Biography of the Forseth and Tift Family
Several family generations are represented in the Forseth-Tift Family Collection.
The earliest papers are of various ancestors. Hempsteads, Miners, Crary’s and Chesboroughs, living in the Stonington and Groton area of Connecticut.
The Forseth branch of the family first appears in Preston, Connecticut in the early 1800’s when Hannah Chapman, the daughter of Uriah Chapman, marries Charles Forsythe
In 1806, their daughter, Hannah Forseth (1785-1878) marries Amos Tift (1784-1829), the son of Solomon Tift and his wife Eunice Borrows of Stonington. They have several children, three of which; Ann, Lucius, and Elizabeth Jane, wrote letters contained in the collection
The Tift family lived in Groton, Connecticut although Amos Tift and Lucius also spent a great deal of time in Key West. It was on a return voyage from Key West that Captain Amos Tift died.Lucius appears to have remained in the south while the Tift girls and their descendents staying in the New England area.
Restrictions
Restrictions on Access
Available for use in the Manuscripts Division.
Restrictions on Use
Various copying restriction apply. Guidelines are available from the Manuscripts Division.
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the G. W. Blunt White Library. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
Persons:
Tift, Amos, (1784-1829)
Tift, Hannah Forseth, (1785-1878)
Places:
Mystic (Conn.)–History
Preston (Conn: Town)–History
Stonington (Conn.)–History
Subjects:
Slavery
Document Types:
Bills of sale
Correspondence
Occupations:
Shipmasters
Administrative Information
Coll. 277, Manuscripts Collection, G. W. Blunt White Library, Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc.
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
| Miscellaneous Papers | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Bill of sale for Phillip a ten year old “negro boy”, from Thomas Noyes to T. Hempstead of Lydia Miner. 1758 1 ms | |||||||||||
| 2 | Summons to Peter Crary of Groton, Connecticut to appear before Amos Chesborough and answer to David Frink of Stonington. 1758 1 ms | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Manuscript draft of a history of Mystic and West Mystic, Connecticut. undated typescript | ||||||||||||
| Forseth Family Papers | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Letter from Uriah Chapman describing various friends’ religious conversions and deaths. undated 1 ms | |||||||||||
| 5 | Letter to Charles Forseth of Preston from Uriah Chapman of Lackaway. Notifies his children of the death of his wife, their mother, and religious events. 1807 1 ms | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Letter to Caroline Forseth of Preston from her parents Asa and Nancy Forseth. 1807 typescript | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Letter to Mr. Charles Forseth of Preston from Chapman Forseth. Describes his feelings on teaching and the people in Wallkill, New York. 1810 1 ms | ||||||||||||
| Tift Family Papers | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Letter to Captain Amos Tift of the schooner AMELIA from Nathan Clift. 1801 1 ms | |||||||||||
| 9 | Letter to Hannah Tift from Amos Tift in Charleston. Describes his grief at hearing of the death of their child, and concerns for his wife’s health. 1817 1 ms | ||||||||||||
| 10 | Letter to Miss Jane E. Tift of Portersville form her brother Luscious Tift of Key West, Florida.. 1845 1 ms | ||||||||||||
| 11 | Letter to Miss Elizabeth Tift of Portersville, Connecticut from her sister Ann M. Tift. 1846 1 ms | ||||||||||||
| 12 | Photograph (copy). “Grandma Tift” written on original envelope. (Original transferred to the Curatorial Department) undated | ||||||||||||