Annual Meeting

    November, 1944

    THE Annual Meeting of the Society was held at the Algonquin Club, No. 217 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, on Tuesday, November 21, 1944, at twenty minutes after seven o’clock in the evening, the President, Kenneth Ballard Murdock, in the chair.

    With the consent of those present, the reading of the records of the last Stated Meeting was omitted.

    The President reported, on behalf of the Corresponding Secretary, the death on October 2, 1944, of Major Otis Grant Hammond, and that on October 16, 1944, of John Stewart Bryan, Corresponding Members of the Society.

    The President reported, on behalf of the Corresponding Secretary, the receipt of a letter from Mr. Carleton Sprague Smith accepting election to Corresponding Membership in the Society.

    Mr. Samuel Williston, a Resident Member since 1919, was elected an Honorary Member, and Mr. Charles Dyer Childs, of Boston, Mr. Norman Lewis Dodge, of Milton, and Mr. Charles Ellis Mason, Jr., of Milton, were elected Resident Members of the Society.

    The Annual Report of the Council was read by Mr. Richard Mott Gummere.

    Report of the Council

    SINCE the last Annual Meeting the Society has had its three regular stated meetings: those in December and February at the Club of Odd Volumes; that in April at the house of Mr. Augustus P. Loring, Jr. The Society is deeply appreciative of the hospitality of the Club of Odd Volumes in these days of rationing and shortages which make it seem an imposition to ask members of the Society to entertain us at their houses as in normal times.

    The Society has elected the following members:

    Resident:

    • Henry Morse Channing
    • Roger Ernst
    • Mayo Adams Shattuck

    Corresponding:

    • Carleton Sprague Smith

    The Society has lost by death two members:

    Otis Grant Hammond, Corresponding, 1917, died October 2, 1944. As an editor and as Director of the New Hampshire Historical Society for more than thirty years he has deservedly won the gratitude of all students of New England colonial history.

    John Stewart Bryan, Corresponding, 1934, died October 16, 1944. As President of the College of William and Mary and as one-time Overseer of Harvard University he was a notable representative of two distinguished colonial traditions.

    The Society has issued no publications during the past year. Plans have been made for a new volume of Collections and ample material is available for a new volume of Transactions. Unfortunately, however, the Society was unable to secure a paper quota for the current year, and there is no certainty that the situation in this respect will be improved during the next calendar year. Accordingly the Society should feel all the more pleased that it has the opportunity to continue its substantial support of the New England Quarterly, the seventeenth volume of which is now nearing completion.

    The Treasurer submitted his Annual Report as follows:

    Report of the Treasurer

    In accordance with the requirements of the By-laws, the Treasurer submits his Annual Report for the year ending November 14, 1944.

    Statement of Assets and Funds, November 14, 1944

    ASSETS

    Cash:

       

    Income

    $10,325.86

     

    Loan to Principal

    6,453.47

    $3,872.39

    Investments at Book Value:

       

    Bonds (Market Value $134,098.47)

    $130,907.15

     

    Stocks (Market Value $92,557.50)

    80,871.21

     

    Savings Bank Deposit

    3,071.87

    214,850.23

    Total Assets

     

    $218,722.62

    FUNDS

    Funds

     

    $206,194.89

    Unexpended Income

     

    12,527.73

    Total Funds

     

    $218,722.62

    Investments as of November 14, 1944

    BONDS Book Value  

    $2,000 Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company General 4’s, 1995.

    $2,490.00

     

    2,000 Columbia Gas and Electric Corporation Debenture 5’s, 1952

    1,905.31

     

    5,000 Community Public Service Company First 4’s, 1964

    5,137.50

     

    5,000 Consolidated Oil Corporation Convertible Debenture 3½’s, 1951

    5,169.62

     

    5,000 Continental Gas and Electric Corporation Debenture 5’s, Series A, 1958

    4,663.28

     

    1,294.07 Conveyancers Realty Company Debenture 4%—2% Fixed, 2% if Earned, 1957

    284.70

     

    2,000 Detroit, Michigan (City of) Refunding Water 3’s, Series D—Loan of 1935, 1950

    2,210.00

     

    2,000 Eastern Gas and Fuel Associates First and Collateral 4’s, 1956

    2,020.00

     

    2,000 Florida Power and Light Company First 3½’s, 1974

    2,175.00

     

    4,000 Iowa Southern Utilities Company S. F. Debenture 4½’s, 1966

    4,000.00

     

    1,000 Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company P. & M. Division 4’s, 1946

    1,031.25

     

    5,000 Montana Power Company First and Refunding 3¾’s, 1966

    5,125.87

     

    5,000 Northwestern Public Service Company First 4’s, 1970

    5,168.75

     

    3,000 Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad Company General 5’s, 1974

    3,945.00

     

    5,000 Public Service Company of New Hampshire First 3¼’s, Series A, 1973

    5,400.00

     

    5,000 Scranton Gas and Water Company First 4½4’s, 1958

    5,068.75

     

    2,000 Standard Oil Company (New Jersey) Debenture 3’s, 1961

    2,115.00

     

    5,000 Texas Electric Service Company First 5’s, 1960

    4,437.50

     

    8,000 United States of America Savings Bonds Series D, October 1, 1949

    6,720.00

     

    2,000 United States of America Savings Bonds Series D, November 1, 1949

    1,680.00

     

    5,000 United States of America Savings Bonds Series D, January 1, 1950

    4,150.00

     

    5,000 United States of America Savings Bonds Series D, March 1, 1950

    4,150.00

     

    10,000 United States of America Defense Savings Bonds, Series F, July 1, 1953

    7,600.00

     

    8,000 United States of America Defense Savings Bonds, Series F, September 1, 1953

    6,080.00

     

    5,000 United States of America War Savings Bonds, Series F, May 1, 1954

    3,770.00

     

    3,000 United States of America Treasury Bonds, 3’s, 1946/1948

    3,128.44

     

    3,000 United States of America Treasury Bonds, 2½’s, 1949/1953

    3,210.00

     

    8,000 United States of America Treasury Bonds, 2’s, 1951/1953

    8,000.00

     

    5,000 United States of America Treasury Bonds, 2’s, 1952/1954

    5,000.00

     

    9,000 United States of America Treasury Bonds, 2¾’s, 1956/1959

    10,026.56

     

    5,000 Wilson and Company, Inc., First 3’s, 1958

    5,044.62

     

    Total Bonds

     

    $ 130,907.15

    STOCKS Book Value  

    75 shares American Telephone and Telegraph Company

    $12,599.76

     

    80 shares Boston Edison Company

    2,910.00

     

    3 shares Christiana Securities Company

    8,295.00

     

    50 shares Commonwealth Edison Company

    1,400.00

     

    40 shares Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.

    985.00

     

    60 shares Continental Oil Company of Delaware

    1,755.00

     

    25/10 shares Conveyancers Realty Company V.T.C. Class A Common

    3.13

     

    10 shares du Pont, E. I., de Nemours and Company

    1,550.00

     

    50 shares First National Bank of Boston

    1,750.00

     

    1 share First National Bank of the City of New York

    1,544.81

     

    240 shares General Electric Company

    5,719.50

     

    25 shares General Motors Corporation

    1,562.50

     

    5 shares Guaranty Trust Company of New York

    1,667.50

     

    15 shares Hartford Fire Insurance Company

    1,436.25

     

    75 shares Insurance Company of North America

    4,070.00

     

    40 shares Radio Corporation of America, Common

    0.

     

    400 shares State Street Investment Corporation

    13,489.00

     

    5 shares Travelers Insurance Company

    2,225.00

     

    25 shares United Fruit Company

    2,175.00

     

    35 shares United Shoe Machinery Corporation

    2,585.63

     

    25 shares United Shoe Machinery Corporation Cumulative Preferred

    1,103.13

     

    100 shares United States Cold Storage Corporation Prior Preference Participating

     

    100 shares United States Cold Storage Corporation Common

     

    60 shares United States Tobacco Company

    1,582.50

     

    55 shares Western Massachusetts Companies

    1,320.00

     

    30 shares Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company

    3,142.50

     

    Total Stocks

     

    $80,871.21

    Deposit in Warren Institution for Savings

     

    3,071.87

    Total Investments

     

    $214,850.23

    Composition of Funds, November 14, 1944

    Sarah Louisa Edes Fund, established under the will of Henry H. Edes. One half of the gross income to be added semi-annually to the principal of the fund; the remaining half of the income of the fund shall be used towards defraying the cost of the Society’s Publications other than the Transactions with certain qualifications as to the methods of publication

    $63,698.14

    Publication Fund, established in 1893 by gift of $100 from Quincy Adams Shaw: composed of sundry small gifts and portions of the Income which were added from year to year. Income only to be used for Publications

    10,000.00

    General Fund, established in 1893: composed of Admission Fees added to Principal, Gains on Sale of Securities, etc. Income only to be used for Current Expense

    15,049.53

    Benjamin Apthorp Gould Memorial Fund, established in 1897 and 1898 by subscriptions in his memory. Income only to be used

    10,000.00

    Edward Wheelwright Fund, established in 1900 under his will without restriction as to use

    20,000.00

    Robert Charles Billings Fund, established in 1903 under his will. Income only to be used for Publications

    10,000.00

    Robert Noxon Toppan Fund, established in 1904 by a gift in his memory from his widow. Income only to be used

    5,000.00

    Robert Charles Winthrop, Jr., Fund, established in 1905 under his will. Increased by $2,000 in 1924 under the will of Elizabeth Winthrop. Income only to be used

    5,000.00

    Andrew McFarland Davis Fund, established in 1908 by a gift from him to be added to the permanent publication funds. Income only to be used

    2,000.00

    William Watson Fund, established in 1916 under his will without restriction as to use

    1,000.00

    George Vasmer Leverett Fund, established in 1920 under his will. Income only to be used for Publications

    30,000.00

    Martha Rebecca Hunt Fund, established in 1923 under the will of Henry H. Edes as the “Henry H. Edes Bequest” to accumulate until it reached the maximum sum of $3,000 when it would become a permanent fund to be known as the Martha Rebecca Hunt Fund. Income only to be used for special purposes

    3,000.00

    Henry H. Edes Memorial Fund, established by sundry subscriptions from 1923 to 1925. To accumulate until it reaches the sum of $10,000. Income only to be used for Publications

    7,947.22

    George Nixon Black Fund, established in 1929 under his will without restriction as to use

    10,000.00

    Commutation Fund, established by crediting all commutations received from 1893 to date. Income to be used for Current Expense

    8,500.00

    Samuel Henshaw Fund, established in 1942 under his will without restriction as to use

    5,000.00

    Total Funds

    $206,194.89

    Changes in Principal of Funds

    Total Funds, November 14, 1943

       

    $141,082.99

    Add—Additions to Special Funds:

         

    Sarah Louisa Edes Fund

         

    Stocks

    $31,346.89

       

    Bonds

    32,351.25

    $63,698.14

     

    Henry H. Edes Memorial Fund

     

    256.26

     

    Add—Additions to General Fund:

         

    Admission Fees

     

    30.00

     

    Profit from Sale of Securities:

         

    $5,000 Canadian Pacific Railway Equipment Trust 5’s, 1944

     

    1,127.50

    65,111.90

    Total Funds, November 14, 1944

       

    $206,194.89

    Income Cash Receipts and Disbursements

    Balance, November 14, 1943

       

    $8,770.06

    RECEIPTS:

    Interest

     

    $2,561.78

     

    Dividends

     

    2,376.10

     

    Annual Assessments

     

    710.00

     

    Sale of Society’s Publications

     

    311.55

    5,959.43

    Total Receipts of Income

       

    $14,729.49

    DISBURSEMENTS:

    New England Quarterly

     

    $1,300.00

     

    Editor’s Salary

     

    1,000.00

     

    Secretarial Expense

     

    450.00

     

    Annual Dinner

     

    374.74

     

    Storage

     

    300.76

     

    Publications—Volume 34

    $141.57

       

    Publications—Volume 35

    43.75

    185.32

     

    Notices and Expenses of Meetings

     

    169.15

     

    Insurance

     

    128.10

     

    Auditing Services

     

    125.00

     

    Postage, Office Supplies and Miscellaneous

     

    90.30

     

    Safe Deposit Box

     

    24.00

     

    Interest on Henry H. Edes Memorial Fund Added to Principal

     

    256.26

     

    Total Disbursements of Income

       

    4,403.63

    Balance of Income, November 14, 1944

       

    $10,325.86

    Principal Cash Receipts and Disbursements

    Loan to Principal, November 14, 1943

     

    $7,739.73

    RECEIPTS:

    $ 5,000 Canadian Pacific Railway Equipment Trust 5’s, July 1, 1944

    $5,000.00

     

    1,000 Iowa Southern Utilities Company S. F. Debenture 4½’s, 1966

    1,000.00

     

    Admission Fees

    30.00

     

    Transferred from Income to Principal

       

    Henry H. Edes Memorial Fund Income

    256.26

    6,286.26

    Total Receipts of Principal

     

    $1,453.47

    DISBURSEMENTS:

    $5,000 United States of America Treasury Bonds 2’s, 1952/1954

     

    5,000.00

    Loan to Principal, November 14, 1944

     

    $6,453.47

    James M. Hunnewell

    Treasurer

    Report of the Auditing Committee

    The undersigned, a committee appointed to examine the accounts of the Treasurer for the year ended November 14, 1944, have attended to their duty by employing Messrs. Stewart, Watts and Bollong, Public Accountants and Auditors, who have made an audit of the accounts and examined the securities on deposit in Box 91 in the New England Trust Company. We herewith submit their report, which has been examined and accepted by the Committee.

    Allston Burr

    Hermann F. Clarke

    Auditing Committee

    The several reports were accepted and referred to the Committee of Publication.

    On behalf of the committee appointed to nominate officers for the ensuing year the following list was presented; and a ballot having been taken, these gentlemen were unanimously elected:

    • President Kenneth Ballard Murdock
    • Vice-Presidents Hon. Fred Tarbell Field
    • Hon. Robert Walcott
    • Recording Secretary Augustus Peabody Loring, Jr.
    • Corresponding Secretary Zechariah Chafee, Jr.
    • Treasurer James Melville Hunnewell
    • Registrar Robert Dickson Weston
    • Member of the Council for Three Years William Emerson

    After the meeting was dissolved, dinner was served. Professor Theodore Spencer was the guest of the Society, and Chief Justice Field said grace.

    Mr. Henry C. Kittredge then addressed the Society.

    The President read the provisions of the thirteenth article of the will of Henry H. Edes, under which, after the death of certain life tenants and the payment of $1000.00 to the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Society had received a fund amounting to about $64,000.00. The article read as follows:

    The balance then remaining in his hands shall be paid over to The Colonial Society of Massachusetts to constitute a fund to be forever named the Sarah Louisa Edes Fund, in memory of my mother, the income thereof only to be used, and for these purposes: First: One half of the gross income shall be added semi-annually to the principal of the Fund, which I direct shall be invested always with a primary regard to safety; Second: The remaining half of the income of the Fund shall be used towards defraying the cost of the Society’s Publications other than the Transactions, preference to be given to the copying, calendaring, printing, careful and thorough editing, illustration, and thorough and complete indexing of original Records and papers of Massachusetts Churches (especially the older Churches of Boston), Towns and Counties; the Colonies of Plymouth and the Massachusetts Bay and of the Province in which they were merged; the House Journals from 1715 to the adoption of the Constitution; and of Harvard College.

    Every volume printed at the charge of this Fund shall bear upon its title-page the words, Printed at the Charge of the Sarah Louisa Edes Fund.

    The indexes of every volume printed at the charge of this Fund shall be of the most thorough and complete kind, and include the name of every person and every place mentioned therein.

    I request that such person or persons other than the Editor of Publications as shall be appointed to have charge of the volumes printed at its expense shall be selected because of their special interest in or qualification for the work committed to his or their hands.

    This bequest is made upon the express condition that neither the whole nor any part of the principal or of the income thereof shall ever be designated by my own name. If I have ever done anything during my life worthy of remembrance or commemoration, it is attributable to the devotion and self sacrifice of my mother, whose unflagging interest in my work was always an encouragement to high endeavor and greater zeal. Such a life as hers,—of helpfulness and generous and unselfish devotion to others,—her kindred, her friends, the poor, and the suffering in every walk of life, deserves this permanent memorial, which is in consonance with her nature, since it will forever be helpful to others in a field in which she herself was deeply interested.

    Professor Theodore Spencer then read one of his poems entitled “Heritage.”