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Montgomery and Forster families papers
Joseph Montgomery (1733-1794) was a Presbyterian minister elected to the Continental Congress by the Assembly of Pennsylvania in 1780. Born in Ireland, he came to Dauphin County with his parents circa 1737. John Montgomery Forster Sr. (1789-1858) was born in Paxton, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, a s...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Contributors: | , |
| Collection: | Montgomery and Forster Families Papers |
| Collection Number: | 4545 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects and Genres: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
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| Item Description: |
Processing Information: Several extremely fragile letters of James H. Stuart were removed from the collection for repair. They will be returned to the collection once conservation work is complete. |
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| Physical Description: |
0.9 Linear feet ; 2 boxes, 5 flat files |
| Access: |
The collection is open for research. |
| Summary: |
Joseph Montgomery (1733-1794) was a Presbyterian minister elected to the Continental Congress by the Assembly of Pennsylvania in 1780. Born in Ireland, he came to Dauphin County with his parents circa 1737.
John Montgomery Forster Sr. (1789-1858) was born in Paxton, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Harrisburg. His parents were Thomas Forster and Sarah Pettit Montgomery, thus the joining of the two families.
John Montgomery Forster’s son, John Montgomery Forster (II) was also born in Paxton (1828-1910). Forster (II) practiced law with his father, and he was the state’s first insurance commissioner. The Montgomery and Forster families were well-educated, and both families lived and practiced their livelihoods in Harrisburg and its suburbs.
This collection is comprised of letters, pamphlets, essays, and newspapers from the late 18th to the early 20th century. Miscellaneous documents include land deeds, commendations, and wills, as well as an original copy of the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography from 1877. Of note is a document from the Commission of Confiscated British Property of Maryland. Joseph Montgomery bought one of these properties in 1787. Correspondence in the collection includes a large grouping of letters to John Montgomery Forster (referred to as “Mont”) from James Henry Stuart (1828-1854), a seaman lost at sea. Stuart was lost on the USN Porpoise, a brig deployed to fight against the slave trade. He kept up his correspondence with Forster until the ship was lost in the South China Sea. There is also a collection of letters from Robert Harris to John Montgomery Forster, a friend of both Forster and Stuart. |