Hugh D. McLellan and Lothrop Lewis family papers

Collection

Identifier: Coll. 4231

Staff Only

Scope and Content note

The collection consists of personal correspondence, legal documents of various types and purposes, financial papers, receipts and accounts, notes, and essays. The material reflects the personal and professional lives of members of both the McLellan and Lewis families. The McLellan family material includes veteran bounty land papers filed by Hugh McLellan on behalf of military soldiers outlining claims to land in accordance with Congressional acts. Additionally, there are the collected papers and writings of Hugh McLellan documenting the McLellan family history and the history of Gorham. The Lothrop Lewis material includes field books containing land survey information, as well as treaty documents and financial accounts related to the establishment and early management of the state of Maine.

Dates

Creation: 1800 - 1889

Creator

McLellan, Hugh D. (Hugh Davis), 1805-1878 (Person)
Lewis, Lothrop, 1764-1822 (Person)
Lewis, Mary Jackson Prescott Little, 1774-1863 (Person)

Access

Unrestricted

Copyright

Access to collections at Maine Historical Society is not an authorization to publish. Rights and reproduction requests may be submitted in writing to the MHS Image Services Coordinator or Research & Administrative Librarian, subject to format.

Biographical note

The primary creators of this collection are Hugh Davis McLellan (1805-1878) and Lothrop Lewis (1764-1822). Hugh McLellan married Elizabeth Prescott Lewis, daughter of Lothrop Lewis and Mary Jackson Lewis, thus joining the two Gorham, Maine, families.

The McLellan family was one of the first families to settle in Gorham. The McLellan house, built in 1773 and the oldest known brick house in Cumberland County, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The son of Chloe Davis and Alexander McLellan, whose papers are included in this collection, Hugh McLellan was a prominent member of the Gorham community and authored a book, History of Gorham, Maine, which was published posthumously by his daughter in 1903. Research and essays related to this work can be found in the collection. McLellan was also chairman of Gorham’s board of selectmen and represented the town in the state legislature. He was an active member of the local militia and held the rank of colonel.

Lothrop Lewis, McLellan’s father-in-law, was married to Tabitha Longfellow, a daughter of Stephen and Patience Longfellow, before his marriage to Mary Jackson Prescott Little. Lewis worked as a land surveyor in what would become Maine in the early years of the 19th century. He also served as a Massachusetts state senator. When Maine separated in 1820, Lewis was selected as a delegate from Gorham to draft the state’s constitution.

Extent

0.75 Linear Feet (2 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Provenance

Gift of E. Christopher Livesay, June 20 and June 27, 2022 (acc. no. 2023.021).

Related Materials

The Maine Historical Society also holds the following relevant collections:

McLellan-Lewis family papers, Coll. 4089
Lothrop Lewis correspondence to wife Mary Lewis, Coll. S-8536
Appointment of Lothrop Lewis, Coll. S-8441
Early land survey, Coll. S-6803

Processing note

E. Christopher Livesay gifted these papers to MHS as part of a larger donation of material compiled over decades as a collector of Maine-related manuscripts and books. All of the material from the donation shares accession number 2023.021.

The papers arrived arranged in clearly marked folders, organized by creator and date. This order was largely retained. Several Lothrop Lewis items housed elsewhere by the donor were merged into this collection, including the treaty documents and the field books, which arrived in a custom-fit box from which they were removed. The material was processed as an individual collection.