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Daniel White Charity Fund Cash Book

 Collection
Identifier: CHC022

Collection Description

One ledger, detailing the income, cash account, interest, and other financial aspects of the Daniel White Charity Fund from its inception to early 1959. An introduction to the ledger is written by former Cambridge mayor J. Warren Merrill. White gave $5000 to the Mayor and certain Trustees of Cambridge to be held in trust with the following instructions:

Go hold and invest the sum safely and to apply the income thereof from time to time according to the discretion of the Trustees to the purchasing and gratuitous distribution of fuel among the worth and deserving poor of my (his) native City of Cambridge.

The fund was called the Daniel White Charity, and its single volume ledger contains entries beginning in October of 1863 and continuing through February of 1959. It records cash amounts paid out to the City, various area banks, local coal and fuel companies, as well as interest amounts accrued.

The ledger is marked: CASH DANIEL WHITE CHARITY CAMBRIDGE

Dates

  • 1863-1959

Language of Materials

Material is in English.

Access

Collection is available for research under the CHC rules of use.

Copyright Notice

Copyright for materials resides with the creators of the items in question, unless otherwise designated.

It is the responsibility of the researcher to understand and observe copyright law and to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyright. Questions concerning copyright and permission to publish should be directed to the Cambridge Historical Commission Archives.

Historical Note

Daniel White was born in Cambridge on December 6, 1804 and moved to Charlestown when he was a boy. He later studied to become a manufacturing chemist, also known as an apothecary or druggist, under Doctor Samuel Kidder. The two became partners and operated an apothecary in Charlestown for over three decades. Dr. White died on May 28, 1863 and is buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery.

References:

  1. Sawyer, Timothy Thompson,Old Charlestown: Historical, Biographical, Reminiscent. James H. West Company: 1902.
  2. “Daniel O. White Charity Fund.” Cambridge Tribune, February 27, 1904.

Extent

1 bound volume (7.75” x 5.5” x 1.25”)

Abstract

One ledger, detailing the income, cash account, interest, and other financial aspects of the Daniel White Charity Fund from its inception to early 1959.The fund was called the Daniel White Charity, and its single volume ledger contains entries beginning in October of 1863 and continuing through February of 1959. It records cash amounts paid out to the City, various area banks, local coal and fuel companies, as well as interest amounts accrued.

Physical Location

Collection is stored on-site.

Provenance

This ledger was found in the Cambridge City Clerk’s office during the cleaning of their vaults, and was subsequently donated to the Cambridge Historical Commission in April of 2012.

Processing Information

Finding aid by: Megan Schwenke, July 2012; updated by Meta Partenheimer, November 2017

Encoded by: Brittany Fox, July 2021.
Title
Inventory of the Daniel White Charity Fund Cash Book, 1863-1959
Author
Processing and finding aid by Megan Schwenke, July 2012; updated by Meta Partenheimer, November 2017. Machine-readable finding aid by Brittany Fox, July 2021.
Description rules
Finding Aid Was Prepared Using Dacs
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Description is in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Cambridge Historical Commission Archives Repository

Contact:
831 Massachusetts Avenue
2nd Floor
Cambridge Massachusetts 02139 US
617-349-4683