's volunteer researcher, describes a couple of interesting items he discovered in the Revere Family Papers. For those interested in Paul Revere or in the miltary action in Rhode Idland, it might hold a few gems.

One letter in the Collection was written from Paris by Thomas Randall (or Ramsdelle or something similar) dated December 30, 1796. It is charmingly addressed to W. Paul Revere, care of Wm. Woodhead, Boston, America. Another, dated June 28, 1799, from Matthew L Davis in New York, contains matters concerning 1) a property sale, 2) some personal, family news, and 3) a complaint about a mutually known gentleman who, the writer thought, was not acting in a gentlemanly fashion-apparently something about a business deal.

Another letter provides some intriguing information on the British siege of Newport. Because the document is in poor condition, its authorship and some of its content is illegible. The letter, however, might be from Paul Revere to his mother. It is dated August [?], 1778 from Newport, RI. Much of the content is difficult or impossible to read. This "juicy" portion is legible: "You have heard this Island is the Garden of America, indeed used to appear it; but those British Savages have so abused it & destroyed the ??..."

Interested in trying to decipher the text? We have now have this collection ready for researchers.

Have something you want to share? A research question, a research find, or a personal story about the Library? Email Patrick Spero at spero@dlar.org

Labels: acquisitions, archives, research, swain report