Langdon family papers

Description

The Langdon family papers (MS040) reflect the financial management of the Governor John Langdon House in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, by husband and wife, Woodbury Langdon (1837-1921) and Elizabeth (Elwyn) Langdon (1871-1945). Comprised mostly of checkbook registers and invoices for goods received and services rendered, the collection provides insight into the daily life of the Langdon household during the early twentieth century. The collection is arranged in three series.

Background:
In 1947, Historic New England acquired the Governor John Langdon House in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, through the bequest of Elizabeth (Elwyn) Langdon (1871-1945). The papers within the house at the time of purchase formed the bases of the collection: Langdon manuscript collection (now MS040).

Update: 2013-2014
In 2013-2014, through a National Historical Publications and Records Commission grant (Award Number: NAR13-RH-50051-13: "Family Manuscript Collections: Expanding Online Access to New England Heritage Project"), twenty-six Historic New England manuscript collections of family papers were re-evaluated and processed/reprocessed to meet current archival standards and "best practices;" corresponding finding aids were created/updated to be DACS-compliant and converted into electronic Microsoft Word document form; and the finding aids were made accessible/searchable online through the use of the Minisis M2A archival database of the Minisis Collections Management System. The Langdon family papers (MS040) were part of the grant project.

Prior to the 2013-2014 collection processing, the Langdon family papers (MS040) were comprised of three file boxes (approx. 1.25 linear ft.) containing bound checkbook registers, a financial logbook, invoices, and an estate inventory. During processing, the collection was arranged according to record type; most of the original folder titles for the invoices were retained; checkbook registers were placed in folders and labeled accordingly; related folders were combined or rearranged, as applicable; and brief research was engaged to create a biographical/ historical sketch and genealogy. Preservation issues were identified and basic preservation methods were applied, as applicable; and oversize material was rehoused appropriately (or materials were interleafed within file boxes), as applicable. The collection was rehoused (in acid-free folders and boxes), numbered, labeled, barcoded, and stored accordingly; subsequent accessions were tracked and noted with their corresponding items; and related collections held by Historic New England and other repositories were researched and noted. A DACS-compliant, electronic 2010-2013 Microsoft Word document finding aid was created (with corresponding paper finding aid) and entered into the collection record in the Minisis M2A online database.

NOTE: Processing/updating the collection and making the finding aid accessible online were made possible through grants from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (Award Number: NAR13-RH-50051-13), the Bedford Family Foundation, and an anonymous donor.